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Books

Grove Press
Grove Press
Grove Press

And the War Is Over

by Ismail Marahimin Translated from by John H. McGlynn

“[And the War Is Over] has the dramatic intensity of a kick in the guts. . . . [Marahimin’s] mastery of the universe he’s created is flawless.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer

  • Imprint Grove Paperback
  • Page Count 192
  • Publication Date November 21, 2002
  • ISBN-13 978-0-8021-3922-1
  • Dimensions 5.5" x 8.25"
  • US List Price $13.00

About The Book

And the War Is Over is a taut novel set in and around an Indonesian village as news of Japan’s surrender gradually makes its way to her far-flung army. War has transformed the quiet Sumatran village of Teratakbuluh, bringing with it the officious members of the Japanese army, and a camp where Dutch internees, some of whom are plotting escape, are put to hard labor. The Japanese officer Lieutenant Ose struggles with his conscience–how to handle the love he feels for his Javanese servant, and for his wife who has betrayed him for a powerful general, and how to cope with the impending end of a war he never wanted to be involved in. As both the Dutch plan of escape and the news of surrender loom nearer, tensions rise and culminate in a final, heartbreaking act of violence.

Tags Literary

Praise

“[And the War Is Over] has the dramatic intensity of a kick in the guts. . . . [Marahimin’s] mastery of the universe he’s created is flawless.” –The Philadelphia Inquirer

“[A] poignant first novel . . . All the ingredients for an updated Bridge on the River Kwai are present. . . . What is remarkable about And the War Is Over is that we finally get the familiar war from an unfamiliar, non-combatant, Asian point of view.” –Bharati Mukherjee, The Washington Post Book World

“[A] complex novel . . . It points up what the deepest corners of our human hearts will ultimately have us do. . . . The author is searching for redemption for all humans.” –Abigail F. Davis, Rocky Mountain News

Awards

Winner of the Pegasus Prize for Literature