Comment by
Laurent Metzger
Professor of Indonesian in France, at present in Malaysia

Yesterday as I was walking in Kuala Lumpur, I noticed a bookshop and I stopped
by to have a look at their recent acquisitions> I found your book ` Indonesian
Gold` and, as I enjoyed tremendously two previous books of yours `Merdeka
Square` and `Jakarta`, I purchased Indonesian Gold and I have started to read
it last night. As usual it is fascinating> I guess you have the knack to make
use of history to write a novel. So your books are historical novels as Walter
Scott wrote on medieval Britain and Pramoedya Ananta Toer wrote on 19th century
Java or even before, you have chosen contemporary Indonesia. Excellent choice!
Could I make a further suggestion? Would you think of writing a novel on the
events which lead to the bo;bings in Bali on 12-10-2002? I have seen, in Paris,
a beautiful documentary made by an Australian on the aftermarth of Bali but i
believe a novel would be very useful to understand what happened there.

I have also lived long in Southeast Asia so your novels have a real meaning for
me.
All the best
Laurent Metzger
Professor of Indonesian in France, at present in Malaysia