Rumah dengan Pintu Biru

by Tari Lang

Hidup Tari, remaja yang tinggal nyaman di lingkungan elit intelektual kelas menengah, seketika berubah. Orangtuanya, yang menduduki jabatan penting di era Soekarno, ditangkap tanpa pengadilan. Tari mendadak menjadi kepala rumah tangga dengan semua tanggung jawabnya. Bersama adiknya, ia bekerja untuk menghidupi keluarga. Di tengah prahara, ia menemukan cinta. Rumah dengan Pintu Biru adalah sebuah memoar berlatar masa yang penuh pengkhianatan dan ketakutan. Saat orang-orang bicara dengan berbisik-bisik. Saat keluarga dan masyarakat terpecah belah.

Genres: Nonfiction

328 pages, Paperback

Published September 24, 2025

Reviews

[Nadine K · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautifully written, so absolutely heartbreaking.

I really didn't know what to expect going into this book, for sure I didn't expect how hands on Tari Lang was with the youth socialist movement. It hit really close to home, this old-world Jakarta with it's intellectuals and artists entrenched deeply with activism. This was the Jakarta my mom told me about, the Jakarta of my grandparents' youth, both of whom definitely ran in some of those same circles.

I cannot imagine how it must have felt to have your life upended so completely at one of the most transformative years of adolescence, she narrated it all so beautifully. Activism and brutality juxtaposed so neatly with the life of a teenage girl, so tenderly balanced. The last few chapters of her and her brother leaving broke my heart. What an inspiring family.

And to think, this was just the start. This was the beginning of a dictatorship that lasted over 3 decades, that even I still managed to be born into. Watching from the other side of this canyon of time, seeing how hopeful these young activists were and the fire they nursed so early on, I'm shattered. We are living now in the wreckage.

While it can be argued things have gotten better in comparison to the iron fist our parents had to live under, we as a people have been set back severely through the cruelty and violence enacted upon us by the people who were supposed to lead us.

This makes me afraid because back then they had a nation of optimistic, educated, and organized youths, we don't have that anymore. The state funded youth movements, the tactics of mobilization, the cohesion that the kids of the past had, these were lost, purposefully snuffed out by a fascistic authoritarian power. These people and ideas are coming back, and I don't know if we, both the youths and adults of this era, are equipped to face them.

[Regina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saya lumayan menikmati buku ini. Buku ini mengisahkan tentang kisah Tari Budiardjo pada masa kelam Indonesia pada tahun 1965, orde baru, dan masa saat ia memutuskan untuk pindah ke Inggris demi keselamatan. Lewat buku ini saya jd memiliki gambaran lebih mengenai masa kelam tersebut. Ending dari buku ini membuat perasaan saya jadi galau. Apalagi waktu bu Tari harus terpaksa pindah ke Inggris demi keselamatan dan meninggalkan semua orang yang beliau kasihi.
Tapi sejujurnya saya ingin membaca buku ini krn memang sedang tertarik untuk membaca mengenai sejarah Indonesia tahun 1965 - orde baru. Tapi menurut saya terlalu banyak hal yang tidak terlalu berkaitan dengan sejarah itu di buku ini. Sebagian besar buku ini juga mengisahkan tentang masa kecil bu Tari, atau masa2 liburan bu Tari misalnya, yg memang tidak bersangkutan pada sejarah 1960an itu sendiri. Jadi kadang saya merasa sedikit bosan. Tapi saya mengerti dan mengapresiasi karena momen-momen tsb adalah momen yang pasti sangat berharga untuk Bu Tari.
Lalu kadang saya suka kebingungan krn timeline di buku ini tidak linear. Saya juga menemukan hal yang tidak saya temukan faktanya di google (Bu Tari menulis kalau Soekarno pernah memberi pidato sampai 7 jam), yang membuat saya jadi bingung dengan kebenarannya.
Oleh karena itu saya memutuskan untuk memberi bintang 3.

