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mysimas's review
So, uh. I was expecting a story about a boy possessed by a tiger spirit. Instead, I got what feels like a rip-off of Chronicle of a Death Foretold. The only reason I finished Chronicle was because the idea felt novel, and also it is gorgeously written, prose-wise. Man Tiger doesn’t have either of these two advantages, just the downsides - misogyny, chaotic meandering, way too numerous and tragically uncurvaceous flat characters.
DNF at 20%.
DNF at 20%.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Violence
alie374's review
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sidharthvardhan's review
4.0
Even if you leave alone magical realism, there is a hint of Marquez in this author's prose. If that doesn't sell the book, I don't know what will. Just look at this:
The references to classics and mythological tales celebrate storytelling traditions. In fact, the story itself is a retelling of an ancient myth.
The story itself, told in a non-linear manner and from a shifting point of view, though is very simple - that of two dysfunctional families. The tiger seemed to me no more than symbol of repressed anger of a kid over domestic violence (child becomes tiger the way Bruce becomes hulk) and mistreatment of his mother and about how hard and violent instincts of a community which has found peace after long period of violent disturbances and wars; find new ways to show up (animal hunting games, fighting games for youth, domestic violence). The post-war atmosphere shows up as a theme in many other ways (the retired major, rusted samurai swords, the army needing local criminals to have their fun with etc. )
Another motif is people believing that things are coming out of them used to show people showing shock at themselves/ their own behavior (the way hulk refused to be identified with the other guy). While the tigress coming out of a man is an obvious example, the other example would be that of his sister:
Other beautiful lines :
"After two days in the hospital, Komar asked to be taken home and said firmly to Mameh, “Don’t call for any more doctors. I’m healthy enough to wait for my grave to be dug.”
"The city government was said to have given him a plot of land in the heroes’ cemetery as a reward for his service, something he described as an invitation to die quickly. "
The references to classics and mythological tales celebrate storytelling traditions. In fact, the story itself is a retelling of an ancient myth.
The story itself, told in a non-linear manner and from a shifting point of view, though is very simple - that of two dysfunctional families. The tiger seemed to me no more than symbol of repressed anger of a kid over domestic violence (child becomes tiger the way Bruce becomes hulk) and mistreatment of his mother and about how hard and violent instincts of a community which has found peace after long period of violent disturbances and wars; find new ways to show up (animal hunting games, fighting games for youth, domestic violence). The post-war atmosphere shows up as a theme in many other ways (the retired major, rusted samurai swords, the army needing local criminals to have their fun with etc. )
Another motif is people believing that things are coming out of them used to show people showing shock at themselves/ their own behavior (the way hulk refused to be identified with the other guy). While the tigress coming out of a man is an obvious example, the other example would be that of his sister:
Every morning her chest size seemed to have expanded overnight, a thought that sometimes made her wonder if a separate woman wasn’t starting to emerge from the teenage girl. "
Other beautiful lines :
" It was almost dark when the sandy red soil finally covered him. The gravedigger slowly stepped on this soil, but didn’t make it too compact, as a mandatory precaution lest the dead should be resurrected. "
"He also had a feeling that the baby was a girl because, as people said, that’s how it is when a woman suddenly becomes exceptionally beautiful during pregnancy. "
crybabybea's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I get the point but the execution was just meh for me. This is not really magical realism and it is not a thriller, this is a family melodrama. It is a murder mystery in a way, except it starts with the murder on the first page and the murderer is already revealed. Instead of spending the novel trying to find the suspect, we instead learn the reasons behind the murder. I did find this premise interesting but it took me a minute to realize we were going backwards in time, which made it super confusing to get through. I did like it when I finally realized what was happening lol. This might be thrilling to some, but for me it was easy to guess why Margio did what he did and I simply continued to read the book to confirm my suspicions.
Even though this is a character-focused book, I found the characters quite boring and flat. I felt like the characters existed as plot devices to further Margio's arc into a murderer, and it was off-putting because the characters experienced some pretty graphic violence with not much sustenance to their character besides.
I liked the usage of the tiger inside Margio as a metaphor for so many things; it represents Margio's inner desires that are kept pushed down, it represents generational trauma, and even the trauma of colonialism to an extent. I felt like the usage of the tiger needed to be pushed further to really be considered "magical realism", but I still enjoyed what it represented and how it played a part in the story.
My favorite part was the immersive atmosphere of the unnamed Indonesian village the story takes place in. There were detailed descriptions of rural Indonesian life and filled with hints toward colonialism that really sold the time period. The writing itself got a bit dull toward the middle of the book, but I liked the description of the setting throughout.
Because of my initial confusion with the timeline, and the fact that the writing didn't really grip me, it took me longer than it should have to read a book with only 170 pages. I'm glad I read it even though I didn't love it.
Even though this is a character-focused book, I found the characters quite boring and flat. I felt like the characters existed as plot devices to further Margio's arc into a murderer, and it was off-putting because the characters experienced some pretty graphic violence with not much sustenance to their character besides.
I liked the usage of the tiger inside Margio as a metaphor for so many things; it represents Margio's inner desires that are kept pushed down, it represents generational trauma, and even the trauma of colonialism to an extent. I felt like the usage of the tiger needed to be pushed further to really be considered "magical realism", but I still enjoyed what it represented and how it played a part in the story.
My favorite part was the immersive atmosphere of the unnamed Indonesian village the story takes place in. There were detailed descriptions of rural Indonesian life and filled with hints toward colonialism that really sold the time period. The writing itself got a bit dull toward the middle of the book, but I liked the description of the setting throughout.
Because of my initial confusion with the timeline, and the fact that the writing didn't really grip me, it took me longer than it should have to read a book with only 170 pages. I'm glad I read it even though I didn't love it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Rape, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence
Contains graphic sexual content, both consensual and non-consensual. Graphic depictions of domestic abuse, and arranged child marriage.jamz02's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
toolittletime's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The writing bounced all over, leading me into the lives of several people from this small village. Little by little their connections were unveiled, giving (some) reason to the murder that acts as the opening to this book. I learned several things about Indonesian art and music, simply because I would stop to google something mentioned and went down that path for a while before returning to the book. Wonderful.