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Birth Canal
A dazzling novella from a rising star of Indonesian literature that explores what it means to be a woman — whoever you are, wherever you are, and whenever it is in history and time.
In today’s Jakarta, an unnamed man tells the story of his lifelong friend Nastiti, and what happened on the day she vanished. In the Dutch East Indies' Semarang, a young Indo-Dutch girl, Rukmini, is captured by the Japanese military and is forced into prostitution. Years later, Arini travels to the Netherlands to share her mother’s dark past with a researcher.
After the American occupation of Japan in WWII ends, a former war photographer revisits his memories of Hanako, the wife of a traumatised ex-Imperial soldier, but can’t escape his own darkness. And in present-day Osaka, a young Indonesian woman, Dara, haunted by her past and struggling to conceive, becomes obsessed with a Japanese porn star.
Through these interconnected narratives, in stunning prose, Dias Novita Wuri explores generational legacies, lost loves, the damage that war does to men, and the damage that men do to women.
In today’s Jakarta, an unnamed man tells the story of his lifelong friend Nastiti, and what happened on the day she vanished. In the Dutch East Indies' Semarang, a young Indo-Dutch girl, Rukmini, is captured by the Japanese military and is forced into prostitution. Years later, Arini travels to the Netherlands to share her mother’s dark past with a researcher.
After the American occupation of Japan in WWII ends, a former war photographer revisits his memories of Hanako, the wife of a traumatised ex-Imperial soldier, but can’t escape his own darkness. And in present-day Osaka, a young Indonesian woman, Dara, haunted by her past and struggling to conceive, becomes obsessed with a Japanese porn star.
Through these interconnected narratives, in stunning prose, Dias Novita Wuri explores generational legacies, lost loves, the damage that war does to men, and the damage that men do to women.
160 pages, Paperback
Published July 4, 2023
15 people are currently reading
1854 people want to read
About the author
Dias Novita Wuri
5 books50 followersDias Novita Wuri was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, 11 November 1989. She graduated from Universitas Indonesia, majoring in Russian Language and Literature, and received funding from Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) for her study in Queen Mary University of London, England, majoring in MA Comparative Literature. She completed the degree in 2019.
She lives in the Netherlands with her husband and son.
She lives in the Netherlands with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
November 25, 2023
A novel of four interconnected short stories about women's lives in Indonesia. It's about the role of women in society, abortion and abuse and how the situation changed (or not) over the generations.
It doesn't necessarily break new ground but its Indonesian setting is what makes it interesting. It tells important stories and doesn't hold back, so it gets tough at times.
I was a bit puzzled by some of the interconnections and struggled with the third part, but overall quite impressed.
It doesn't necessarily break new ground but its Indonesian setting is what makes it interesting. It tells important stories and doesn't hold back, so it gets tough at times.
I was a bit puzzled by some of the interconnections and struggled with the third part, but overall quite impressed.
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July 22, 2023Birth Canal is an Indonesian novel presented as four interconnected tales, each of which centring around the difficult, dynamic lives and experiences of Indonesian women from World War II to the present day.
The first story is told from the perspective of a nameless man in Jakarta who has spent his life suffering in unrequited love with a dear friend named Nastiti, who, one day, suddenly vanishes.
The second story follows Nastiti’s mother, whose own mother was used as a “comfort woman” and given the name Hana by the Japanese military during World War II. Our narrator has travelled to Amsterdam to tell her mother’s story to an academic.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/indonesian-no...
The first story is told from the perspective of a nameless man in Jakarta who has spent his life suffering in unrequited love with a dear friend named Nastiti, who, one day, suddenly vanishes.
The second story follows Nastiti’s mother, whose own mother was used as a “comfort woman” and given the name Hana by the Japanese military during World War II. Our narrator has travelled to Amsterdam to tell her mother’s story to an academic.
My full thoughts: https://booksandbao.com/indonesian-no...
August 28, 2023
“In the end, she was desperate for God’s forgiveness, but I reckon it’s God who should ask forgiveness from her.”
4.75/5 stars
This powerful collection of 4 short interconnecting stories was an important and impactful read on the brutality of war, its effects on women and the intergenerational trauma it causes, as well as the modern day experiences of women with reproduction. It took a lot of willpower in me to push through some the horrors these women endured. Sometimes, when it got too upsetting, I had to set the book down and remember how to breathe properly again. It made my reflect on my privilege of never having experienced such horrors (also made me wonder about my ancestors in South East Asia during Japanese occupation). I empathised deeply with the women in the book and admired the strength of women in general in the face of adversity.
