One of the most forceful indictments of colonialism ever written and a masterpiece of Dutch literature, in an esteemed translation by an award-winning translator Max Havelaar--a Dutch civil servant in Java--burns with an insatiable desire to end the ill treatment and oppression inflicted on the native peoples by the colonial administration.
Max Havelaar, his powerful indictment of colonialism, was written during 1859 and caused a sensation in Holland when it was publishe.
Years of poverty followed, during which he wandered around Europe, struggling to survive by his writing and endeavoring to improve the situation of the Javanese.
Increasingly unable to accept the brutalities of colonial rule, he resigned from the service in 1856.
He married Everdine, Baroness van Wijnbergen, in 1846 and they had two children.
Despite being involved in various disputes with his superiors, his outstanding abilities were recognized and he rose steadily in rank.
In 1838 he went to the Indies and joined the East Indian Civil Service.
He was born in Amsterdam, the son of a Dutch sea captain.
About the Author: Multatuli (1820-1887) was the pseudonym of Eduard Douwes Dekker.
Meijer discusses the author\'s tempestuous life and career, the controversy the novel aroused, and its unusual narrative structure.
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In his introduction, R.
Roy Edwards\'s vibrant translation conveys the satirical and innovative style of Multatuli\'s autobiographical polemic.
Sending shockwaves through the Dutch nation when it was published in 1860, this damning expos of the terrible conditions in the colonies led to welfare reforms in Java and continues to inspire the Fairtrade movement today.
In Max Havelaar, Multatuli (pseudonym for Eduard Douwes Dekker) vividly recreated his own experiences in Java and tellingly depicts the hypocrisy of those who gained from the corrupt Coffee trade.
Max is an inspirational figure, but he is also a flawed idealist whose vow to protect the Javanese from cruelty ends in his own downfall.
One of the most forceful indictments of colonialism ever written and a masterpiece of Dutch literature, in an esteemed translation by an award-winning translator Max Havelaar--a Dutch civil servant in Java--burns with an insatiable desire to end the ill treatment and oppression inflicted on the native peoples by the colonial administration
