Chapters 18-24: 0:00—A man of duty and principle. 9:24—A dark, swirling tide. 11:11—Force of words. 13:40—The charity ball. 15:27—A frenzied downpour. 20:33—Strange things. 23:15—Naturalism. 24:54—Eva’s funk. 26:20—Forced to believe. 28:46—The climate of Java. 30:32—Interlude.

Chapters 25-26: 30:47—Impression: sunrise. 33:00—Setting & theme & style. 34:08—Pontianaks. 37:08—Moans & cries & sobs. 38:52—White and trembling. 40:25—Leonie in the bath. 43:16—The hidden force. 44:27—Filthy vermillion. 47:00—Scenes like this. 49:54—Betel juice. 53:02—Other forces. 54:51—Other monsters. 56:00—Interlude.

Chapters 27-32: 58:16—Strange happenings continue. 59:18—Leonie & Addy. 1:01:48—Benevolent & hostile forces. 1:05:45—East vs West. 1:07:23—Leonie & Addy. 1:09:25—Addy & Doddy. 1:10:21—Leaving Lubawangi. 1:15:09—Flying foxes. 1:16:37—Eva & Van Oudijck. 1:17:59—That strange, unnatural business. 1:21:31—Interlude.

Chapter 32 continued: 1:21:49—Mysticism & Islam. 1:24:24—Stoning. 1:26:06—Islam & the hidden force. 1:28:29—A hollow triumph. 1:30:48—The virgin & the dynamo. 1:33:30—The immense natural world. 1:35:24: A heretofore hidden force. 1:36:02—Endangered Indonesia. 1:41:36—Denying mystery. 1:43:12—Closing.

Text: Louis Couperus, The Hidden Force. Translated by Alexander Texiera de Mattos; revised and edited by E.M. Beekman. Univ. of Massachusetts Press, 1985.

Interludes: Arnold Schoenberg, “Verlarte Nacht for String Sextet, Op. 4” (1899), performed by A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

Sound effects: Pixabay.

Illustration: Louis Couperus as King Assuérus (detail), Java, 1899 (Wikipedia).

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