[Inayah Agustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

aku suka banget bacanya walaupun it took 2 months to finish this book.. suka karena ini pake latar waktu di era 1965 abis peristiwa G30S dan pergantian kekuasaan ( aku personally sll penasaran ama buku2 di tema latar tsb) trus pake POV penulis pas remaja/ABG di masa tersebut, jadi kebayang bgt gimana rempongnya pergaulan remaja saat itu, apalagi ini ortunya aktivis yg vokal sama pemerintah Dan beda culture jg. ga banyak memoar lokal yg berkesan buatku namun ini salah satunya. Walopun ada bbp part yg ceritain flashback pas ortu nya pertama kali ketemu, pas naik kapal laut, pas ke Purwokerto, di sela2 kecemasan takut ditangkap tentara dan dipenjara. Bahasa ya tuh ngalir jadi enak bacanya, bahkan bab 1 nya menurutku udh langsung menggebrak (ditambah setting lokasi di Jl Teuku Umar JKT) aku sample mikir rumahnya keluarga ini skrg masih ada ga sih atau udh dipugar.

[Rose Gan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautiful bitter-sweet memoir of a brutal - and relatively recent - chapter in Indonesia’s history is a very important addition to the literature of a period that is still not well understood. Tari Lang describes how her own family life was torn apart by political events beginning when she was only 14, the daughter of an affluent family living in the best area of Jakarta. Her parents were intellectuals, committed communists ( as was the government of President Sukarno) , both employed in senior positions in various ministries. Then came the events of Sept 1965 ( the Year of Living Dangerously) and overnight their privileged life changed.

Her parents were arrested and subsequently imprisoned for years, Tari herself was taken in and witnessed the torture of friends, she even became involved in highly dangerous resistance activity herself.

And yet, for all the fear, suspicion, isolation, danger, Tari was a teenager who loved fashion, pop music, parties, going to school, meeting friends, falling in love for the first time. This honest and revealing memoir, initially meant for her children and grandchildren so that they might understand about that part of the family story, is a poignant reminder of how even amongst the worst of times, life goes on. People still find joy in small things, the human spirit cannot be extinguished.

Her memoir is not just for those who love Indonesia. It applies to all children forced to grow up in the shadow of war, oppression and brutality. An important and timeless read.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My neighbour, the dictator is the memoir of a 14 year old girl, who lives in Indonesia during the 1965 military coup. Her parents had important jobs within the Sukarno government and her father got arrested not long after the coup.

Reading this book felt a bit like reading Tari's diary. Everything is written in the present tense, so you feel like you are right there with her. She is growing up, having crushes, going to school and doing all of the things that a 14 year old girl would be doing, but she also has to deal with things that force her to grow up quicker.

I thought Tari was a very brave teenager, doing secret things for the resistance and trying to keep her head (and her brother's) above water when family members were imprisoned. She was courageous, resourceful and inspiring.

It was very interesting to learn about this time in Indonesian history, because I knew so little about it (which is a shame, especially because I am Dutch. Why are we not taught about this in school?)

I want to thank @tari_lang for sending me her memoir. It was beautiful and I loved reading it.

[Ms.TDA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penambahan kepinggan puzzle tahun 65 pada sosok Tari Lang yg cukup privilege dengan darah campuran Indonesia-Inggris. Akan tapi, beliau tidak luput dari dampak yg disebabkan oleh kejadian gempar pada era kudeta 1965 yg kita dan dunia cukup familiar. 🙃🧩

Aku jadi nambah POV juga mengenai bagaimana perkembangan sosok anak mixed race yg hidup pada lingkungan yg lebih dari cukup tapi tetap dalam didikan yang merumput! 🌱 Mengingatkan kita pula bahwa integritas dan rasa hormat adalah kualitas2 hebat yg tidak bisa dg mudah dikesampingkan. Itu yg membuat kita menjadi manusia yg peduli terhadap sesama. 🥹

Ada sedikit yg janggal di buku ini, ada beberapa foto yg tidak ada keterangan nya membuatku bertanya2 “loh ini siapa?”.😵‍💫 Entah kesalahan pada editing atau penerbit, cukup mengganggu karena tidak ada informasi tambahan. Semoga cetakan ulang kedepan nya bisa lebih dikoreksi dan membaik. Overall, 3.5/4🌟

[Nona Ana]

Buku ini bercerita tentang hidup Tari yang awalnya nyaman di lingkungan elit intelektual, lalu berubah dalam sekejap ketika kedua orang tuanya ditangkap tanpa pengadilan. Ia mendadak harus menjadi kepala rumah tangga. Ia mengurus adiknya, tetap bersekolah, dan tetap aktif di organisasi pemuda.

