The Atheist (Atheis)

First published in 1949, this legendary novel tells the story of Hasan’s spiritual and intellectual crisis. He was raised to be a devout Muslim but comes to doubt his faith after he got involved with a group of modern young people.

Upon the publication of this novel, religious thinkers, Marxist-Leninists, and anarchists criticized the novel; but it was a hit among literary figures and the general public. The novel, considered to be a masterpiece of modern Indonesian literature, is listed among UNESCO’s Collection of Representative Literary Works.