What the book “Love and Death in Bali” from Vicky Baum (1937 ...
"Love and Death in Bali" is a 1937 novel by Vicki Baum, set during the 1906 Dutch intervention in Bali, exploring the tragic events of the puputan (mass suicide) and the clash between Balinese culture and Dutch colonial forces.
Here's a more detailed overview:
Historical Context:
The novel is set during the 1906 Dutch intervention in Bali, a period marked by the Battle of Badung, where Balinese people, in a final act of defiance, engaged in mass suicides (puputan) rather than surrender to the Dutch colonial forces.
Author:
Vicki Baum, the author, was inspired by her own experiences in Bali and her relationship with German painter and musician Walter Spies.
Themes:
The novel explores themes of love, death, cultural clash, resistance, and the clash between tradition and modernity.
Plot:
The story follows the lives of ordinary Balinese people as they navigate the challenges of the Dutch invasion and the ensuing conflict, culminating in the puputan.
Characters:
The novel features complex Balinese characters grappling with cultural demands and the realities of the Dutch occupation.
Other Notable Facts
Baum had recently stayed in Bali with her friend Walter Spies who supplied her with background for the novel
Baum was born in a Jewish family in Vienna, Austria and moved to the United States in 1932
Her books were banned in the Third Reich in 1938 and she started publishing in English
She became an American citizen in 1938 and died in Los Angeles, in 1960