The Painted Alphabet

by Diana Darling

Based on a Balinese epic poem, The Painted Alphabet is a tale of magic, depravity, spiritual ambition and love. Hailed by the New Yorker as "dazzling little gem of a novel," Diana Darling's novel follows the adventures of two Balinese brothers, Siladri and Made Kerti who make very different choices in life. Siladri, driven to find an explanation for his era's evil, seeks the teaching of a holy man. Made Kerti stays home. In the course of their adventures, good and evil clash all around them, identities are exchanged, lost and found, and modern and traditional cultures collide.

Genres: Fiction, Asia, Magical Realism

Paperback

First published March 25, 1992

About the author

Diana Darling is an American-born freelance writer and editor who has lived in Ubud since 1980, and writes about Balinese culture and society. During the 1970s she trained as a sculptor in Carrara (Italy) and Paris.

(from http://www.ubudwritersfestival.com/wr...)

Reviews

[Stacia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful mix of a few modern sprinkles added to a retelling of a Balinese epic poem about family, ethics, religion, & philosophy.

Definitely recommended.

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Painted Alphabet was delightful. I absolutely adored the book. It had the perfect mix of poetry, philosophy, magic, love, drama, and intrigue. I know it's not written by a Balinese author, and I can't read the original tale, but Darling does an excellent job bringing Bali to life. I read it while on the island, walking rice fields, driving up the mountains, being as a tourist, waiting in traffic during a cremation, and learning to appreciate ceremony. It was the book about Bali I wanted to read before I arrived but only made since once I lived here. If you're spending any significant amount of time on the island, read it and immerse yourself in the mystery of Bali's mythology.

[Leslie Englehart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fellow traveler in Bali passed this on to me, and I am grateful. It enriched my experience of Bali and gave me a better understanding of the culture that formed on that lovely island.

[Nancy Frishberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the book on the shelf in a house among the rice fields, near the mountains in Bali, where I immersed myself during a couple of rainy afternoons. It's a modern retelling of a traditional story - good vs evil, family and strangers, moral dilemmas, Dickensian twists. The modern day references set alongside the magical and mystical happenings remind us that these themes of familial connection, lust, revenge, and caring for the world are equally modern. Tourists "dressed in their underwear" are as alien within the story as a doe and a tiger nurturing a baby human after her mother dies is plausible.

Edward Hower's NYTimes review from 1992, presumably accompanying the first publication, gives more context about the traditional story/performance and the book's narrative treatment in a form more like a novel:
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/22/boo...

(Can someone enlighten me about the title? I felt like I was supposed to already know why "alphabet" and what was painted.)

[SmokingMirror · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
At first I drew back for fear that the funny parts were a Western writer making fun of a quaint little culture, but when I recognized that the funny parts were really just an enjoyment of human goofiness, I started to love the book. The story veers from earthy to sublime without juddering. I will certainly reread this book, I hope in one sitting rather than piecemeal as I had to the first time, and it may even become a five star, i.e. book I intend to treasure always.

[frances hawker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing insight into the seen and unseen in Balinese culture.

I would rate this book among the top three I am aware of for people who want to understand some of the mysteries of Bali. The others are Vicki Baum’s ‘A Tale from Bali’ and Fred Eisman’s ‘Sekala and Niskala’. All the fantastical phenomena in the book are real for just about everyone in Bali.

[East West Notes]

I loved reading this timeless fantasy / mythology / coming of age / family saga set in Bali. I do agree that the frequent descriptions of genitals and the use of the word genitals sometimes pulled me out of the story. So, there would be so many great moments of suspense and then an odd pause to describe body parts. You might be really into a scene and then have to set the book down to think about a woman's 'cat like nipples.' Otherwise, it's a very entertaining and magical read that brought back many memories of my time in Ubud.

[Barbabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 In het vliegtuig te lezen, leuk om te lezen als je naar Bali bent geweest. Ik herkende in elk geval veel.

Ik vond het grappig hoe de schrijfster bepaalde oude mythische zaken combineerde met moderne zaken. Ook het beeld dat van toeristen werd geschept was grappig, al was het soms wat eenzijdig.

Ik vond, met name aan het eind, bepaalde scènes niet goed uitgewerkt, ze waren te kort. Maar misschien komt dat ook omdat het boek op een oud Balinees gedicht is gebaseerd.

