Book chapter: on Eka Kurniawan and Beauty is a wound
Eka Kurniawan, Beauty is a wound (Skönhet är ett sår, 2017)This chapter of my dissertation was written ten years before the English translation (2015) of Eka Kurniawan's first novel, which paved the way for translations around the world, including the Swedish (Skönhet är ett sår, 2017). I predicted then that Eka's literature would be read all around the world after it at some point conquers one of the Western literary centres. After the dissertation I have preferred to translate Indonesian fiction rather than writing about it (See Translations -). The chapter contains many citations with translations. .. After Dewi Ayu’s resurrection, Kyai Jahro, who had reluctantly buried her, approaches her as if she is a saint. He can now visit Dewi Ayu’s house, but in the past he had preached that just touching the fence of her house could make one fry in hell.‘How does it feel to be dead?’ asked Kyai Jahro. - ‘It’s pleasant actually. That’s the only reason the dead don’t return.’ - ‘But you came back,’ said the kyai. - ‘I returned to say that.’‘Seperti apakah rasanya mati?’ tanya Kyai Jahro. - ‘Sebenarnya menyenangkan. Itulah satu-satunya alasan kenapa orang mati tak ada yang kembali.’ - ‘Tapi kau bangkit kembali,’ kata sang kyai. - ‘Aku kembali untuk mengatakan itu.’.. CIL makes clear that marvellous realism is not specific to Latin America, as it is saturated with local beliefs and motifs. Although in part realist, the larger part is ‘mock history’, which can be argued is the style…