Reading Kartini Sjahrir's novel "Ragam Ni Si Marian".

Through in-depth research, "Ragam Ni Si Marian" is a romance that binds readers from beginning to end.

YOHANES KRISNAWAN

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A new female author of Indonesian novels has been born and she is not kidding around. This author not only enriches the literary treasures of Indonesia, but also reveals in detail the background and historical journey of Indonesia through a fictional love story that encompasses the processes and efforts of plantations, trade, colonization, as well as the movements of Indonesian students and youth during the period of 1900-1955. This story does not only occur in the Dutch East Indies, but also in the Netherlands.

Through library research and field research for more than four years, Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir, doctor of anthropology and former Indonesian Ambassador to the Republic of Argentina and the Republic of Paraguay and the Republic of Uruguay (2010-2014), this gave birth to his first romance, Ragam Ni Si Marian, which was published Kompas Book Publishers (PBK) in March 2024. With the full title Ragam Ni Ngolu Ni Si Marian-The Variety of Life of Si Marian, a 660 page romance with 80 chapters, this is the first of a trilogy covers the period 1900-1955.

Apparently, the idea for this romance was born when the world and Indonesia in particular were hit by the Covid-19 pandemic which has been very tense since early 2020. Kartini started this rectangular love story with the backdrop of the Spanish flu epidemic, which hit world in 1918-1920, and exploded in Spain towards the end of World War I. In fact, the flu started in early March 1918, in Kansas, United States, before then spreading to France, Germany and England, and finally to the Dutch East Indies. , with a global death toll of between 17 million and 100 million.

RNi Si Marian Religion is a romance that binds the reader from start to finish because even though this love story doesn't end in general, the plot is predictable, but there are many unexpected details.

Written in a fluent, easy-to-understand language style and with good command of the material, like historical romances, there are many names of characters involved in it. In this first trilogy, we can feel and "experience" a similar story at the same time, which was very successfully written by Pramoedya Ananta Toer (1925-2006), in his tetratlogy written on Buru Island (Earth of Mankind, i>1980, Children of All Nations, 1980, Footsteps, 1985, and Greenhouse, 1988). What differentiates Ragam Ni Si Marianfrom Pram's works, perhaps, is that Pram wrote based on memories of experiences, Kartini wrote it based on library research and direct visits to the various places she wrote about, both in Indonesia and the Netherlands. In fact, the process of writing the romance was carried out in a place in the Netherlands for several months.

Another difference is that, while Pram depicts places and landscapes in his work based on the author's and fiction writer's spiritual eyes, which may not require details, Kartini observes and experiences the panorama and human life in the past (Kartini was born on March 1, 1950), through the lens of her expertise as an anthropologist. She not only studies humans and their biological characteristics but also the social aspects and their relationship in cultural perspectives, behavior, language, and worldview.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Talk about the novel Ragam Ni Si Marian by Kartini Sjahrir at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jakarta, Friday (1/3/2024).

Ragam Ni Si Marian tells the story of the engagement, termination of relations, marriage and extramarital affairs of Dutch people with indigenous people from the Batak tribe with the backdrop of the cities of Batavia, Limbangan (Priangan) and Holland, during the colonial period, the Spanish flu pandemic, and the Indonesian independence movement 1900-1955. This novel, which consists of 80 chapters with a thickness of 660 pages, essentially tells the story of the engagement of a Dutch couple in the Netherlands, namely Jan-Pieter Smit and Margriet van den Berg, which was postponed and then cancelled, because Jan-Pieter Smit, a botanist born in Limbangan (Garut) , it assigned his company to manage plantations in the Dutch East Indies. Jan-Pieter was originally matched and officially engaged to Margriet, the daughter of Hendrick van den Berg, a former Dutch soldier in the Dutch East Indies.

Meanwhile, during almost the same period, the engagement plan of Batak youth Willem "Olań" Hasiholan with mixed Batak girl Marian Bintang Hasibuan was also postponed and eventually cancelled because Willem Hasiholan had to leave for the Netherlands to continue his education in law. Willem is the son of Batak couple Tiurma and Marolop Siregar. Marian, on the other hand, is the eldest daughter of Batak couple Immanuel "Iman" Hasibuan and Minarsih, a Sundanese woman of Menak (noble) descent and plantation entrepreneur. Minarsih passed away after giving birth to Marian and her younger sibling. And the Iman Hasibuan and Minarsih couple were friends with the Tiurma and Marolop Siregar couple. They had business relations in agriculture and coffee plantation in the Priangan region.

