eMShi Blog

First to know bout the book couple months ago, as referenced by friends or saw it in best seller shell in the book store, still i was not interested. It just because i thought it’s a serious book - non fiction, a guidance - religion one, that i already had few titles bout the subject that i no need another one recent.

But now, when see that ‘Ayat-ayat Cinta’ goes to movie, i become curious bout what this book actually is. And then i smile, it’s a novel. No wonder it become a movie now.

This book is really fantastic, although it’s filled with so many ‘dakwah’ messages, it doesn’t lose its originality as a novel. It can be view as contra mainstream against some contemporary novel such as ayu utami one that exploits vulgarity. But not to contra with teenlit as it’s neutrality or just not to be compared.

The writer so smart to make the reader of the book to be touched with the story and get emotioned as if they are in the story. No wonder it become best seller and now get movied. Taken the setting of Egypt, the story is about indonesian student who took master degree in Kairo. He got into complicated love situation with four girls. Get married with a Germany-Turkey girl, but then get letter from Indonesian girl that he admired told that she loved him. Another one, a Kairo girl that happened to be his good neighbour, fell in love with him. Last, another Kairo girl that he helped from her family’s rudeness. He managed this conflict using Islamic values that always hold no matter happened, even when his life is being threatened. The end of the story may not a good ending, but still can make the reader smile bout what is life all about, to Whom it should be dedicated.

There’s some things not comfortable in this novel in my view, but consider it minor. First, bout the footnote, although it’s an explanation bout the foreign terms used, still it looked like a non fiction. Better the meaning included inline with the text. Then bout the way the main figure, the man seemed to be mr perfect, so busy. Just curious, do one have to be so heavy scheduled that he can’t loosen it just to make a call or others. Next one bout the reason of the Kairo girl to bring him to jail not so reasoned enough. Last, related to his heavy scheduled, so ridicolous that he can’t have time to meet someone or that someone to call or message him, then become too late to know that the Indonesian girl love him. Well it’s all part of the story, so it’s intended to be.

Overall, it’s a good book, consider it fulfil two things: as a novel and the values it brings. Bout the movie, it’s a challenge for the director to get the atmosphere into life. Let’s see later, would it be box office in real term, not just because the book is best seller.