First published in 1922, the novel "Sitti Nurbaya: A Love Unrealized," by Marah Rusli, retains the poignancy that made it a modern Indonesian classic. In terms of its social impact in what was then the Dutch East Indies, "Sitti Nurbaya" may be compared to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in the ante-bellum United States. Even to this day, the issues of injustice and indignities suffered by women that this novel raised continue to be debated throughout the country.

Rich in description, dense with ironic foreboding and the inexorable workings of fate, Sitti Nurbaya is Samsu and "Sitti Nurbaya"'s...