The Sea Speaks His Name

Since I don’t really know how to make a book review properly, I will only tell you why I recommend you to read “The Sea Speaks His Name” or “Laut Bercerita” if you are into historical fiction. This one is a book that at least you should read once in your life because its storyline will immerse you into mixed feelings and leave you an unforgettable experience.  So, this page will only tell you about how my journey was when I read that book.

If you've ever read a book where you could already guess how the ending would be after only reading the first chapter but chose to continue reading, this book is more or less what I'd describe as one of those. But still, it’s more than that.

The Sea Speaks His Name or also known as “Laut Bercerita” is an Indonesian historical fiction book written by Leila S. Chudori. This novel tells about the tragic yet inspiring story of a group of friends, all young and idealistic political activists who faced the iron fist of power in the waning days of the Suharto regime, in the late 1990s.

The main character, Biru Laut Wibisana or Mas Laut (Mas is an honorific for older brother) is actually a college student. Laut left a deep impression on me. He is not described as a reckless person, but he looks like he’s one. He loves books and he’s brilliant too. He lived his life like a wanderer with his friends: Kinan, Bram, Sunu, Daniel, Alex, Naratama,  and all the activists of Winatra and Wirasena whose existence are strongly opposed by the government. Laut also has a little sister, Asmara Jati.

This book will take you on a journey through several different places and times with an emotional atmosphere. The author is very good at pulling readers into a world where Biru Laut lives in it, as if what he and his friends or even his family experienced, we will also experience it.

The insertion of poems and stanzas placed at the beginning of the chapter is something beautiful but will also give you goosebumps at the same time because it is not just “a poem”, it’s not a coincidence at all. The letters that Laut left to the people he loved also left a deep impression, especially the letters that Laut addressed to his family and mostly his sister, Asmara Jati.

The letter was written in the Epilogue. The letter was long and full of his thoughts, as if Biru Laut had sent it from the bottom of the sea through the universe. The best thing is, again, I feel that the letter he sent was also addressed to us, to the reader of this book. You will feel that you’re his friend, his family, his loved one.

"Jika jawaban yang kalian cari tak kunjung datang, jangan menganggap bahwa hidup adalah serangkaian kekalahan." 

"If the answer you are looking for doesn't come, don't assume that life is a series of defeats." The quote above is one that Laut wrote in his letter. And that's one of my favorites too.

There are some parts that left my heart feeling empty. One of them is the habit of Laut’s family when having dinner together every Sunday even after hearing the news about Laut’s disappearance. Laut’s mother would always cook tengkleng, his favorite dish. His mother would always prepare four plates, then his father would tell them to wait a while, thinking that Laut could return to their home any time. And that's when Asmara Jati would excuse her to go to the toilet, only to find herself crying out loud–because she knew that Mas Laut would never come back. That part was very emotional for me, I could feel what the bereaved family went through, how painful it was.

I got a lot of things related to life from this book. I learned a lot and understood that in truth, everything that "died" would still "live" in every soul that has memories.

Indonesian version

English version

It's a 10/10 to me. You should give this book a read.