Painted Alphabet: A Mythical Story of Bali

by Diana Darling

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2023

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

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading this book while I was redoing Mists of Pandaria in World of Warcraft and the way the story was written felt like I was transported to a fantastical fantasy world. Except it's not fantasy but a real place. But then again many fantastical things happen in the story. Because it's an adaptation of a folk tale from Bali, Indonesia. Really enjoyed it. The pacing was quick and the descriptions of places, people, and events were incredibly lucid. I also quite enjoyed how sensuality was written in this book, never pornographic but always felt believable. I really liked how the book wove together pre-modern elements with mentions of tourists entering the island and modernization. Magical kris daggers, rituals, and chants of gods with trucks, white people in bikinis, and light bulbs. The prose was never boring !!!! Author really captured some local essence of the story and reinterpreted it into English like magic ✨ and made me immerse in something that feels like your elders tell it to you (because it literally is that, a story passed through different oral traditions)

[Andreas Constantinou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book from a bookstore in Ubud while on holidays there. I wanted to take back home something from Bali and since I was always interested in local culture and mythology, this seemed just right!

The Painted Alphabet has its origins in an old Balinese dance/poem (how exciting!), and its writer, an American-born freelance writer and sculptor living in Bali since 1980, managed to trace all (or most of) the poem’s pieces and created a gripping, magical novel where the forces of good and evil clash while modern and traditional cultures collide.

Diana’ Darling novel follows the epic adventures of two Balinese brothers and their offspring after they make very different choices in life.

A must-read if you wanna learn more about the magical island of Bali.

[Abhaga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful little read based on an old Balinese poem. It weaves a world that is old and new at the same time, sparkling with magic and evil and innocence. It kept me hooked.

At some level, there are a lot of similarities to the story of Ramayana. Not sure if those are also the part of original poem, or have come from the author. The love between brothers, one of them going to the jungle is like Ram and Bharat. Helping animals, a monkey burning down the house of the opposing witch. A lackey going under a disguise to spy on the hero, can all trace their inspiration to the story of Ramayana.

[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 ❤️.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magical, mystical journey that brought me back to my days in Bali. Books like this is what makes magical realism one of my favorite genres. It reads like a story an abuelita would tell you, like an oral tradition passed down lovingly from mouth to mouth. There was sorrow, there was joy, there was love. There was also the reminder that God is always with us, and that everything you need is already inside of you. There is nothing to look for. Accept, be grateful, and watch your blessings multiply. I’ll probably reread this book again. Only complaint is it ended a bit too soon. I would have loved to see how things continued on after the ending.

[Xavi Galindo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started on a plane in our way back home from China, on November the 10th - Finished at home, Berlin, on December the 4th, closing, in a way, the best trip ever

[Trine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like reading a Hayao Miyazaki production.

[Jess ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the epilogue is missing the part where klinyar puts her sorcery to good use and curses the bali tourists so theyd leave