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One of the most forceful indictments of colonialism ever written, this 'sent a shiver' through the Dutch nation when it was first published in 1860 and, even after 120 years, it is still capable of arousing strong emotions. It tells the story of a young civil servant in the colonial administration who, in 1856, clashed head-on with his government when he tried to force them to recognize the barbarity and corruption rife in the Dutch colony of Java. Yet this is more than a polemical tract or autobiographical novel. Its innovative style, superb characterization and, above all, its vitality and pungent satire make it a powerful literary work in its own right.
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