The writing was beautiful, lots of metaphors tied to the womb, birth, blood, the female anatomy. I especially enjoyed the bloody imagery. The book doesn’t follow a linear timeline, but I thought it was smart and done well.
Trigger warnings include comfort women, war, violence, gore, abortion, death of a child, rape, suicide.
4.75/5 stars
This powerful collection of 4 short interconnecting stories was an important and impactful read on the brutality of war, its effects on women and the intergenerational trauma it causes, as well as the modern day experiences of women with reproduction. It took a lot of willpower in me to push through some the horrors these women endured. Sometimes, when it got too upsetting, I had to set the book down and remember how to breathe properly again. It made my reflect on my privilege of never having experienced such horrors (also made me wonder about my ancestors in South East Asia during Japanese occupation). I empathised deeply with the women in the book and admired the strength of women in general in the face of adversity.
The writing was beautiful, lots of metaphors tied to the womb, birth, blood, the female anatomy. I especially enjoyed the bloody imagery. The book doesn’t follow a linear timeline, but I thought it was smart and done well.
Trigger warnings include comfort women, war, violence, gore, abortion, death of a child, rape, suicide.
June 19, 2023
Content Warnings: War, violence, death, rape/sexual assault, child death, death of a parent, domestic abuse, suicide
Birth Canal is a meandering exploration of war, violence, sexuality, and misogyny - told via the intertwining stories of several Japanese and Indonesian women.
I have to be honest, for like 90% of this book I had little to no idea what was going on. I can usually get on board with non-linear timelines and rapidly flipping perspectives, but unfortunately, it really didn't work for me in this instance. My prevailing emotion was confusion throughout, and it never really clicked for me. Regardless, the novella is packed with scenes which are heart-wrenching and thought provoking, and the themes did come through for the most part and were explored thoughtfully, even though narrative-wise, I was completely lost.
Thanks to NetGalley, Dias Novita Wuri, and Scribe UK for the ARC.
Birth Canal is a meandering exploration of war, violence, sexuality, and misogyny - told via the intertwining stories of several Japanese and Indonesian women.
I have to be honest, for like 90% of this book I had little to no idea what was going on. I can usually get on board with non-linear timelines and rapidly flipping perspectives, but unfortunately, it really didn't work for me in this instance. My prevailing emotion was confusion throughout, and it never really clicked for me. Regardless, the novella is packed with scenes which are heart-wrenching and thought provoking, and the themes did come through for the most part and were explored thoughtfully, even though narrative-wise, I was completely lost.
Thanks to NetGalley, Dias Novita Wuri, and Scribe UK for the ARC.
March 30, 2022
Terlalu underrated! Kenapa buku ini ngga populer sama sekali? Saya suka banget sama cara penulis yang alus banget buat plot cerita cinta antar generasi ini. Bahasanya lembut, ngga ngerasa grasak-grusuk dan patut diapresiasi lebih! Ngebaca buku ini selain kadang disuguhi yang manis-manis, ada nyesek-nyesek dikit gimana gitu. Apalagi pas bagian Ayaka, hm, ehehehe, kok bisa gitu ya. Buat cerita yang saya sebut—serupa tali-temali—ini indah puol. Beneran jatuh cinta kayaknya sama buku ini😭🌼✨
September 17, 2025
A beautifully dark, heartbreaking book.
Lots of content warnings for this one (war, comfort women, rape, child abuse, abortion, suicide) but absolutely worth reading.
Lots of content warnings for this one (war, comfort women, rape, child abuse, abortion, suicide) but absolutely worth reading.
November 23, 2023
Not easy reading due to the topics but stunningly written prose that pulls you in. It's very heart-wrenching and I read most of it hiding behing my hand mumbling "Oh no, no, no" because of the hard-hitting experiences these women went through. However, it focuses on such an important part of Indonesian history it should be read by very brave people around the world who enjoy reading beautifully written literature. I'm very grateful to have read the English translation.
December 2, 2021
sudah jatuh cinta sama gaya penulisannya di makrame. jalan lahir menjadi buku kedua yang saya baca, ga pernah kecewa dengan narasi yang dibawakan.
jalan lahir bercerita tentang empat perempuan; nastiti, rukmini, hana, ayaka. gak mau komentar banyak, intinya patah hati dan gamang waktu baca cerita rukmini, jangan lupa juga ending cerita ayaka yang (menurut saya) plot twist!
jalan lahir bercerita tentang empat perempuan; nastiti, rukmini, hana, ayaka. gak mau komentar banyak, intinya patah hati dan gamang waktu baca cerita rukmini, jangan lupa juga ending cerita ayaka yang (menurut saya) plot twist!
