Lukisan Langit

A group of medical students from Jakarta are sent to Palu, Central Sulawesi, for their first internship as doctors. Not long after they arrive, one of them, Rama, saves the life of a man from a capsized boat. Hendra, the man he saved, wanted to return the favor and they become fast friends during the doctors’s stay in Palu. It was him who brought Rama to a well known painting gallery called Rumah Lukisan. Rama is intrigued by a painting called “Angel – The Painting of Sky, for R” in the gallery. And there he met and get to know Angel, the painter. Mysteriously, this girl often appears near Rama, even as he travels to faraway places for his internship, although his fellow doctors and friends seem to never notice her. And they have a special way to contact each other: by letters placed at the door of Rumah Lukisan. His further interactions with Angel stir Rama’s passion for art because he used to dream of becoming a painter. However the lack of support from his parents, especially his Dad, dampens that. He chose to just follow his Dad’s direction to be a doctor, because that is what count in his Dad’s mindset. And this decision to suppress his passion and becoming himself is affecting Rama’s unconscious mind severely. Rama’s closeness with Angel also makes him questioned his relationship with Agnes, his fiancé. However, that closeness ends abruptly when Angel learnt about Agnes accidentally. She disappears from Rama’s life and is nowhere to be found. While it was difficult before for Rama to contact Angel due to their way of contacting each other, it becomes impossible afterwards. Following Hendra’s advice, Rama goes back to Jakarta after finishing the internship. And he is faced with his imminent wedding and struggles to maintain his relationship with Agnes. He found Agnes’ attitude and behavior unbearable. He then choose to end the engagement and decided to go back to Palu to search for Angel. Unexpectedly, not long after he gets there, an earth-shattering earthquake shakes Palu and brings many calamities. Rama is one of the survived victim. Hendra helps to take care of Rama for months. Agnes too comes to Palu when she learnt about Rama’s condition from Hendra, but he rejects her efforts. An unexpected message from Angel encourages Rama to follow his heart to be a painter. So he pursues his life-long dream. On the single exhibition of his paintings at Rumah Lukisan, Rama is reunited with his parents who slowly came to terms with their son’s aspiration. In the end, it is Agnes, who unfolded what was really going on within Rama’s anguished mind and his obsessions with Angel. As it turned out, Angel is just a mirage, a hallucination, compelled by Rama’s supressed desires and aspirations, embodied into a girl’s imagery. With the help of Hendra and Agnes, Rama manages to overcome this mental condition, and realises Agnes’ unfailing love for him.

Selling Points

This book has several selling points as below. First, this book is easy to read. The author does not try to impress readers with difficult vocabulary. To-the-point style of writing, crisp and clear. Simple story line, simple words, simple characters. It makes for a pleasing easy-read for almost every one. No brow-creasing is needed when you read this one. Second, this book is thin enough so it is not going to intimidate anyone who reads it. The size also makes it easy to disappear into travel bags or backpack for a travelling companion. The cover design is pretty and attractive, an eye-catcher. And the price is affordable even for teenagers’ budget. A plus point for readers who does not want to splurge too much for a reading. Third, how the book deals with more and more relevant issue about mental health in a way that is easy to understand. One of the most effective way to convey something is through stories. And this book carry that educational weapon effectively. Before you know it, you get to learn about how bad upbringings can affect mental health.