Ik heb er in elk geval van genoten

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful ending. A very enjoyable book to read. A precise description of the 'progress' in Bali. But somehow, a westerner romanticism is still thick here and there, and the way the characters' way of thought and behaviors are foreign to me, or maybe it is me who is not familiar enough with them. Moreover, this book brings nostalgic memory to my mind as several things remarkable happened during this reading.

[Karla Lainfiesta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by a friend (who lived in Bali) the day of my trip to Thailand and Bali. Just finished it at the airport before arriving to Bali and it was one of the best books, I really enjoyed it, such a different story from what I usually read. I was happy, in love, sad, angry and horny too 😂😂😂 also getting to know some of Bali's magic and culture. Loved how all the stories were intertwined. I will cherish this in my heart forever ❤️.

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope, nope, nope.

Continuous descriptions of bodily functions and various disgusting things: not necessary. Buncha wisdom and semi-spiritual observations from characters I don't care about: irritating.

Nothing about this book charmed me. I liked it ok at the beginning but liked it less the more I read.

[Maya Rashid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad for not liking this book but it wasn't my favorite. I could appreciate the beauty of Darling's descriptions but I was never able to get into it. Although it's a short book it took me awhile to read it because I was just bored and never excited about reading it.

[Maryellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know how this book got onto my bookshelf, and once I had it, I didn’t want to read it. But it was great! Compelling family story with magic, wit craft, and forces that want to destroy the family. Not normally my cup of tea, but I really was hooked.

[Pam Keevil · Rating 5 out of 5]

An account of a Balinese folk tale full of demons, battles of good versus evil, magic and more. There's also a delightful section when the Balinese decide to embrace tourism and build losmen in their gardens, complete with indoor toilets, showers and cold beer.

[Harbor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m just not an intellectual reader or something but this book was very odd and made me a bit uncomfortable in certain parts. It was definitely a page turner but not really in a good way? I don’t know how to feel about it

[Natalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulls at your heartstrings! Depictions of Bali are so achingly authentic. Beautiful writing.

[Dutch Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tale of magic realism set in Bali.

[Isham Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balinese fairytales woven together in a novel.

[Philemon - · Rating 4 out of 5]

A retelling in English of an old Balinese narrative (epic?) poem. Well done, entertaining, and recommended for anyone seeking exoticism and a change of pace.

[Danah · Rating 2 out of 5]

What??

This was honestly one of the strangest books I’ve ever read. I expected it to be as beautiful as Bali itself. I was severely disappointed.

[Eimear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately the copy of the book i got must be a reprint as the pages were not in the correct order and i therefore gave up reading it, but im gutted and will seek a genuine copy as its a magical beautiful tale
Finished this book with another copy!!! Just magical, well worth the read, especially if you have a love of Bali

[Andrei · Rating 1 out of 5]

What did I get from this novel?

Soft lines around my eyes from too much cringing over the bad writing and cliche plot (which almost felt like it was 'stolen' from some Indonesian horror movies from the 70s/80s).

[bookinglibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could locate the one sentence review I wrote for this book in 1998, when I was assigned to read and review it for a library school class I took from Nancy Pearl. This sensuously mystical tale set in Bali unfolds with magic, humor and humanity.

[Alissa McCarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a loosely woven Balinese fable and while certainly not written with the greatest skill, it none the less, really captured my attention. I enjoyed it for just the piece of delight I believe it was intended to be.

[Cathie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loosely based on a folk tale from Bali, by an American who lived there for over 10 years and spoke the language fluently. Definitely a non-American perspective!

I loved the language and the descriptions, especially since I have been to Bali.

[Michael Lloyd-Billington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite -- this elegant re-telling of a classic folktale has just the right blend of ancient wisdom & charming anachronism. This is definitely one you'll want to read more than once & will find yourself passing along or purchasing for many....

[Cheryl's Lit · Rating 2 out of 5]

A retold Balinese epic poem about family, ethics, religion, & philosophy. Not suitable for children. Contents include witches, violence and bestiality. May be interesting for someone travelling to Bali.

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darling has taken an old Balinese epic poem(?) and re-created it as a truly engaging magical novel. I loved this book!

[ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book from Bali, and probably not my last.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best assigned reading of my schooling career.