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This is the official blog of Winna Efendi, author of several bestselling Indonesian novels.

Minggu, 27 Maret 2011

(movie) Never Let Me Go


Okay. After I watched this, all I did was stare at the screen, watching the credits roll. It's always what a good movie does to me, like I'm too blanked out to touch the remote, and too caught up in thoughts to do anything else.

I'm enchanted by the performances of Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan, both powerful actresses. Knightley has been greatly missed! I am not so sure about Andrew Garfield, I don't understand his passion, his fears, his feelings. I'm not sure if it's how it's supposed to be, or am I just not passionate about his acting.

The plot is simple, and I like the compacted version more than the book. The beginning grips audience right from the start, and the whole movie is just sort of left for your own interpretation - about love, about life, about letting go, and about giving up. I'm sure each of us has our own understanding about the whole thing, and that's the beauty of it :)

Love the poster so much, btw. 4/5 stars.

(book) Before I Fall


I'm new to Lauren Oliver's books, and this is the first I've read since I heard so many rave reviews about it, and YA bookclub on GoodReads chose it for February read. I was late in obtaining a copy, but it was worth the read.

I was gripped right from the very first chapter. It's about Samantha Kingston (love the name, sounds so posh), who dies on her way home from a party, and wakes up the next day reliving her last day. I guess it's no spoiler because the synopsis mentions that she relives it seven times.

It got a bit boring somewhere in the middle because of so many details, so many repeated occurrences, even though some were altered according to Sam's choices. I also didn't get what she needed to do at first, like Sam herself didn't know what to do, and understood that her initial response was gladness that she thought it was all just a dream, and then tried to repair whatever it was she needed to do without knowing what it actually was, and eventually got so angry because she still messed it all up. Slowly, though, she (and us readers) started getting the depth of the story, some untold secrets, the dark side of the characters, and that was when I found the magic of this book.

Nearing the end, it was almost impossible to put down. The ending was a little shocking, because it was never what we expected it to be. But it all made perfect sense, somehow, and I thought about it long after I put it down. Haunting, beautiful, despite its flaws. And yes, I describe mellow books/movies I love with the words haunting and beautiful, every single time.

I think the whole idea is pretty genius. What would make more sense is that Sam should at least try to tell somebody about the whole thing, because it wasn't just logical that she didn't tell anyone. And despite a lot of people hating on Lindsay and the rest of the girls, I felt like I understood them, and that was what Lauren Oliver succeeded in doing - for making everything seem real, and for us to sympathize with and understand the characters.

3/5 stars.

Look forward to Delirium!

Jumat, 25 Maret 2011

Rumah Beratap Biru

Pada hari kamu pergi, aku masih meyakinkan diri bahwa aku akan baik-baik saja. Toh, selama ini kita pun berdiri di sudut yang berseberangan, bukannya berjalan berdampingan sambil berpegangan tangan seperti yang seharusnya.

Semalam pun, aku masih menjalani rutinitas seolah-olah tidak terjadi apa-apa. Masuk ke dalam mobil, memastikan aku aman terkunci di dalamnya, menstarter mesin, menyalakan radio dan memilih stasiun yang kusuka, kemukamun mengecek status bensin sebelum berkendara pulang. Seperti yang selalu kulakukan, ada maupun tanpa kamu.

Aku melewati jalan yang biasa - dua kali lampu merah, menikung ke kiri, melewati bagian belakang pasar basah yang pada malam hari dijadikan tempat berkumpulnya anak-anak tetangga untuk bermain kartu, kemukamun berhenti di depan rumah beratap biru.

Rumah beratap biru ini kita beli bersama, walaupun kita tidak pernah menyebutnya sebagai 'rumah kita'. Memang kamu yang lebih dulu menabung, dan menyetor uang mukanya. Tapi kemudian aku pun mulai rutin menyisihkan sebagian besar penghasilanku untuk rumah ini, meski kamu tidak pernah memintaku melakukannya. Lalu, beberapa tahun yang lalu - waktu itu bulan Mei - kita pun sama-sama meninggalkan tempat tinggal lama kami untuk pindah ke rumah beratap biru tersebut. Seingatku, kita bahagia.

Aku selalu mengeluh bahwa rumah ini terlalu kecil. Ruang paling besar yang ada di dalamnya adalah kamar tidur, itu pun ukurannya tidak seberapa. Kamu berkata, ruang yang sempit pun dapat terkesan luas jika kita mampu menatanya sedemikian rupa. Jadi kita pun memasang sebuah tempat tidur dan melapisi lantainya dengan karpet, juga meninggikan rak dan memindahkan segala benda lain yang hanya akan menyesakkan ruangan.

Waktu itu, aku tidak sadar ruang yang kamu maksud adalah hati.

Setelah tiba di rumah, yang kulakukan adalah memastikan dua kali bahwa semua pintu dan jendela telah terkunci, kemukamun merangkak ke atas tempat tidur, masih dalam pakaian lengkap. Aku sering melakukan itu; dan biasanya kamu akan memelukku dari belakang, menghidu aroma parfum yang sudah pudar, saru dengan bau keringat. Dan biasanya, apa pun keletihan yang kukumpulkan dari pagi hari akan pupus menjadi tak bermakna. Tapi malam kemarin, aku tidak punya tenaga untuk memikirkan tentang biasanya. Aku masih merasa aku akan baik-baik saja.

Tapi lalu mimpi itu datang.

Kata orang, mimpi adalah bunga tidur. Mencerminkan harapan, ketakutan, pertanda, dan apa pun itu yang pernah melintasi pikiran bawah sadarmu.

Semalam, aku bermimpi tentang kamu. Tapi aku tidak dapat melihat wajahmu - hanya punggung yang berjalan menjauh, siluet yang semakin lama semakin samar, sampai akhirnya menghilang seluruhnya. Entah fatamorgana, entah apa. Kamu hilang bersama salju yang merintik dari langit.

Aku tidak bisa tidur lagi setelahnya. Semalaman, aku memandang langit-langit, memperhatikan retakan halus dan sarang laba-laba yang mulai merembeti sudut kamar. Aku mencoba mematikan lampu, tapi kegelapan membuatku takut. Sampai akhirnya, aku terlelap, dalam usahaku untuk tidak memikirkan kamu.

**

Biasanya, apa pun yang kita ributkan, baik masalah kecil maupun besar, akan berakhir dengan saling berpelukan, di atas tempat tidur mungil dalam rumah beratap biru. Mungkin aku yang terlalu naif dalam mengira, masalah kali ini sama seperti sebelum-sebelumnya, dan dalam beberapa jam aku akan melihat kamu, dalam rumah beratap biru.

Tapi kurasa dalam hati aku tahu, saat kamu bilang kamu akan pergi, kali ini kamu tidak main-main.

Mungkin kami sudah terlalu lama menganggap satu sama lain sebagai properti. Sudah terlalu lama saling memiliki, dan sudah menyerahkan setiap bagian dari diri kepada satu sama lain. Setiap jejak di permukaan kulitku adalah milikmu, setiap serat dari rasa pernah kamu sentuh. Kamu pernah masuk ke dalam ruang paling gelap dalam diriku, begitu pun aku pernah melihat saat-saat terburuk maupun terbaikmu.

Namun, itu saja ternyata tak cukup untuk saling memiliki.

Terkadang, rasa saling memiliki yang terlalu kuat justru membuatku terlalu yakin bahwa kamu tidak akan pergi. Dan kali ini, seperti yang kubilang, kamu tetap pergi.

Aku tidak menangis. Aku tidak tahu apa yang harus kutangisi - apakah aku harus tersenyum, tertawa, marah, apa? Yang kutahu adalah rasa kosong di dalam dada yang terasa sesak. Jika aku menangis, apakah rasa itu akan hilang? Jika aku tertawa, apakah rasa itu juga akan hilang? Aku hanya butuh sebuah alasan untuk melakukan salah satu. Jadi aku pun tertawa.

Rasa itu tetap ada.

**

Kadang, aku yakin kamu akan kembali ke rumah beratap biru. Kadang, aku tak terlalu yakin.

Kemarin, seorang tetangga menanyakan perihal kamu. Katanya, ada sesuatu tentang berkebun yang ingin ditanyakannya.

Aku bilang, kamu sudah pergi.

**

just felt like writing this piece, Friday 16.05 p.m.
written using Ommwriter for Windows

Jumat, 18 Maret 2011

(movie) No Strings Attached

Judulnya bikin inget sama album NSYNC. I was expecting so much more of this movie, but it didn't quite meet all of them.

Acting-wise, it's okay. Natalie Portman seems a little stiff at times, maybe coz I've been so used to see her in intense roles. Ashton Kutcher - no doubt, carries the whole story kind of nicely. I think the problem with rom-coms these days is that they try to make things funny. Dialogue, script, everything relies heavily on funny moments. The thing is, they try too hard and it shows. Less romantic moments - the ones that are there seem kind of forced, and as a result it doesn't have enough oomph.

The only funny moment is the carrot you-said-no-flowers thing. A nice weekend date movie, but not worth watching twice.

Quiz 1: Menangkan novel Remember When gratis!


Untuk merayakan akan terbitnya Remember When di akhir bulan Maret, saya akan mengadakan 3 kuis kecil berhadiah masing-masing 1 novel Remember When gratis, dikirimkan langsung ke alamat kamu.

Kuis pertama sudah saya posting sebelumnya, namun saya posting ulang di sini. Caranya hanya menjawab pertanyaan di bawah ini: Kenapa kamu ingin membaca novel Remember When? Jawaban dapat diposting langsung di bagian comment.

Jawaban paling kreatif akan dipilih pada tgl 1 April 2011 dan diumumkan di FB dan Twitter. Kuis ditutup tanggal 31 Maret 2011, diikuti dengan quiz 2 (quote favorit) dan quiz 3 (resensi novel) untuk hadiah yang lebih menarik.

Jangan lupa follow Twitter @WinnaEfendi dan Facebook winna.efendi@gmail.com untuk update info terbaru. Ikuti juga quiz-quiz selanjutnya :) Pre-order novel Remember When dapat dilakukan dengan mengirimkan email ke winna.efendi@gmail.com.

Terima kasih..

Sinopsis novel Remember When:

Apa pun yang kau katakan, bagaimana pun kau menolaknya, cinta akan tetap berada di sana, menunggumu mengakui keberadaannya.

Bagi kita, senja selalu sempurna; bukankah sia-sia jika menggenapkan warnanya? Seperti kisahmu, kau dan dia, juga kisahku, aku dan lelakiku. Tak ada bagian yang perlu kita ubah. Tak ada sela yang harus kita isi. Bukankah takdir kita sudah jelas?

Lalu, saat kau berkata, "Aku mencintaimu", aku merasa senja tak lagi membawa cerita bahagia. Mungkinkah kata-katamu itu ambigu? Atau, aku saja yang menganggapnya terlalu saru?

"Aku mencintaimu," katamu. Mengertikah kau apa artinya? Mengertikah kau kalau kita tak pernah bisa berada dalam cerita yang sama, dengan senja yang sewarna?

Takdir kita sudah jelas. Kau, aku, tahu itu.


Kamis, 17 Maret 2011

Pemesanan buku + tanda tangan

Dear teman-teman semua,

Bagi yang ingin membeli buku-buku karangan saya plus tandatangan, baik untuk kado maupun diri sendiri, bisa memesan lewat email ke winna.efendi@gmail.com dengan format berikut:

  • Nama
  • Alamat pengiriman (lengkap dengan kota dan kode pos)
  • No.telp yang bisa dihubungi
  • Email (untuk konfirmasi)
  • Judul Buku
  • Pesan yang ingin ditulis di dalam buku (jika untuk hadiah)

Setelah pemesanan diterima dan dikonfirmasi, pembayaran dapat dilakukan via transfer BCA. Setelah konfirmasi pembayaran, buku tersebut akan dikirim via JNE dalam jangka waktu paling lambat 7 hari kerja, dan pengiriman tergantung kotanya (Jabodetabek 1-2 hari). Ada pun buku-buku yang dapat dipesan adalah:

  • Ai: Rp. 41 500,-
  • Refrain: Rp. 46 000,-
  • Glam Girls Unbelievable: Rp. 37 000,-
  • Remember When: Rp. 43 000,-
  • The Journeys (proyek antologi cerita traveling yang berisi kisah 12 penulis): Rp. 48 500,-

Semua buku mendapatkan discount 10%!

Pemesanan buku akan mendapatkan kejutan menarik! :) (stock terbatas yah!) Jadi, ditunggu emailnya dan buku-buku di atas akan meluncur langsung ke alamatmu!

Terima kasih atas dukungannya. Look forward to your emails ;)

Minggu, 13 Maret 2011

(book) Hector and the Search for Happiness


Reading about happiness is a little like being on a journey on happiness. Deep down inside, we want to find out about what makes us happy, what makes us so insecure and unhappy, and want to find the factors that could be the cure to that. Reading this book is about wanting answers, but there are never really necessarily the perfect answers, just a bit of reflecting.

I like the way the story is told, like we're children and need to be taught in simple language. It's innocent and not vulgar, which I appreciate, and is truthfully a fresh change and suitable for the material.

Hector is a nice enough character, kind, although sometimes he appears quite boring and flat. Though, his intake to the people he meets, how he cautiously handles things and how he approaches everything like an empty glass waiting to be filled are quite admirable to me personally. I like how he describes things and accepts things, that he's just an ordinary human who makes mistakes (yes he made many! which i'm angry with him about). Human characters and the world is told through the eyes of Edouard, Edouardo, Ying Li, Clara, Agnes, Charles, Djamila and many people Hector meets through his journey. I like the story about the Chinese monk best.

So happiness, as we all know, is how we see things. My own firm belief in it is confirmed in the last few chapters of the book, and overall I'm happy with the whole story. I think we just need to be reminded, from time to time, that we have to be grateful and that happiness comes from within.

3.5 of 5 stars. I sincerely look forward to Hector and the Secrets of Love.

Sabtu, 12 Maret 2011

(drama) Dream High


Just recently finished watching Dream High. It's the only drama that has me following its recaps religiously on DramaBeans, but also going out to watch it on KBS every Monday-Tuesday and buy the DVDs as soon as they come out.

OK, i'm a freak for high school music/dance themed drama. Most of you who have been following my reviews, or know how giddy i am when a similar movie/drama is airing, will know :)

So, this one's about the struggle, the relationship and the friendship of 6 teenagers in Kirin High School. Each of them deals with a demon of their own - be it jealousy, dreams that seem to have fallen apart, girl/boy trouble (oh yeah, of course), friendships that are broken, priorities, helping each other out, scandals, harrasments, gossips, and most importantly, growing up.

I don't see a lot of movies/dramas that have inch and EVERY lovable character, with plot so tight and pace so zippy, but still make room for creativity. The writing is nearly flawless, with beautiful cinematography, though I do have complaints about watching certain performances (they're often cut short, often focused on only one personnel rather than the whole group, zooming in and out and giving me a headache). The soundtrack is fun to listen to, with a couple of beautiful songs (Kim Soo Hyun's Dreaming - I still listen to it from time to time, and have no idea he's a talented singer as well as an accomplished young actor). The acting's okay, most of them hold their own, despite complaints and some flat moments, and I'm glad the writing and directing don't deviate much from the whole team, and the title Dream High is perfect, as it is about dreaming and fulfilling your dream.

What I love most about this drama is that I like every character, from the side characters and the second leads. The teachers are adorable and funny, each side character is cute and has their own important subplot. There is always a lesson to be learned, a potential for growth. Even the less important characters change throughout the movie, to the better. The cold teacher becomes someone warm hearted and sympathetic to her students, the weird teacher that doesn't want to have anything to do with well, anything other than himself, becomes focused and helpful throughout the whole ordeal. There are so many hilarious moments, touching moments, I lose count on how many times I laugh and cry while watching it.

My favorite characters are Pil Sook and Sam Dong, though it's hard picking favorites. I think it's mostly what Oh Hyuk said about them. Pil Sook is a character that looks so clumsy and weak, but she is actually a very strong person. And Sam Dong is also someone who's lost his way, but paves it back and becomes stronger because of his difficulties.

