Book Review – Blang Koomang Waterfall
Blang Koomchi Waterfall is a fictional character created by the pen name of author Durga Jethabala Pillay. She is an Indonesian writer who has written a number of books for young readers, and waterfall Blang koomang is one of her most popular books. The book tells the story of two cousins who find themselves at the wrong end of a love triangle that quickly turns deadly. One of them, a girl called Rani, has been invited to marry a local lord. But when he discovers that she is actually a witch, he plans to burn her alive in front of her family.
In order to protect Rani and to protect herself as well, Air finds help from Prabha, a renowned witch doctor from the town of Meningie. He tries to help her but turns out to be a help as well as a hindrance. The book continues with Rani and her son Daya along with several other characters in a simmering action that involves many places and different cultures around the Indonesia island. It also includes the colorful touches of India.
Although Prabha and Rani are helping Air out of a sticky situation, it is clear from the start that they are not really on the same side. There is an evil plot involving Daya’s real father, a local politician, and his secret plan to divide the inheritance between his two children. The novel ends with the three cousins, Daya and Rani, on their own, after Daya’s real father dies in a freak accident while on a fishing trip. This ending left me eager for more about the family, about Rani’s longing for her homeland in India, about the politics of the region, and about the mysterious and sinister plot.
However, after reading the whole book in one go, I realized that the novel was not really about a group of unlikely friends who come together and save the world. It was about Rani, an idealistic young girl from an impoverished family who becomes an unlikely hero. The novel did gain some humor from the constant mis-pronunciations of the characters’ names. However, the actual plot stayed on track throughout and did not let the reader down.
Pool of Blang Waterfall takes her story to the next level by bringing in some expert background information and discussing ancient Indonesia culture and religion. Cukup Andrian is bringing into the mix to add some much needed western cultural perspective. And while Rani and her friends spend time saving the world, they also find time to have some fun saving their own lives and learning about each other. The novel is at its best when they are all just having fun.
Rani and her friends spend part of the book in the ‘elsary’ of the church and part on their own rescue mission to save an old woman who has been forced to marry a much older menial son. They are joined by a native American from Texas, who is said to be the youngest white man in all of Asia. The characters in Blang Koomang waterfall are well drawn, and there is some nice use of religious symbolism including the Indian bardic alphabet and the ‘mantra of knowledge’. Although the novel has some mature material including between men and women as well as a bit of moralizing, it is still a great book to read whether you are a fan of martial arts or not.