May 2, 2025
The only reading why this does not have 5 stars is because sometimes I could not figure out for the life of me whose perspective I was reading
August 27, 2023
3.5*
"It took me a very long time to be able to come to terms with it - that most of the things in the world are beyond our control, and Nastiti is just one example"
Would recommend purely for the historical context
"It took me a very long time to be able to come to terms with it - that most of the things in the world are beyond our control, and Nastiti is just one example"
Would recommend purely for the historical context
November 7, 2023
sehr schön geschrieben und super interessant historische Fakten mit den Lebensrealitäten von indonesischen Frauen verwoben! die dritte Geschichte fand ich etwas verwirrend, deswegen "nur" vier Sterne
March 2, 2024
Powerful, demanding your attention on every page, this book is an absolute must read for everyone.
June 18, 2024
'Birth Canal' is a series of 4 interconnected stories set in Indonesia, focusing in particular on the experiences of women in relation to men. These are perspectives of women who have suffered during the war forced into prostitution, women who have suffered from domestic abuse, child loss, or desperate obsession under the male gaze.
As you can imagine, this is a very sad read. The writing is touching and the words chosen extremely aptly, given sufficient clarity while still inviting an emotional response through picturing things before your very eyes. Dias Novita Wuri creates compelling scenes of Indonesia through the ages, and it's a remarkable resource of understanding the life of regular people under the Japanese and Dutch influences.
The style is meditative and somewhat meandering. It's not always clear whose perspective you're following, as we switch from first to second to third person quickly. I would have preferred if this was done more seamlessly, or if it was entirely understood who was speaking when, as occasionally I would lose the plot and more guess than know what was going on. This made me second guess the intent of the book, as I sensed that the form was taking precedence over the content.
Still, it was a moving experience, I cannot take that away from it.
As you can imagine, this is a very sad read. The writing is touching and the words chosen extremely aptly, given sufficient clarity while still inviting an emotional response through picturing things before your very eyes. Dias Novita Wuri creates compelling scenes of Indonesia through the ages, and it's a remarkable resource of understanding the life of regular people under the Japanese and Dutch influences.
The style is meditative and somewhat meandering. It's not always clear whose perspective you're following, as we switch from first to second to third person quickly. I would have preferred if this was done more seamlessly, or if it was entirely understood who was speaking when, as occasionally I would lose the plot and more guess than know what was going on. This made me second guess the intent of the book, as I sensed that the form was taking precedence over the content.
Still, it was a moving experience, I cannot take that away from it.
April 12, 2024
3.5 stars
Birth Canal is a set of 4 connected short stories that portray what being a woman is like in Indonesia. We meet Nastiti, who vanishes after taking an abortion pill. We meet her mother, Arini, who conceived her daughter out of wedlock and was raised with her mother’s trauma as a sibling. Arini’s mother, Rukmini, was a comfort woman for Japanese soldiers during WWII. We also meet Hana, whose husband was a Japanese commander during the war, the horror of which manifested as abuse against her upon his return. We also meet Dara, who wants nothing more than to conceive a child, and tries to take her own life when she can’t.
Birth Canal offers rich historical context, both for the Dutch colonization of Indonesia and how Indonesians were treated during WWII. It captures an incredibly painful part of history in a beautiful way and at minimum, you are guaranteed to learn something new if you read it. I believe the story collection would have been more powerful if it focused solely on the experiences of Nastiti, Aron, and Rukmini. Hana and Dara’s stories, taking place at the end, felt like an abrupt and confusing addition. Regardless, I was fully absorbed in the writing, and I needed to know what happened to each character as soon as I met them.
Birth Canal is a set of 4 connected short stories that portray what being a woman is like in Indonesia. We meet Nastiti, who vanishes after taking an abortion pill. We meet her mother, Arini, who conceived her daughter out of wedlock and was raised with her mother’s trauma as a sibling. Arini’s mother, Rukmini, was a comfort woman for Japanese soldiers during WWII. We also meet Hana, whose husband was a Japanese commander during the war, the horror of which manifested as abuse against her upon his return. We also meet Dara, who wants nothing more than to conceive a child, and tries to take her own life when she can’t.
Birth Canal offers rich historical context, both for the Dutch colonization of Indonesia and how Indonesians were treated during WWII. It captures an incredibly painful part of history in a beautiful way and at minimum, you are guaranteed to learn something new if you read it. I believe the story collection would have been more powerful if it focused solely on the experiences of Nastiti, Aron, and Rukmini. Hana and Dara’s stories, taking place at the end, felt like an abrupt and confusing addition. Regardless, I was fully absorbed in the writing, and I needed to know what happened to each character as soon as I met them.
June 29, 2023
Thought-provoking and ultimately harrowing, stories with no ultimate happy ending.
Split in two parts, Birth Canal follows 4 different women (each with their own sub-heading) from various walks of life and time, all of whom have lives defined and inflicted by men's violence, sexuality (and it's consequences) and a patriarchal misogynistic society. All are ultimately failed by the men in their life and their actions or lack of, with one struggling to conceive, another with an obsessive stalker, one forced into sexual slavery and one struggling to get rid of an unwished for pregnancy.
A realistic insight into the struggles historically and today women have had to face, often unsupported and alone.
Thanks to NetGalley, Scribe UK and the author for the ARC, I really enjoyed reflecting on this novel and the topics it brought up.
Split in two parts, Birth Canal follows 4 different women (each with their own sub-heading) from various walks of life and time, all of whom have lives defined and inflicted by men's violence, sexuality (and it's consequences) and a patriarchal misogynistic society. All are ultimately failed by the men in their life and their actions or lack of, with one struggling to conceive, another with an obsessive stalker, one forced into sexual slavery and one struggling to get rid of an unwished for pregnancy.
A realistic insight into the struggles historically and today women have had to face, often unsupported and alone.
Thanks to NetGalley, Scribe UK and the author for the ARC, I really enjoyed reflecting on this novel and the topics it brought up.
August 10, 2023
Tw: rape, suicide, abuse, abortion, murder
Aku penasaran sama buku ini karena direkomendasikan oleh BooksandBao. Novel ini diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Inggris oleh penulisnya sendiri.
Novel rasa kumcer dengan cerita yang tokoh-tokohnya saling berkaitan dan beda generasi. Menggunakan alur maju mundur dan perpindahan pov di satu cerita, juga seting waktu yang berbeda.
Aku belum pernah membaca novel dengan narasi seperti ini di mana si narator mengungkapkan isi hati dan kepalanya dengan liar.
Novel ini tidak bisa dibaca dengan cepat. Aku butuh waktu untuk memahami ceritanya. Narasinya indah walau temanya gelap dan kadang bisa bikin sakit kepala.
Akhirnya aku paham kenapa novel ini diberi judul Jalan Lahir.
Novel yang absurd, aneh dan meninggalkan rasa getir setelah membacanya.
Aku penasaran sama buku ini karena direkomendasikan oleh BooksandBao. Novel ini diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Inggris oleh penulisnya sendiri.
Novel rasa kumcer dengan cerita yang tokoh-tokohnya saling berkaitan dan beda generasi. Menggunakan alur maju mundur dan perpindahan pov di satu cerita, juga seting waktu yang berbeda.
Aku belum pernah membaca novel dengan narasi seperti ini di mana si narator mengungkapkan isi hati dan kepalanya dengan liar.
Novel ini tidak bisa dibaca dengan cepat. Aku butuh waktu untuk memahami ceritanya. Narasinya indah walau temanya gelap dan kadang bisa bikin sakit kepala.
Akhirnya aku paham kenapa novel ini diberi judul Jalan Lahir.
Novel yang absurd, aneh dan meninggalkan rasa getir setelah membacanya.
May 28, 2022
Yang paling saya suka dari buku ini adalah gaya penulisannya. Bagus sekali! Bisa dibilang buku ini pakai gaya stream of consciousness tapi sama sekali gak buat bingung.
Untuk ceritanya sendiri sangat pedih dan menyakitkan, tapi karena dipoles dengan indah melalui gaya penulisan dan pilihan kata-katanya, jadi bacanya masih bisa dinikmati (walaupun di hati tetap terasa nyelekit).
Buku ini sama bagusnya dengan buku pertama mbak Dias, Makramé, dan dua-duanya sangat saya rekomendasikan untuk dibaca.
Untuk ceritanya sendiri sangat pedih dan menyakitkan, tapi karena dipoles dengan indah melalui gaya penulisan dan pilihan kata-katanya, jadi bacanya masih bisa dinikmati (walaupun di hati tetap terasa nyelekit).
Buku ini sama bagusnya dengan buku pertama mbak Dias, Makramé, dan dua-duanya sangat saya rekomendasikan untuk dibaca.
January 17, 2023
Awal membaca novel ini, saya agak kesulitan mencernanya, namun lama-kelamaan mengalir begitu saja. Gaya penulisannya menurut saya tergolong lembut tapi menyakitkan. Judulnya, Jalan Lahir, merangkum keempat wanita berkaitan yang diceritakan. Some parts were truly heart-wrenching. Penulis menyuguhkan perspektif yang berbeda mengenai masalah yang disajikan dengan gaya penulisannya yang demikian. Ini pertama kalinya saya membaca karya Kak Dias; jadi tertarik untuk mengeksplor karyanya yang lain. Quite an eye-opening read.
