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The Idealist
Set in Australia, East Timor and Washington in the lead up to the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999, The Idealist is a novel which explores the entanglement of private and public life: it is a political mystery, a portrait of a marriage, a reflection on friendship, and a study of a personality as it breaks down under pressure.
Jake, an Australian defence analyst, is torn between his support for the people of East Timor, whose commitment to independence in the face of mounting violence he has experienced personally, and his responsibility for and complicity in the actions of his government. When he is found dead in the garage of his Washington home, his wife Anne is determined to see justice done. Atmospheric, tender, subtle in its portrayal of conflicting allegiances, The Idealist takes the reader into the space of the personal and political with a rare artistry.
Jake, an Australian defence analyst, is torn between his support for the people of East Timor, whose commitment to independence in the face of mounting violence he has experienced personally, and his responsibility for and complicity in the actions of his government. When he is found dead in the garage of his Washington home, his wife Anne is determined to see justice done. Atmospheric, tender, subtle in its portrayal of conflicting allegiances, The Idealist takes the reader into the space of the personal and political with a rare artistry.
288 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2023
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About the author
Nicholas Jose
34 books8 followersBorn Robert Nicholas Jose in London, England, to Australian parents, Nicholas Jose grew up mostly in Adelaide, South Australia. He was educated at the Australian National University and Oxford University. He has traveled extensively, particularly in China, where he worked from 1986 to 1990. He was President of Sydney PEN from 2002 to 2005 and currently holds the Chair of Creative Writing at the University of Adelaide.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 30, 2023
Novelist, essayist, editor, academic and former diplomat Nicholas José is one of my favourite authors, and I was fascinated by his latest novel, The Idealist, which is based on recent history in our own region.
The novel begins with Anne seeking help to unravel the mystery of her husband's death in Washington. She suspects that there is more to it than the suicide of a man under great stress. She travels back to Canberra to visit an old friend, David, who is a lawyer with connections. As they talk, the back story is revealed...
Jake's job as a defence analyst took him to East Timor after the 1998 fall of Suharto, the dictator who had ruled Indonesia under 'guided democracy' for thirty years. As Reformasi transformed the political landscape, Suharto's successor, B J Habibe offered regional autonomy to replace Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. The Timorese Independence movement which had been resisting this occupation since 1975, called for a referendum instead.
Enter Australia.
Australia — which had supported Indonesian independence after WW2 (when its ally Britain didn't) — had long kept a watchful eye on Indonesia, and mindful of its large army and growing economic might, had declined to interfere on behalf of the East Timorese in 1975. Not even over the killing of the Balibo Five, a group of journalists working for Australian media, who were reporting from East Timor just before the Indonesian invasion. But as Australian politicians begin to perceive the possibilities in such a referendum being held, Jake travels to East Timor in the guise of an aid worker to see what the results might be.
And for all our Prime Minister's posturing, witnessed by those of us of a certain age, we now know that the premature referendum which resulted in dreadful violence and the necessity of a peace-keeping force led by Australia, was nothing to do with democratic ideals and self-determination. It was in Australia's own self-interest.
When Jake is 'on the ground' in East Timor, and sees for himself the buildup of Indonesian troops, the systematic hunt for the resistance activists and the 'chatter' about eliminating the local population, he finds himself conflicted. He is a soldier, whose duty is to his country, but (despite his long years of marriage) his heart is captured by a beautiful young activist called Elisa, and his conscience is hostage to the dreams of the East Timorese.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/09/30/t...
The novel begins with Anne seeking help to unravel the mystery of her husband's death in Washington. She suspects that there is more to it than the suicide of a man under great stress. She travels back to Canberra to visit an old friend, David, who is a lawyer with connections. As they talk, the back story is revealed...
Jake's job as a defence analyst took him to East Timor after the 1998 fall of Suharto, the dictator who had ruled Indonesia under 'guided democracy' for thirty years. As Reformasi transformed the political landscape, Suharto's successor, B J Habibe offered regional autonomy to replace Indonesia's occupation of East Timor. The Timorese Independence movement which had been resisting this occupation since 1975, called for a referendum instead.
