A Journal of Novel an Online Dating Adventure with a Divine Ending

The novel an Online Dating Adventure with a divine ending written by a Vietnamese-American author, Thanh-Tam Le (fictionalized name) tells about the true story of the author. Tam, that’s how the author calls himself, is a 40 year-old divorced man. He had no serious date in the latest 7 years. One day he met a 28 year-old unmarried Vietnamese-American girl, Annie (fictionalized name), online. He thought she was cute. He let himself fall in love with her at the first sight and wanted to be in a serious relationship with her, even he’d never met her in person.

I could see that Tam enjoyed his chatting with Annie at first, but then time went by, I think he lost his mind and became unstable. He thought that the relationship he’s hoping wouldn’t work out. The age gap was really a big deal for him. He tried to give up chatting sometimes. He also emailed her to tell that he couldn’t continue their virtual friendship; however, Annie kept leading him on that he kept in touch with her. Day after day, Tam was getting more unstable and couldn’t prevent himself from falling deeper. Again, he sent her a farewell email; on the other hand, he didn’t want to give up his virtual dating with her. Then, he still wrote her email. This unstable manner of his may have made her tired of him. Since then, she did never show up or even reply his email. Tam kept emailing her some hoping she would reply, but she didn’t.

I think Tam was not really in love with her. Instead, he’s just obsessed with her. I’m the one of those who doesn’t believe love at the first sight. It was just too silly to me. How could he love a girl by only seeing a picture on the cyberspace? Or even if he’d met her in person, still I wouldn’t have believed love at the first sight.

I come to my conclusion that what Tam had been through was not really a love. He was just too excited when he met Annie after his being 7 year-single. Somehow, being single for such a long time was not good for him. And that may be the reason why he was so unstable.

Journal of Novel Ayat-Ayat Cinta

The novel Ayat-Ayat Cinta written by Habiburrahman El Shirazy tells about the story of an Indonesian Al Azhar student, Fahri. During his staying in Egypt, Fahri is involved in a complicated love with four different girls, a German girl named Aisha (later becomes his first wife), an Indonesian Al Azhar student named Nurul Azkiya, his Egyptian Copt[1] neighbor named Maria (later becomes his second wife), and his Egyptian Moslem neighbor, Noura. The four of those different girls are madly in love with him; however, ironically his ignorance about it is the main cause of lots of big troubles he has to face.

Thematically, we may classify this novel into a religious and romantic one. The love story is really touching and unimaginable. I’d never really imagine how happiness could immediately turns into terribly event. A joyful honeymoon changes into a dark prison. And many more of unpredictable events told in the plot.

Kang Abik, that’s how people call the author, softly and successfully infixes some Islamic values into the romantic plot. Fahri as the main character is the symbol who represents the message. He appears to be a perfect role model of what the Islamic teaching is meant to be. He shows us that Islamism can go hand in hand with any kinds of idealism. His harmonious fellowship with a Copt family, and his protective action to some Americans from the angry Egyptian’s disturbance on the sub way are the proofs. Again and again, through the plot, Kang Abik corrects the wrong assumption of the western—or even of the Moslem, themselves—about the position of women in Islam. He clearly clarifies how Islam actually treats women,—better than what they thought. How Islam rules polygamy is as not simple as it seems. And polygamy is not that bad. Polygamy is even better than cohabitation preferred by the western.

Kang Abik succeeded in creating a perfect character, Fahri, who should’ve been a perfect role model for the Moslem, and—or even—all people living in this world today. I, myself, even think this was pure purposely written-for-the sake of dakwah novel. The story of love was no more than packaging or marketing strategy.

Many times I read­—as many as I sobbed because of—this powerful, inspiring, encouraging, and amazing novel. I was in tears not because the story was touching, even the story really was, but because I took a pity on me, myself. As I read this novel, I was nothing but a sinful person who proudly dared to call himself a Moslem, and wasn’t a man enough yet to face the life.

Thank God for such a good man like Kang Abik.

I got thousands of lessons, including during the last time—hopefully it’s not for the last time—I read this novel for, respectfully and thankfully, Ibu Laela’s assignment.

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[1] A member of the Coptic Church

Journal of Novel Layla Majnun

The novel Layla Majnun written by Syaikh Nizami, adopted into Bahasa Indonesia by Sholeh Gisymar tells about a love story of Layla and Qays. Qays was the only child of Seyd Omri, the leader of Kafilah bani Amir. And Layla was a daughter of the leader of Kafilah bani Qhatibiah. Once they met at school they studied, loved each other. Time went by; Qays had gone crazy on her. Wherever he was, he always mentioned Layla’s name. That’s why people called him Majnun[1]. It brought shame to Layla’s family that her father decided not to allow her to go to school anymore. Being away from Layla, Qays got crazier. Syed Omri felt so sad of him. He tried to propose him marriage to Layla’s father, but then it was turned down. He had been getting crazier on her day after day.

I don’t really think much of this novel. To me, it’s a boring novel of those ever read. The plot was too flat. Well, the love story was amazing, but the way Sholeh Gisymar described it may be the reason why I don’t really enjoy reading this novel. It might be only my subjective view anyway. I probably expected too much. I had heard about this novel several years ago before having it on hand. What people what said about this popular novel gave me a significant effect of how much I had expected how this novel was going to be.

There was only one main conflict told. That may be one of the reasons why I didn’t really enjoy reading the novel. The whole story was about the two tormented lovers—Layla and Qays—that was it. As a reader, I was only brought to one condition. Each page I turned and read just brought me to one imagination. The novel is usually considered to be interesting if only the reader is made questioning of how the story will go. However, when I read this novel I could guess the story would go, even I could predict how the main characters would be in the end of the story.

I come to my conclusion that I don’t really enjoy reading this novel. This was such a boring novel I have ever read.

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[1] Majnun (Arabic) means crazy