Tuesday 24 March 2009

Did I just buy the only Malaysian copy of this book?

Among the great hikayats, serats and sukuns that have emanated from the Indonesian-Malaysian archipelago, the Javanese courtly epic the Serat Centhini has to stand heads and shoulders above the rest ...

I first heard the Serat Centhini discussed when I lived in Jakarta 5 years ago; and since I didn't just nongkrong with pervs (although I did dugem with a few of them) it was not just for the Kama Sutra elements of the text, either. I never got the chance to read it.


So it's with some joy that I found out, via the ever-vigilant Farish (read his review here), that a comprehensive English rendition is available. I called up a few Malaysian bookshops. Kinokuniya didn't have it; neither did the entire Popular chain. There was only one copy in one MPH store (Subang Parade), and that is now mine.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

An Indonesian living abroad, me, and I bought this book when I visited KL in 2007. It was the only copy in the store, but I can't remember which store.

Unknown said...

amir,
your readers might be pleased to know that an order for the book can be placed with kinokuniya in klcc.

i just did so some days ago. it is the h/cover marshal cavendish edition and cost 132 rm. delivery to the store will take a month or so. i can wait :)

call kino at 21628285 and ask for a Miss Woon. she was most efficient. she called me the following day after checking with the supplier and confirmed with me that i want to place the order.

Anonymous said...

i was intrigued, so i just got mine off amazon uk!

but i'm not sure i like the cover's 'new age' look.

- burhan

Amir Muhammad said...

So glad I am helping to shift some units!