Enter Australia.
Australia — which had supported Indonesian independence after WW2 (when its ally Britain didn't) — had long kept a watchful eye on Indonesia, and mindful of its large army and growing economic might, had declined to interfere on behalf of the East Timorese in 1975. Not even over the killing of the Balibo Five, a group of journalists working for Australian media, who were reporting from East Timor just before the Indonesian invasion. But as Australian politicians begin to perceive the possibilities in such a referendum being held, Jake travels to East Timor in the guise of an aid worker to see what the results might be.
And for all our Prime Minister's posturing, witnessed by those of us of a certain age, we now know that the premature referendum which resulted in dreadful violence and the necessity of a peace-keeping force led by Australia, was nothing to do with democratic ideals and self-determination. It was in Australia's own self-interest.
When Jake is 'on the ground' in East Timor, and sees for himself the buildup of Indonesian troops, the systematic hunt for the resistance activists and the 'chatter' about eliminating the local population, he finds himself conflicted. He is a soldier, whose duty is to his country, but (despite his long years of marriage) his heart is captured by a beautiful young activist called Elisa, and his conscience is hostage to the dreams of the East Timorese.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2023/09/30/t...
October 23, 2023
‘So tell me what happened.’
The story opens in Bronte, Sydney. Anne Treweek is visiting David, a successful barrister and one of her husband Jake’s oldest friends. She wants his help. Her husband Jake Treweek had been found dead in his garage in Washington DC. The official verdict is suicide, but Anne is convinced there is a deeper, darker side to the story – someone is to blame, and she is determined to see justice done. At the time of his death, Jake had been working as a defence analyst at the Australian Embassy.
The story unfolds over four parts and a coda. Part One, after Anne’s meeting with David, takes us through David’s memories of Jake, of their first meeting, of their friendship since their school days and their mutual friend Henry, now a politician.
The second part is Anne’s perspective of her relationship with Jake, of their meeting, marriage and Jake’s career. It includes this insight into Jake from early in their relationship:
‘Jake said he thought Australians should be managed by Australians for everyone in Australia. I asked him what an Australian was. He said he regarded everyone in the country as Australian and it was the work of all of us to make the place as good as it could be. We should not serve other interests. We should be independent and do things on our own terms including how we allowed ourselves to develop. He was idealistic. He was patriotic.’
The third part takes us to East Timor (now Timor-Leste), where Jake working for military intelligence, had missions in the lead up the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999. In East Timor, Jake is torn between his support for the people facing violence in their quest for independence and his mission for the Australian Defence Force.
Part four takes us to Washington where Jake, working as a defence analyst, is torn between his idealism and his patriotism. Information is being withheld from the Americans because of Australian self-interest. When the Australian government becomes aware that some of this information has been shared with the USA, Jake is under suspicion. Anne finds him dead in their garage in Washington DC.
Anne may not have known much about Jake’s work, but she is convinced that he would not have taken his own life. And yet it is clear to the reader (with access to more information than Anne) that Jake is under great pressure. The cognitive dissonance resulting from following orders when those orders seem ‘wrong’, when people’s self-determination and lives are at stake would cause tremendous stress – especially for a person as idealistic as Jake. What should he have done? He is damned either way, but Anne cannot have known this.
I finished this novel in awe of the way Mr Jose so deftly creates characters and issues I can relate to. A family member saw peace-keeping service in Timor-Leste early this century, and I have followed various issues concerning Australia’s relationship with Timor-Leste with interest. In part this novel is about personalities and relationships. It is also about political expedience and the tension that can exist between deciding what is ‘right’ and what is required by authority. Sometimes such decisions cane be matters of life or death.
Mr Jose is another author whom I’ve not read previously and whose books have now been added to my list.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The story opens in Bronte, Sydney. Anne Treweek is visiting David, a successful barrister and one of her husband Jake’s oldest friends. She wants his help. Her husband Jake Treweek had been found dead in his garage in Washington DC. The official verdict is suicide, but Anne is convinced there is a deeper, darker side to the story – someone is to blame, and she is determined to see justice done. At the time of his death, Jake had been working as a defence analyst at the Australian Embassy.
