Never the Twain: Novel

Never the Twain is one of the most popular works in Indonesian modern fiction. Hanafi, the protagonist, is madly in love with Corrie du Bussee, a beautiful Eurasian, although he is already betrothed to his cousin Rapiah. Who should he marry? Corrie the liberated Western woman or the tradition-bound Rapiah? The main conflict is an allegory of pre-independence Indonesia when—as it struggled to have a national identity—the nation had to choose between adhering to traditional values or adopting Western notions of progress and modernity.

• Abdoel Moeis, Author

  Abdoel Moeis was actively involved in the early years of institution building that marked the beginning of Indonesia’s nationalism period. After a period of apprenticeship, he left his job as a civil servant for journalism. He quickly became involved in several nationalist publications like Kaoem Moeda, a paper he co-founded in 1912. Within a few short years, he became an important member of the Islamic Union. A series of correspondence that Moeis initiated with Balai Pustaka publishing house in 1927 shows a major change in his focus, with him concentrating more on creative writing rather than political thoughts. In addition to Never the Twain, he published three other major novels and translated four novels. He was named a national hero by President Sukarno for his years of dedication to the nationalist cause.

• Robin Susanto, Translator