Andrea Hirata

For the first third of The Rainbow Troops, better known by its original title, Laskar Pelangi, I was having a good time. These are universal themes--coming of age, forging friendships, carving out a living amidst corporate greed--in a specific setting, the 70s and 80s in Belitong, a Sumatran island. Our cast of characters are ten (later eleven) young children at a rural Muhammadiyah school that's little more than a dilapidated shack, which comes alive as their thirst for knowledge is stoked show more by their teachers.

"Gang of misfits" stories are as old as time. Everybody loves reading or watching quirky kids overcoming obstacles with cleverness and the power of friendship, which probably explains the novel's incredible success in Indonesia. But as I neared the halfway point, I found the structure getting very repetitive. It's largely told in vignettes, with a problem arising, the kids improvising or working hard to solve it, and triumphing. By the seventh refrain of "there's no way we'll be able to make it out of this one!" it all started to ring a bit hollow, because we've seen the kids succeed at every turn, albeit improbably.

I was also unsure of everyone's ages. We start at first grade, and later they're in "adolescence," but it's very unclear what that means, and it makes characters feel vague. The classmates are all largely one-dimensional, which is fine as a way to distil them to their most singular quirks and features, but the one spot of characterization that felt truly lacking to me were with the teachers, Bu Mus and Pak Harfan. We're constantly told how incredible they are at inspiring students and conveying knowledge but we're rarely shown it. This is especially true of Pak Harfan, who is introduced in the first few chapters and completely disappears for the next 80% of the book; his death barely registers because it doesn't feel like he was ever present.

What was consistently successful, though, was the setting. I really got a feel for Belitong as Andrea Hirata sees it: geography, culture, politics. He's critical of the corporate greed that has ravaged so much of the island, and the narrative voice shines most when he's talking frankly about poverty--not just as an economic state, but as a currency that politicians, journalists, and anyone looking for attention can exploit without actually establishing lasting solutions.

Simplistic, too long, and with a shockingly depressing ending, I'm very curious how this leads into the rest of Hirata's autobiographical novels.

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Global Challenge: Indonesia show less

Os Guerreiros do Arco-Íris é um romance escrito por Andrea Hirata, um escritor indonésio e traduzido por Maria João Freire de Andrade.

Antes de dizer o que quer que seja sobre os acontecimentos narrados neste livro, devo dizer que é fantástico! Não é qualquer livro que tem o poder de nos envolver de tal forma, que com ele choramos, rimos, sofremos, vibramos. Por vários momentos, senti o peito apertadinho a sofrer pelas personagens, ou melhor, com as personagens. Uma história de show more vida, de luta, de persistência, de desigualdades sociais, de exploração infantil, de desvalorização de escolas das aldeias, a par de uma grande persistência, de professores que fazem a diferença, de alunos que também fazem a diferença, de um grande espírito de sacrifício e resiliência, e, ainda, entremeando com momentos puramente mágicos, com a crença em fantasmas, com o amor (que, com efeito, comanda e muda a vida), momentos de vitória, nos quais me vi a torcer com ansiedade por um grupo de jovens e muitos momentos hilariantes nos quais era impossível não soltar uma boa gargalhada.

Esta é uma história que, segundo a Amazon, “se lê como um moderno conto de fadas”, mas um conto de fadas em que, nem sempre tudo corre às mil maravilhas. Narrada na primeira pessoa, é pela voz de Ikal, uma criança de seis anos, no início do romance, que nos chega esta história incrível. A ação decorre na ilha de Belitong, uma aldeia muito pobre e onde as crianças começam a trabalhar muito cedo a apanhar pimenta, a embrenharem-se pela perigosa selva para apanharem madeira de agara e sândalo amarelo, a trabalhar em lojas, a calafetar barcos, a ralar coco e como moços de recados dos barcos de pesca.

Porém, para este grupo de crianças, pelo menos até certa altura, a escola era o lugar onde eram felizes, mas manter a escola aberta é uma luta constante e muitas são as adversidades por que passam. Estes jovens estudantes são, com efeito, “guerreiros do arco-íris”, que tudo fazem para defender a sua escola, mesmo quando tencionam derrubá-la para explorar o estanho que estaria debaixo da sua estrutura.

Conseguirão os dois troféus ganhos em provas diferentes ser suficientes para manter a escola aberta? Que futuro estará reservado para estas crianças pobres?

Este é mesmo um livro que todos deviam ler, que alguns jovens que têm acesso à educação de mão beijada e não aproveitam, deviam ler. Que todos deviam ler!

Um romance 5 estrelas. É daqueles romances que nos deixa a ressacar. O próximo a ler tem de ser mesmo bom, ou vou ter sempre saudades deste! show less

The Rainbow Troops is a remarkable debut novel by a young man who once promised his schoolteacher he would write a book in her honor. Inspired by Hirata's own childhood experiences on the tiny, isolated island of Belitong, on the east coast of Sumatra, this is the poignant story of ten young children from among the islands poorest families, and their struggle to gain the education they are guaranteed under Indonesian law.

On his first day at Belitong's only free school, Muhammadiyah show more Elementary, Ikal breathes a sigh of relief when the tenth child the school needs to remain operational appears at enrollment at the last minute, saving him from being sent to work as a helper at the grocery market or a coolie (labourer) for the miners or fishermen to supplement his family's meagre income. As he takes his seat in the ramshackle building which contains not much more than a chalkboard and a few desks and chairs he marvels at the opportunity he has been given, ignoring the leaking roof, "...a roof with leaks so large that students see planes flying in the sky and have to hold umbrellas while studying on rainy days", crumbling concrete floors and missing wall planks. In front of Ikal stands fifteen year old Bus Mus, the new class teacher, and school supervisor, Pak Harfan. Beside him sits nine other children, the Rainbow Troops.

Though simply written, this is an inspiring tale of struggle against adversity told with warmth, humour and tenderness. The children, the Rainbow Troops, will capture your heart as Ikal shares their stories, recounting his friends achievements, triumphs and tragedies as they struggle to claim their right to an education. There is Lintang who leaves his home at dawn to pedal the 40km to school each day, dodging crocodiles and wading through flood waters, never missing a day, Mahar whose imagination entertains them all with stories and Haran who sits, smiling happily, in class even though he doesn't understand a word. learning what becomes of these ten (later 11) children is both heartbreaking and revealing.

The Rainbow Troops is also a story of quiet rebellion. Belitong lies in the shadow of the giant PN tin mining company who, with government approval, strip the land of its riches while caring nothing for its native citizens. Muhammadiyah Elementary educates its students with few resources, it's teachers are unpaid and it is constantly threatened with closure but it fights the injustice with everything it has.

It is impossible to read The Rainbow Troops and not be moved by such an incredible story that is more fact than fiction. With memorable characters, irresistible charm and touching simplicity, this is a story that reminds us to appreciate what we have but also to strive for what we want most. This is a story the world should know.

'Laskar Pelangi' was a phenomenal success when published in Indonesia in 2005, an immediate bestseller, spawning a TV series and film. This is the first of four novels Hirata has penned in the interim, and the first to be translated into English, now on the cusp of global release. show less

This was as charming as it was inspirational. The author relates his time in the local village school in a remote corner of Indonesia, growing up with his 10 classmates and friends, The Rainbow Troops. The book doesn't shy away from the grinding poverty, the incredible hardship and the shocking state of education in this part of the world, but doesn't seek the reader's pity. Instead, this is an uplifting, hopeful account, often humerous, with characters who you can't help but cheer on.

I'd show more recommend this book to anyone interested in foreign cultures, but, since this is a story about education and the love of learning, I'd recommend it in particular to teachers. show less