The story unfolds over four parts and a coda. Part One, after Anne’s meeting with David, takes us through David’s memories of Jake, of their first meeting, of their friendship since their school days and their mutual friend Henry, now a politician.
The second part is Anne’s perspective of her relationship with Jake, of their meeting, marriage and Jake’s career. It includes this insight into Jake from early in their relationship:
‘Jake said he thought Australians should be managed by Australians for everyone in Australia. I asked him what an Australian was. He said he regarded everyone in the country as Australian and it was the work of all of us to make the place as good as it could be. We should not serve other interests. We should be independent and do things on our own terms including how we allowed ourselves to develop. He was idealistic. He was patriotic.’
The third part takes us to East Timor (now Timor-Leste), where Jake working for military intelligence, had missions in the lead up the East Timorese independence referendum in 1999. In East Timor, Jake is torn between his support for the people facing violence in their quest for independence and his mission for the Australian Defence Force.
Part four takes us to Washington where Jake, working as a defence analyst, is torn between his idealism and his patriotism. Information is being withheld from the Americans because of Australian self-interest. When the Australian government becomes aware that some of this information has been shared with the USA, Jake is under suspicion. Anne finds him dead in their garage in Washington DC.
Anne may not have known much about Jake’s work, but she is convinced that he would not have taken his own life. And yet it is clear to the reader (with access to more information than Anne) that Jake is under great pressure. The cognitive dissonance resulting from following orders when those orders seem ‘wrong’, when people’s self-determination and lives are at stake would cause tremendous stress – especially for a person as idealistic as Jake. What should he have done? He is damned either way, but Anne cannot have known this.
I finished this novel in awe of the way Mr Jose so deftly creates characters and issues I can relate to. A family member saw peace-keeping service in Timor-Leste early this century, and I have followed various issues concerning Australia’s relationship with Timor-Leste with interest. In part this novel is about personalities and relationships. It is also about political expedience and the tension that can exist between deciding what is ‘right’ and what is required by authority. Sometimes such decisions cane be matters of life or death.
Mr Jose is another author whom I’ve not read previously and whose books have now been added to my list.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
March 27, 2025
One of the best things I’ve read. (first time realising Australian literature is a thing)
June 19, 2024
A beautifully written fictional verisimilitude of an analyst's story dealing with Australia's relationship and approach to East Timor diplomacy. But let down by iffy main character choices and a weak ending.
This book was fascinating, its first chapters touching, as we learn more about the main characters, their backgrounds and their relationships. The chapters build beautifully, creating a sense of urgency and tension.
That said, the book is weakest where it covers political machinations. The book doesn't do well in conveying how values are weighed within relationships in institutions. And...it just kind of ends - the callback to the initial chapters seems forced and weak.
These are minor quibbles - and things a good book could do to be great. But the book is compelling, touching, beautiful.
Recommended.
This book was fascinating, its first chapters touching, as we learn more about the main characters, their backgrounds and their relationships. The chapters build beautifully, creating a sense of urgency and tension.
That said, the book is weakest where it covers political machinations. The book doesn't do well in conveying how values are weighed within relationships in institutions. And...it just kind of ends - the callback to the initial chapters seems forced and weak.
These are minor quibbles - and things a good book could do to be great. But the book is compelling, touching, beautiful.
Recommended.
May 20, 2024
Appropriate to have finished reading this on the 22nd anniversary of Timor-Leste's independence. Australia's entanglements with East Timor's history could be the basis of so many stories, yet this book is one of the few that deal with this topic. It does so reasonably elegantly and sensitively. It appears to have had excellent research, advice, and sensitivity reading support to produce a novel of a fine quality. However, the love story plot was surprising and didn't work for me. It wasn't necessary and detracted from the heart of the matter.