There are a lot of beautiful quotes from this drama, that mostly come from Jin Gook, the most mature character of the bunch.

I will quote several dialogue (taking them from DramaBeans' translation based on their recaps). If you, like me, would like to follow their fun drama recaps, please go to www.dramabeans.com

Jin-gook: There are two kinds of happiness in the world. One is a happiness that you realize after the fact. The other is a happiness that you feel in the moment. The happiness in the moment is so rare that they say you can live your whole life on the light that shines from remembering it. I think we’ll go on remembering this moment, today, like that kind of happiness…that we can remember for the rest of our lives, the moment when we shined.

And here's a section that I copied from episode 15 recap:

Hye-mi weighs her decision as she wanders the streets, playing eeny-meeny-miny-moe at each crosswalk, and frustrated that Fate isn’t helping her decide. Jin-gook finds her lost in thought, and she asks him what she’s supposed to do, since neither of them is one hundred percent.

Jin-gook tells her that if one choice were a hundred, it wouldn’t be a choice, but an answer. It’s because they’re fifty-fifty that it’s a choice, and she should weigh it carefully. He adds that once she chooses, not to look back, and turn that fifty into a hundred, to prove to herself that she made the right choice.

The last episode is great, full of fan service with satisfying ending that concludes every character's story, but I kinda wish there are more scenes for Hye Mi-Sam Dong. Do they get to be together after everything? It reminds me a little of the ending for my own book Refrain, not with skipping 2 years to tell the ending, but the one about sacrificing something in order for the one you love to be able to reach their dream.

Overall, a fun, meaningful drama to watch. Definitely will watch it again when i have the chance.

Sabtu, 05 Maret 2011

2011 Weekend Reads

It's been a really long time since I've read for pleasure, out of habit, and rigorously. Recently I've picked up where I've left off and started a new reading list, bought the books from my wishlist, and had fun with it. Not just catching up with the latest movies, I'm also reading good books again. Reading good books is like eating good food. It's not just an education, it's a guilty pleasure, it's an investment of a lifetime, window of the world.

So let's start off with my reading list this year. Growing, and growing.. and growing.
Ah well. At least I'm having fun.

- Room (Emma Donoghue)
I've heard so much rave reviews about this book, and have to say I fell in love with the cover, also the premise. It's always what makes me snatch a book.

- Tinkers (Paul Harding)
Winner of the Booker's Prize! I took it off the shelves and paid for it without hesitating much. Have also heard a lot about it.

- Hector and the Search of Happiness
Have heard once about it and quite liked the concept of it.. coz I'm also doing something related though different. Cute cover. Cute sequel: Hector and the Secrets of Love, if I'm not mistaken. Will be on the hunt for it when it comes out.

- Garis Perempuan (Sanie B Kuncoro)
Had it on my wishlist for months. Skimmed through it and liked it.

- The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)
K, this one's a bestseller. I've read half of it, never finding the mood to pick it up again, despite loving it.

- Jingga dalam elegi (Esti Kinasih)
What can I say? I haven't even read the first novel. Picked it out coz I like Fairish a lot.

- Before I Fall (Lauren Oliver)
A recommended book from GoodReads. A girl is in a coma and relives her life seven times till she gets whatever it is that's bugging her right. Sounds cool.

- I Ordered My Wife from the Universe (Stanley Dirgapraja)
How cool is the title? Like the solitaire tree in the cover too. Have never finished his first book but kinda like the first skim though.

- Heart of the Matter (Emily Giffin)
I like Miss Giffin for a chicklit fix! And I don't read chicklits often! She's like my Sophie Kinsella alternative, but with more depth and less laughter. Just more stuffs to ponder on.

- Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
This one's a bookclub read. I haven't found the Wordsworth edition I'm looking for though. More excited about the movie, like I am with classics. The wardrobe, the lush cinematography and gorgeous setting, the hairdo, the posh accent, pretty faces.. I don't get them out of a book (directly, I mean).

- Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout)
A compilation of short stories. I kinda like her Amy and Isabelle. Read the first chapter. Kind of like it.

So, there goes my list!
I want this year to be super productive. Carpe diem :)