Set in the dying throes of the Sukarno era in Indonesia, it
tells of the Western journalists coming together as they sense the
slow motion implosion of the country.
In the midst of it all, is Guy Hamilton, and his dwarf cameraman
Billy Kwan.
The eccentricities of Kwan and Hamilton's nose for a story moves
the story along like the Wayang Kulit. Shadowplays of light and
darkness abound in this book as a slow motion impending tragedy
unfolds (you can feel it happening) amongst the characters in the
book, as the slow motion impending tragedy unfolds in the
country.
At the end, is a climax which leaves the reader almost
breathless.
Banned in Indonesia until recently, it was called "essential
reading" for all Indonesian expatriates.
Recommended. 4 out of 5