Memoar ini memakai alur maju mundur. Tari mengenang masa sebelum 1965, saat hidupnya nyaman dan dia belajar adat Jawa dari keluarga ayahnya di Purwokerto. Lalu cerita bergeser ke masa setelah 1965, ketika pergolakan politik mulai menyentuh hidup mereka secara langsung.

Di tengah gejolak politik, Tari tetap mengalami hal yang seharusnya jadi cerita remaja. Pesta kecil. Cinta pertama. Pertemanan yang hangat. Semuanya bertabrakan dengan realitas politik yang jauh lebih keras dari usia Tari

Kalau kamu ingin melihat sejarah 65 lewat kisah seorang remaja, buku ini layak kamu coba

[amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

i will rating this book 3.5!

aku suka banget karena jadi tau keadaan sebelum atau setelah masa orde baru tuh gimana. Mungkin yang bikin aku agak bosan ketika baca ini adalah buku nya sangat biografi jadi beneran nyeritain kehidupan bu tari saat masa itu dan menurut aku pribadi ada beberapa part yang seharusnyaa tidak dimasukkan tapi mungkin dimasukkan dengan alasan tertentu and for Carmel Budiardjo the woman you are... hidup perempuan yang melawan!!!

[automidori · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was nice to learn what really had happened during the 1960s and 70s. I had been hearing stories from some people and reading some posts on social media about that era. But I couldn't be sure whether those were rumors or facts. Reading this book, published by Gramedia, I can assure myself that it actually happened.

[Steven S · Rating 5 out of 5]

memoar yang pedih tapi penting.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet, well-written and entertaining book about a young woman's experience of politics and political turmoil in 1960s Indonesia.

I understand the author wrote it so her children could understand her life and find the resilience and strength to endure troubled times. I can certainly see how it is meant to inspire. However, I couldn't help but find a great deal of poignant sadness within it as well.

I do not know whether it was a conscious decision, but I found the protagonist's loss of innocence mirrored a wider loss of hope and idealism in Indonesian politics and youth activism. So much of what is described has been lost.

While the author went on to enjoy a full career and happy life, and there is much valuable advice here about resilience in times of struggle, one cannot help but keenly feel the loss of socialist idealism, ground down beneath the blank face of military fascism, and wonder what might have been.

[Tomma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give three-stars because the book is well-written as a personal experience.

In terms of historical facts, the content is debatable. The story is about Tari herself who was a teenager when the the communist party unleashed their failed coup (the English publisher takes us to a detour from historical reality by saying it was "Suharto's coup" for its marketing purpose). The military coup that initially targeted the military generals that eventually led to anti-communist purge in the subsequent years.

In this memoir, Tari portrayed herself as a pro-Sukarno (who was portrayed as the victim here, although his closeness toward the communist party was well-documented) and an engaging young political observer at that time. It's quite fascinating to see the students' sophisticated meetings in that era. Her own mother, Carmel, was a famous left-wing political activist, and it's interesting to read about her activism in Jakarta.

I appreciate the author's eloquent description of the era and her experiences in Jakarta back in the 60s, and for that this book gives such a valuable picture. This book doesn't fully cover the communist purge (if some readers expected it), although it provides the readers an alternative and personal perspective about what's happening in Jakarta.

But again, readers must keep in mind that this book is a memoir, not a political study, and its political content should be open to debate.

[Almadea Shafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

my first time being the first reviewer of a book on goodreads(!!!) this is such an interesting memoir, so eye-opening even for me, an indonesian who knows her history. however this book is laden with typos, wrong punctuations, and incorrect grammars which i found quite distracting at times.