December 23, 2021
bukunya terbagi menjadi empat bagian di mana setiap bagian menceritakan kisah tentang satu perempuan yang saling berkait dan menghadapi masalahnya masing-masing. Penceritaannya cukup mengenang di hati namun sedikit sulit dicerna. Secara garis besar buku ini sangat bermanfaat dalam memberikan sudut pandang yang baru akan masalah para perempuan.
April 8, 2022
Awalnya memang sedikit kesulitan dicerna, tapi makin lama makin terbuai dengan narasinya. Cara penyampaian novel ini halus dan mulus banget, cantik juga (meskipun beberapa kisah di novel ini bikin nyesek dan sedih). Ini pertama kali aku baca karya Kak Dias, aku langsung jatuh cinta dan nggak menyesal sama sekali! One of my best read this year.
January 31, 2022
Indah sekaligus menyakitkan.
March 5, 2023
18 - 2023
Gak mudah mencerna buku ini. Tokoh perempuan yang berbeda, latar belakang, generasi, tapi ketiganya memang tentang jalan lahir, tentang kelahiran perempuan.
Gak mudah mencerna buku ini. Tokoh perempuan yang berbeda, latar belakang, generasi, tapi ketiganya memang tentang jalan lahir, tentang kelahiran perempuan.
May 9, 2025
Ceritanya menarik, karakter di dalamnya juga menarik. Tapi sulit dipahami di cerita ini sedang di masa waktu kapan, sedang di mana, sedang menceritakan siapa
February 27, 2025
trigger warning for the people who want to read this book: RAPE and ABORTION.
honestly? what a ride. the second and the third part was so intense. especially the second part.
this book consists of 4 parts tapi gabisa dibilang kumpulan cerpen juga—pokoknya 4 cerita pendek yang saling berhubungan dan berkelindan. genrenya historical fiction (hisfic) (untuk cerita kedua dan ketiga) dan slight fantasy realism/slight magical realism—ada sedikit hal-hal gak nyata tapi latarnya tetap dunia nyata (untuk cerita keempat).
came accross this book on Libby with the keyword "Jakarta", and this book appeared on the search page. give it a read. awalnya kayak "meh", yaudah aja, karena part 1 adalah cerita tentang seorang perempuan bernama Nastiti yang diceritakan oleh narator cowo unnamed yang merupakan sahabat Nastiti. makin dibaca Nastiti makin keren. however, aku setuju dengan salah satu reviewer: kenapa cerita seorang perempuan harus diceritakan dalam sudut pandang lelaki?
jujur aku baca buku ini tuh gatau apa-apa. kirain bakal bahas Nastiti dan sahabat cowonya ini ampe akhir. taunya di halaman 45 kisahnya berubah. di cerita kedua yang berjudul Rukmini ini (cerita pertama judulnya Nastiti btw), diceritakanlah kisah neneknya Nastiti yang merupakan seorang blasteran Indo-Belanda (yang fitur Belandanya lebih dominan daripada fitur pribuminya) di masa-masa penjajahan Jepang. cerita ini dituturkan dari sudut pandang Arini (mamanya Nastiti, anaknya Rukmini) kepada seorang akademisi sejarah yang mewawancarai Arini. heartbreaking banget sih asli, there were so many things she have to went through and endure. ini cerita yang paling berkesan karena membuat pembaca merasakan gejolak emosi sih menurutku. eye-opening juga. cerita ketiga yang judulnya Hanako pun masih bersinggungan tentang perang yang melibatkan Jepang. vibes membaca kedua kisah ini seperti membaca Detail Kecil (Minor Details) dari Adania Shibli.
cerita ketiga juga heartbreaking—kita bisa melihat betapa perempuan di masa itu harus endure so much dan menempatkan diri di derajat yang lebih rendah untuk memuaskan ego lelaki dan untuk keselamatan dirinya sendiri.... sigh. however, my biggest critics untuk cerita ini adalah penulisan POVnya bikin bingung. transisi antar-POVnya terasa kabur dan susah di-grasp pembaca. pembeda antara ini-cerita-siapa sangat kabur. mungkin memang efek itu yang mau dikejar penulis. tapi tetap saja terasa membingungkan buat pembaca.
cerita keempat yang berjudul Ayaka adalah cerita seorang perempuan Indonesia yang tinggal di Jepang yang terobsesi dengan seorang wanita porn star (which mengingatkanku dengan film Like & Share di mana karakter utama membuntuti wanita yang dikenalnya dari video porno). cerpen dituturkan melalui 2 POV yang bergantian, yaitu POV orang ketiga dan POV orang kedua. pergantian POV di sini terasa lebih smooth dibanding di cerita sebelumnya yang membingungkan.
walau tiap cerita di sini saling berkelindan, ga begitu ada momen "wah" sih while discovering hal-hal yang bisa saling nyambung. buku ini oke oke aja, cuman ya udah aja, ga yang gimana-gimana banget. bagian hisfic dan fantasi kecil (yang mengingatkanku dengan tulisannya Asri Pratiwi Wulandari di kumcer Yang Menguar di Gang Mawar) yang membuatku memberi buku ini bintang 4. aku gatau kalau dibaca di bahasa aslinya (Bahasa Indonesia, dengan judul Jalan Lahir terbitan KPG) apakah akan lebih ngena atau engga. kudos to Dias Novita Wuri herself yang menerjemahkan buku ini SENDIRI. itu keren banget sih asli, mantap. salah satu hal yang menurutku cukup bagus dari buku ini adalah deskripsi penulis terhadap kekerasan dan perkosaan yang dialami tokoh-tokoh wanitanya. bikin pembaca bisa ikut merasakan kengerian laki-laki and the women's pain. intinya buku ini cukup kece, namun tidak spesial.
honestly? what a ride. the second and the third part was so intense. especially the second part.
this book consists of 4 parts tapi gabisa dibilang kumpulan cerpen juga—pokoknya 4 cerita pendek yang saling berhubungan dan berkelindan. genrenya historical fiction (hisfic) (untuk cerita kedua dan ketiga) dan slight fantasy realism/slight magical realism—ada sedikit hal-hal gak nyata tapi latarnya tetap dunia nyata (untuk cerita keempat).
came accross this book on Libby with the keyword "Jakarta", and this book appeared on the search page. give it a read. awalnya kayak "meh", yaudah aja, karena part 1 adalah cerita tentang seorang perempuan bernama Nastiti yang diceritakan oleh narator cowo unnamed yang merupakan sahabat Nastiti. makin dibaca Nastiti makin keren. however, aku setuju dengan salah satu reviewer: kenapa cerita seorang perempuan harus diceritakan dalam sudut pandang lelaki?
jujur aku baca buku ini tuh gatau apa-apa. kirain bakal bahas Nastiti dan sahabat cowonya ini ampe akhir. taunya di halaman 45 kisahnya berubah. di cerita kedua yang berjudul Rukmini ini (cerita pertama judulnya Nastiti btw), diceritakanlah kisah neneknya Nastiti yang merupakan seorang blasteran Indo-Belanda (yang fitur Belandanya lebih dominan daripada fitur pribuminya) di masa-masa penjajahan Jepang. cerita ini dituturkan dari sudut pandang Arini (mamanya Nastiti, anaknya Rukmini) kepada seorang akademisi sejarah yang mewawancarai Arini. heartbreaking banget sih asli, there were so many things she have to went through and endure. ini cerita yang paling berkesan karena membuat pembaca merasakan gejolak emosi sih menurutku. eye-opening juga. cerita ketiga yang judulnya Hanako pun masih bersinggungan tentang perang yang melibatkan Jepang. vibes membaca kedua kisah ini seperti membaca Detail Kecil (Minor Details) dari Adania Shibli.
cerita ketiga juga heartbreaking—kita bisa melihat betapa perempuan di masa itu harus endure so much dan menempatkan diri di derajat yang lebih rendah untuk memuaskan ego lelaki dan untuk keselamatan dirinya sendiri.... sigh. however, my biggest critics untuk cerita ini adalah penulisan POVnya bikin bingung. transisi antar-POVnya terasa kabur dan susah di-grasp pembaca. pembeda antara ini-cerita-siapa sangat kabur. mungkin memang efek itu yang mau dikejar penulis. tapi tetap saja terasa membingungkan buat pembaca.
cerita keempat yang berjudul Ayaka adalah cerita seorang perempuan Indonesia yang tinggal di Jepang yang terobsesi dengan seorang wanita porn star (which mengingatkanku dengan film Like & Share di mana karakter utama membuntuti wanita yang dikenalnya dari video porno). cerpen dituturkan melalui 2 POV yang bergantian, yaitu POV orang ketiga dan POV orang kedua. pergantian POV di sini terasa lebih smooth dibanding di cerita sebelumnya yang membingungkan.
walau tiap cerita di sini saling berkelindan, ga begitu ada momen "wah" sih while discovering hal-hal yang bisa saling nyambung. buku ini oke oke aja, cuman ya udah aja, ga yang gimana-gimana banget. bagian hisfic dan fantasi kecil (yang mengingatkanku dengan tulisannya Asri Pratiwi Wulandari di kumcer Yang Menguar di Gang Mawar) yang membuatku memberi buku ini bintang 4. aku gatau kalau dibaca di bahasa aslinya (Bahasa Indonesia, dengan judul Jalan Lahir terbitan KPG) apakah akan lebih ngena atau engga. kudos to Dias Novita Wuri herself yang menerjemahkan buku ini SENDIRI. itu keren banget sih asli, mantap. salah satu hal yang menurutku cukup bagus dari buku ini adalah deskripsi penulis terhadap kekerasan dan perkosaan yang dialami tokoh-tokoh wanitanya. bikin pembaca bisa ikut merasakan kengerian laki-laki and the women's pain. intinya buku ini cukup kece, namun tidak spesial.
August 17, 2023
"She is a beautiful child, so beautiful that it worries me. Beauty like that can sometimes destroy your life, like what happened to my beautiful mother."
I dived into this novella knowing that it's going to be painful. I think that's foreshadowed by that title, right? I've given birth twice so I know the feeling but whether or not you've given birth, I'm sure you've heard stories. This novella explored or rather traced through generations of women have painfully endured, broken and survived.
These stories are not easy to read, especially the middle two as we read through what some women (girl child rather!) experienced during and aroundabout World War II. But yet, they are all so resilient and strong in their own way. I'm glad that at least 3 out of 4 stories ended with some flickers of hope (flickers only, mind you, not even a promise of it!). That one exception, I'd rather not think about... my heart is in pieces.
I love the prose. It is quite poetic; there is loveliness but violence in nuance. And it was consistently present throughout the novella.
"The sky had a rosy nuance that somehow seemed both warm and sad, like a freshly slapped cheek."
As I grew up in Jakarta, I do wonder what this whole novella actually sound like in its original language although as the author translated this novella herself (how talented can you be!! To write and to translate own published work), I believe there won't be too much missing in translation.
My thanks to Scribe Publications for gifting me a copy of this book. Thoughts are mine own.
I dived into this novella knowing that it's going to be painful. I think that's foreshadowed by that title, right? I've given birth twice so I know the feeling but whether or not you've given birth, I'm sure you've heard stories. This novella explored or rather traced through generations of women have painfully endured, broken and survived.
These stories are not easy to read, especially the middle two as we read through what some women (girl child rather!) experienced during and aroundabout World War II. But yet, they are all so resilient and strong in their own way. I'm glad that at least 3 out of 4 stories ended with some flickers of hope (flickers only, mind you, not even a promise of it!). That one exception, I'd rather not think about... my heart is in pieces.
I love the prose. It is quite poetic; there is loveliness but violence in nuance. And it was consistently present throughout the novella.
"The sky had a rosy nuance that somehow seemed both warm and sad, like a freshly slapped cheek."
As I grew up in Jakarta, I do wonder what this whole novella actually sound like in its original language although as the author translated this novella herself (how talented can you be!! To write and to translate own published work), I believe there won't be too much missing in translation.
My thanks to Scribe Publications for gifting me a copy of this book. Thoughts are mine own.
September 3, 2023
We need to start putting trigger warnings in books!
EDIT: I haven't seen enough of the other reviews mention this, so I'm going to be uncharacteristically serious.
A list of trigger/content warnings for Birth Canal: graphic sexual assault and rape, graphic descriptions of abortion, graphic and lengthy depiction of suicide, graphic self harm, childbirth, depression, domestic abuse, child abuse, pedophilia, underage sex. The blurb should clue you in to the last three, but I had no idea the rest were coming.
This book is beautifully written with some very carefully and masterfully constructed sentence, and focuses on themes I tend to read. I would have loved it so much more if there was a page or foreword at the start that explicitly listed all the trigger warnings that were to come in this book.
It's a beautiful novella, but I think it can genuinely bring up trauma and do real damage for some readers. I've just finished this book and I feel sick to my stomach and like I desperately need to detach from reality or else I'm going to do something awful.
I suppose that's the sign of a good book, that it could invoke such feeling in me. But I haven't left feeling in awe of what I just read; I feel sick and I feel hurt.
EDIT: I haven't seen enough of the other reviews mention this, so I'm going to be uncharacteristically serious.
A list of trigger/content warnings for Birth Canal: graphic sexual assault and rape, graphic descriptions of abortion, graphic and lengthy depiction of suicide, graphic self harm, childbirth, depression, domestic abuse, child abuse, pedophilia, underage sex. The blurb should clue you in to the last three, but I had no idea the rest were coming.
This book is beautifully written with some very carefully and masterfully constructed sentence, and focuses on themes I tend to read. I would have loved it so much more if there was a page or foreword at the start that explicitly listed all the trigger warnings that were to come in this book.
It's a beautiful novella, but I think it can genuinely bring up trauma and do real damage for some readers. I've just finished this book and I feel sick to my stomach and like I desperately need to detach from reality or else I'm going to do something awful.
I suppose that's the sign of a good book, that it could invoke such feeling in me. But I haven't left feeling in awe of what I just read; I feel sick and I feel hurt.
March 6, 2024
Buku yang kecil, namun isunya banyak. Ada tiga generasi yang ditulis di sini. Hubungan anak perempuan dan ibu. Aborsi. Kisah perempuan Indonesia yang dibawa ke Jepang.
Dias bercerita butuh waktu mungkin 5 tahun (cmiiw) untuk menyelesaikan buku ini. Tidak mudah mengulik cerita dan trauma kolektif (juga pribadi) untuk disampaikan di sini. Dan saya salut sekali.
Bagi saya pun, tak mudah membaca dan menyelesaikan buku ini. Namun ini buku yang bagus.
Saya hanya ambil satu isu saja untuk diulas sedikit di sini. Tentang hak reproduksi. Dias bercerita dengan seadanya tentang tokoh perempuan yang memutuskan aborsi (dengan kurang aman), yang tentu saja sangat membahayakan ke perempuan. Sesuatu yang sangat jarang diangkat di novel (atau film) mengenai perempuan. Padahal, it happened. A lot.
Berharap dengan makin banyaknya novel yang membahas hak reproduksi, semakin terbuka juga mata semua untuk menyediakan layanan kesehatan perempuan dengan memakai perspektif perempuan.
Dias bercerita butuh waktu mungkin 5 tahun (cmiiw) untuk menyelesaikan buku ini. Tidak mudah mengulik cerita dan trauma kolektif (juga pribadi) untuk disampaikan di sini. Dan saya salut sekali.
Bagi saya pun, tak mudah membaca dan menyelesaikan buku ini. Namun ini buku yang bagus.
Saya hanya ambil satu isu saja untuk diulas sedikit di sini. Tentang hak reproduksi. Dias bercerita dengan seadanya tentang tokoh perempuan yang memutuskan aborsi (dengan kurang aman), yang tentu saja sangat membahayakan ke perempuan. Sesuatu yang sangat jarang diangkat di novel (atau film) mengenai perempuan. Padahal, it happened. A lot.
Berharap dengan makin banyaknya novel yang membahas hak reproduksi, semakin terbuka juga mata semua untuk menyediakan layanan kesehatan perempuan dengan memakai perspektif perempuan.
March 22, 2024
This short little book is pretty much a systematic look at everything bad that can happen to you because you are a woman. It is book ended by abortions - one at home and one in a clinic. In between it covers rape, infertility, pregnancy loss, and being forced to be a Japanese Comfort Woman during the war. All of this somehow happens to one family in three generations and actually, there is no plot other than these terrible things happening to the women in this family. For a while it was the mother telling the grandmother's story, but then it went to the horrible things that happened to the mother and daughter, and just... I don't know. There really was no plot. It was just a list of horrible things that can happen to you. I didn't dislike it, exactly, but I also didn't really like it. I would have preferred more of a story weaving things together. That said, this was only 155 pages so it was what it was.
June 14, 2024
I think I liked the idea of this book more than the actual execution. The author presents four interconnected stories of women, past and present, from Indonesia and elsewhere. Birth Canal is a fitting title as the stories zoom in on pregnancies, wanted and unwanted, abortion, miscarriage, infanticide and rape. The connection between them doesn´t feel too forced and they are important stories to tell. I bet that is what the author thought too, particularly that of the Japanese comfort women of Southeast Asia, who are now mostly gone, without receiving much recognition. However, I just wish the writing had matched the ideas. I am not sure if it was the translation or the Indo original as well, but the jumps between different perspectives and timelines within individual stories were handled clumsily and sometimes confusingly. In general the writing lacked pacing and the stories had no arc and the narrative choices appeared somewhat arbitrary. Also why do we have to listen to women´s voices mediated through men´s. I guess the lack of clarity/understanding brings in a certain amount of mystery, but also a lack of depth when exploring those perspectives. A bit of a missed opportunity, but looking out for Dias Novita Wuri to see what she comes up with next.
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