Love brings people together and love can also tear them apart. Such is the story of this romance that opens with a scene in the hospital. Marian, who dedicates herself as a nurse, has a patient who has contracted the Spanish flu. None other than Jan-Pieter Smit. The introduction later involves both of them in a love adventure amidst the controversy of business and social relations between two unequal nationalities: colonizers and colonized. Accompanied by prejudice, injustice, and lies. Yes, Jan-Pieter never told Marian that he was already engaged to Margriet in Netherlands. Something that resulted in a fatal consequence when Jan-Pieter had to return to Netherlands and leave Marian who had just sacrificed her virginity for the colonizer.

Apparently, the idea for this novel was born when the world, including Indonesia specifically, was struck by the very alarming Covid-19 pandemic since early 2020.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, Margriet, who had not heard news about her fiancé, Jan-Pieter, met a native Batak youth who was studying law, Willem Hasiholan. Amidst prejudice and inequality, between the colonizer and the colonized, Margriet never told Willem about her relationship and engagement with Jan-Pieter, even though they had been dating like husband and wife. Until Willem's desire to marry Margriet was flatly rejected by Margriet's father: Hendrick van den Berg. Willem returned to the Dutch East Indies with a sense of emptiness, although he had obtained a law degree and was involved in the Dutch East Indies' youth movement campaigning for independence.

After returning to Indonesia, Willem finally met Marian, his fiancé who was not engaged because he hurried to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Marian's condition was suffering. She was a former nurse who remained beautiful and very talented as an entrepreneur, and became an independent woman. She finally accepted Willem's presence in her life. Moreover, from her first and last love relationship with Jan-Pieter, she became pregnant and gave birth to twins: Jusuf and Josefina, which she never told Jan-Pieter about.

So what happened when Jan-Pieter married Margriet in the Netherlands and returned to the Dutch East Indies and met the couple Willem and Marian?

I do not want to diminish the enjoyment of the next readers. Because this novel, aside from reminding us of the development of the social and political history from the Dutch East Indies era until the Independence Day on August 17th, 1945, also concerns the consequences for the Dutch citizens who still lived during the Japanese occupation until independence. Including for the couple Jan-Pieter and Margriet.

RNi Si Marian Religion isa romance that binds the reader from start to finish, because even though this love story doesn't end in general, the plot is predictable, but there are many unexpected details. We are also treated to various unique Sundanese, Batak and Dutch customs, with a variety of fashion and culinary delights from that time, which remain influential to this day.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Paintings by Melissa Sunjaya were exhibited during a discussion event on the novel "Ragam Ni Si Mariam" by Kartini Sjahrir at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, Jakarta, on Friday (1/3/2024).

Kartini Sjahrir, a former swimmer and mountain climber, is also very eloquent and romantic when describing the natural mountains and plantations in the Priangan area, which have not changed much until now. Paintings of picnic scenes in lakes and valleys also feel very poetic. Including when he described the love scene of the couple Willem-Margriet and Jan-Pieter-Marian. Something amazing for a writer who only wrote his first romance at the age of 74. However, regarding speaking and language, as with her two previous non-fiction works, Rumah Janda I and Rumah Janda II, Kartini has been able to express her talent in telling stories.

Therefore, the second and third book of this trilogy, which will narrate Indonesia's period from 1955-1998 and from 1998 until present day, are highly anticipated. The tumultuous moments experienced firsthand by the author as a student activist and politician. Especially since her late husband, Dr. Sjahrir, was an economist and key figure in the student movement of the 1970s, and her brother is Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, a key figure in the post-Reformation era from 1998 to the present.

Also read: Exploring the Longings of the Oppressed

Of course no work is perfect. However, as a pro forma, I just want to make a few small notes that somewhat interfere with the enjoyment of reading. First, some chapter titles, such as paper titles, are even somewhat spoilers because they already describe what will happen. In fact, we can make these titles "romantic" as the song Maliq & D'Essentials say, which is trending on TikTok right now.

Second, it reminds the reader of the names of streets and areas that used to be in Dutch with their current names, making the reader immediately "awakened" from the enjoyment and fun of delving into the past. And finally, maybe this is just due to the editor's carelessness. On page 29 there is a sentence: Because coconut milk made from coconut oil is not available in the Netherlands, coconut milk is replaced with milk. As far as I know, coconut milk is made from grated coconut juice and not from coconut oil.

Apart from this small note, I, who has written several novels of more than 500 pages, am frankly very amazed and amazed at Kartini Sjahrir's endurance, patience and thoroughness in completing her first magnum opus: i>RA Ni Si Marian Religion. Hopefully the next work will be much more romantic and more enchanting. Salute Mrs. Kerr...! (*)

Noorca M Massardi

Author; Luhut Biographer; Lives in Bintaro

Book Data

Title: Variety Ni Si Marian

Author: Kartini Sjahrir

Publisher: Kompas Book Publishers

Year of Publication: Printing I, 2024

Dength: xviii+670 pages

ISBN: 978-623-160-338-8