Bali Today!
In Search of the "Real Bali"a - Stories and Essays about Sex, Religion, Love, Family, Tourism and Village Life
Will be published approx. on 8. September 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
352 pages
978-0-8048-5948-6 (ISBN)
Description
The "Real Bali" is not what you think it is!
From his simple plank bench at Mrs. Somprong's tea stall, the ultimate egalitarian Jean Couteau casts a wry eye on everyday Balinese village life and the comings and goings of a steady stream of Balinese characters. He observes the resort island in the great tradition of, say, R. Crumb or Daumier, who noticed little things most other people missed, then magnified them.
Like every Frenchman, however, Couteau is at his best when writing about matters of the heart. In over 100 insightful and delightfully irreverent essays, Couteau shines his torch lovingly on Balinese courtship rituals, his favorite subject, and comes up with stories like the "The God of Love Stare." He then goes on to ponder, like a true philosopher, "Is cosmic love today giving way to global sex?"
Illustrated with hilarious drawings by Wayan Sadha, one of Bali's most beloved cartoonists, and introduced by two leading writers on Indonesia, this book is "must-read" for anyone wanting to know what everyday life on the Island of the Gods is truly like!
From his simple plank bench at Mrs. Somprong's tea stall, the ultimate egalitarian Jean Couteau casts a wry eye on everyday Balinese village life and the comings and goings of a steady stream of Balinese characters. He observes the resort island in the great tradition of, say, R. Crumb or Daumier, who noticed little things most other people missed, then magnified them.
Like every Frenchman, however, Couteau is at his best when writing about matters of the heart. In over 100 insightful and delightfully irreverent essays, Couteau shines his torch lovingly on Balinese courtship rituals, his favorite subject, and comes up with stories like the "The God of Love Stare." He then goes on to ponder, like a true philosopher, "Is cosmic love today giving way to global sex?"
Illustrated with hilarious drawings by Wayan Sadha, one of Bali's most beloved cartoonists, and introduced by two leading writers on Indonesia, this book is "must-read" for anyone wanting to know what everyday life on the Island of the Gods is truly like!
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Boston
United States
Illustrations
100 b&w illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 203 mm
Width: 130 mm
Weight
485 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8048-5948-6 (9780804859486)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jean Couteau, a leading cultural authority on Bali, co-founded the magazine Archipelago and curated the English Corner column in the Bali Post for many years. He contributes essays to major media outlets and writes regularly for Kompas. Couteau has written many books about major Indonesian artists as well as on the Agung Rai and Puri Lukisan art museums in Ubud.
Wayan Sadha began drawing for fun and was later hired to illustrate Archipelago magazine and the local Bali Post English Corner column. Wayan Sadha's cartoons feature the common people of Bali, and he developed a sort of cult following on Bali as a result.
Goenawan Mohamad is an Indonesian poet, essayist, journalist, playwright, editor, and public intellectual. He is the founder and editor of Indonesia's leading news magazine, Tempo, and has often been a vocal critic of the Indonesian government throughout his long career. He is the author of many books on Indonesian society including Seks, Sastra, Kita (Sex, Literature, Us) (1980), Literature and Power (1993), Setelah Revolusi Tak Ada Lagi (Once the Revolution No Longer Exists) (2001), and Tuhan dan Hal-hal Yang Tak Selesai (God and Other Unfinished Things) (2007).
Made Wijaya (1953-2016) was a world-renowned writer and designer based in Bali for over 40 years. He was one of the island's most flamboyant, larger-than-life characters and variously worked as a tennis coach, artist, designer, photographer, gardener, historian, journalist, satirist, diarist, anthropologist, and much more. His books include Architecture of Bali: A Source Book of Traditional and Modern Forms (2002) and Tropical Garden Design (2004).
Wayan Sadha began drawing for fun and was later hired to illustrate Archipelago magazine and the local Bali Post English Corner column. Wayan Sadha's cartoons feature the common people of Bali, and he developed a sort of cult following on Bali as a result.
Goenawan Mohamad is an Indonesian poet, essayist, journalist, playwright, editor, and public intellectual. He is the founder and editor of Indonesia's leading news magazine, Tempo, and has often been a vocal critic of the Indonesian government throughout his long career. He is the author of many books on Indonesian society including Seks, Sastra, Kita (Sex, Literature, Us) (1980), Literature and Power (1993), Setelah Revolusi Tak Ada Lagi (Once the Revolution No Longer Exists) (2001), and Tuhan dan Hal-hal Yang Tak Selesai (God and Other Unfinished Things) (2007).
Made Wijaya (1953-2016) was a world-renowned writer and designer based in Bali for over 40 years. He was one of the island's most flamboyant, larger-than-life characters and variously worked as a tennis coach, artist, designer, photographer, gardener, historian, journalist, satirist, diarist, anthropologist, and much more. His books include Architecture of Bali: A Source Book of Traditional and Modern Forms (2002) and Tropical Garden Design (2004).