July 24, 2024
The title and the structure here imply that Jose intended the struggle of our flawed protogonist, Jake, to be the centre of the novel. Jake, like so many of us, is someone who struggles to do the right thing or, more especially, to do the right thing for the right reasons, challenging our idea of what idealism actually is. But whatever that is, it is absolutely not what the Australian government did in East Timor. And believe me, when I say that the monstrosity if Australian 1990s actions in East Timor take over this narrative, I absolutely mean it is a compliment. This is a white hot novel, as much documentary as imaginary, and if I could get everyone to read it I would.
Which is not to say it is a great novel. Elements of the structure don't work particularly well - the changing focus can be a little clunky, and the Australian characters beyond Jake feel cursorily sketched. The Timorese characters - even the Americans - come to life a little more, but it can be frustrating to see them only through Jake's eyes. The dramatic conclusion to the book, explaining how Jake's death (which starts the novel) occurs, feels a little rushed.
But the book is always a page-turner, and if the more conventional elements of the plot don't always grab your attention, it is because of how magnificently Nicholas tells one of the stories of Timor Leste. These are stories about who we are - Australians I mean here - and if they are not the stories we have been told about our actions in Timor, not the narrative that talks of how Australia is "justly lauded"for our role in Timor, not the ones we can be proud of, that makes it all the more urgent in the telling.
Which is not to say it is a great novel. Elements of the structure don't work particularly well - the changing focus can be a little clunky, and the Australian characters beyond Jake feel cursorily sketched. The Timorese characters - even the Americans - come to life a little more, but it can be frustrating to see them only through Jake's eyes. The dramatic conclusion to the book, explaining how Jake's death (which starts the novel) occurs, feels a little rushed.
But the book is always a page-turner, and if the more conventional elements of the plot don't always grab your attention, it is because of how magnificently Nicholas tells one of the stories of Timor Leste. These are stories about who we are - Australians I mean here - and if they are not the stories we have been told about our actions in Timor, not the narrative that talks of how Australia is "justly lauded"for our role in Timor, not the ones we can be proud of, that makes it all the more urgent in the telling.
June 18, 2024
This book is a beautifully written piece about the duplicity of the Australian government concerning East Timor. Its major concern is the conflict within the protagonist, Jake, as he wrestles with his patriotism and a regard for the truth and concern for the people he meets on his 3 visits to East Timor. Some of the minor characters are idealised, and there is an unnecessary love interest added. The structure is a bit awkward - the book starts strongly and then there is a bit of an hiatus as the central theme is set up.
July 3, 2024
In the lead up to the 1999 independence referendum in East Timor Australian defence analyst, Jake, discovers that what the politicians want him to find, and what the situation on the ground in East Timor is are two very different things. Jake is caught between two worlds both politically and emotionally. Time has shown that the role Australia played in East Timor leaves a lot to be answered. Jose paints a very vivid picture of the times and of the people involved ( without naming too many names....) A tragic story.
February 24, 2024
This is a really interesting book that gave me an insight to East Timor that I didn't have before. I felt the characters were very true to the people working in these spaces including the aid workers, ex-pats, diplomats and politicians. Once you work out who the real politicians the book is referencing it gets even better! Could have done with another 50-100 pages to complete some of the storylines.
March 12, 2024
This work reminds me of J.M. Coetzee's novel "Dusklands" published fifty years ago, where a young man worked for the US government, using his research to aid US in the Vietnam War. having witnessed various gruesome photographs sent back from the front lines, he ultimately went mad. In "The Idealist", Jacob faces similar conflicting choices in East Timor, and ultimately he takes his own life.
I espcially like the profound implications of the Coda section.
I espcially like the profound implications of the Coda section.
June 13, 2025
I think a knowledge of the fraught times around Portugal’s withdrawal and Timor-Leste’s gaining of independence would have helped a lot. I struggled with keeping track of where we were with this book. The time line flicked back and forth as well. I found the supposed love Jake had for Elise a bit of a leap - one day she led him into the mountains and the next mention is of his love for her.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews