Growing up, to have a real life story that you can read and relate to is like finding a needle in the haystack. I mean, those days, there were many reading materials for kids and teenagers. But nothing could have prepared for the impact that Aku Budak Minang would unleash on all the adolescent souls that have read it.
The way Ujang brought the timeline of his life and weave it into a storyline is priceless in a literary sense. I mean, the language used is not really the DBP-style of BM. But still, it was gripping and intense as a peronal memoir of sorts. It's like hearing a story of your best friend's life. And Ujang has managed to befriend all the readers with this piece as the presentation was casual, simplistic, and radical in a comical-type of literature.
Having read Ujang's thought's about his mom (Air mata aku mengalir bukan kerana sakit dirotan mak, cuma aku terpikir, tak penatkah mak memukul aku dari kecil hingga aku besar?), was just enough to make me wish I was there for him as a friend and lend him my ears and my acquaintance. He was that close. And in my opinion, that's a hell of an accomplishment to have manage in making your readers felt like that.
I can't say I led a similar life to Ujang's. I mean, where as other parents would be mad as hell if their kids read Gila-Gila, my dad was totally an advocate of reading, that it doesnt matter if I read comics, magazine, or humour magazines. As long as it's approved by him, I could get away reading anything.
That's how lucky I was.
This is the one book I'm glad my dad approved.
1 comment:
as a half blood minang, i totally agree on your piece. it does capture that moment of time. they are making ABM a telemovie, i hope there's justice in what they are making
Post a Comment