VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH

01 September, 2017

Eka Kurniawan

This novel is the third by the Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan to be translated into English. While it lacks the monumental scale of his magnum opus, Beauty is a Wound, this book too is both political and profound, even though it uses language drawn from pulp fiction and popular movies. Its main character is a hitman who is literally impotent, and seeks to cure himself by engaging in orgies of violence. Through the hitman’s journey, Kurniawan tells a story about injustice, the limits of revenge and the redemptive power of love.

Speaking Tiger, 216 pages, Rs 350