Beautiful men in Jakarta and Bangkok: the pressure to conform in a recent Indonesian novel

Author: Murtagh, Ben

Source: South East Asia Research, Volume 15, Number 2, July 2007 , pp. 281-299(19)

Publisher: IP Publishing Ltd

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Abstract:

Recent years in Indonesia have seen a marked growth in the number of novels taking lesbian or gay relationships as a key if not central theme. One of the most popular of these novels has been Andrei Aksana's Lelaki Terindah [The Most Beautiful Man], published in Jakarta in 2004. The novel describes a love affair between two Indonesian men, from its first flourishing while the men are on holiday in Bangkok, to its final collapse on their return to familial and societal pressures in Jakarta. In particular, the article considers the very different portrayals of Jakarta and Bangkok from a gay male perspective: while Bangkok is painted as a modern and progressive city, Jakarta is portrayed as restrictive and limiting. In addition, the article considers the ideas of beauty and non-heteronormative sexuality as they are presented in the novel.

Keywords: HOMOSEXUALITY; QUEER LITERATURE; INDONESIAN LITERATURE; BANGKOK

Document Type: Research article

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