VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In today’s Book and Film Review, we will review an Indonesian novel entitled, “Semua Ikan di Langit” or in English means “All Fishes in the Sky”, written by Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie. Ziggy is a young Indonesian writer who won a writing competition held by an Indonesian publisher, Grasindo – Gramedia. Ziggy may be a shy girl who does not want her identity get exposed, but her works are simply amazing. For instance, in “Semua Ikan di Langit”, Ziggy used a language style that cannot be found in other novels. Her imagination is quite high, like when she depicted a bus which can travel in the skies and even through dimension and time.

The story told by Ziggy broadens readers’ horizon. Meticulous depictions of every character are very imaginative, yet still completely make sense. The readers can imagine the shape of the bus told by Ziggy, and even its passengers. In an interview with Voice of Indonesia, Ziggy shared us about that.

“…The premise of the story is actually pretty simple it’s centered around a bus humanist adventure on a space time travel got it by a curious boy who’s floating in the air and has a lot of fish hands the title and along the way they made a lot of visitation, they pick up passengers since the character is a bus so we still have the purpose in that but other than that it’s pretty much open for interpretation some like to make try to find a different meaning behind the story but some just take it as it is. I would like to let people interpret it on their own so I try not to answer the questions about what it actually means, I really like to reserve that right, the right to interpret to the readers.” Ziggy explain.

The main character in “Semua Ikan di Langit” is even a bus which operates in Bandung, West Java. Instead of humans, its passengers are a mother roach who just gave birth to five babies in a lab; then, a school of halfbeak fishes swimming around the bus, which enable the bus to fly; and apparently a boy who provides power for the fishes, so that the bus can travel in time and space. It is impossible for such imagination to be found in short time.

“…Well there’s actually a lot of consideration regarding the character. I realize that it’s not common for a bus narrate a story but I have a lot of consideration whether it’s personal and also conceptual, visual and off course symbolic meaning behind it but it really connect with how you will interpret the story so it’s just that there’s a lot of consideration behind it, I’m just going to leave it like that.” Ziggy added.

In the beginning, readers may be confused with the story, but not after they pass through page 64. The vague story turns clear. “Semua Ikan di Langit” has 259 pages and is apparently unique for its ability to describe the bitter sweetness of human life. There is no idea why Ziggy created those characters in her novel. But, what does Ziggy want to say through her peculiar story?

“…Well first of all thank you, as I said the message behind the story is very simple. The story have a lot of different part but they serve specific purposes but the whole think actually balls down to a very simple moral value which is just to be kind to one another regardless of anything. I mean the story is essentially a love story it’s just that it’s not a romantic story it’s not about a boy and a girl fell in love and all the disaster they have to overcome.  It’s universal love and it’s just talking about affection that goes beyond boundaries and this is what I want to conveyed to people that it can exist.” Ziggy said.

“Semua Ikan di Langit” or “All Fishes in the Sky” which successfully won competition evidently has love in it. Every single word in this book turns into intriguing story that people may find it quite deep. Readers can find a story of peace amidst the chaotic world, where love for fellow human beings still exists. Alright listener, that was our brief review of a novel entitled “Semua Ikan di Langit” or “All Fishes in the Sky” written by Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie.