---
product_id: 4036183
title: "The Year of Living Dangerously"
price: "S$28"
currency: SGD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.sg/products/4036183-the-year-of-living-dangerously
store_origin: SG
region: Singapore
---

# The Year of Living Dangerously

**Price:** S$28
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** The Year of Living Dangerously
- **How much does it cost?** S$28 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
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## Description

The Year of Living Dangerously [Koch, Christopher J.] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Year of Living Dangerously

Review: Multi-Layered Novel - Intriguing thriller set in one of Indonesia's most turbulent times follows the basic plot of most of that country's shadow puppet fables. Viz: The earthly balance of good and evil has lapsed, and the clueless but good-hearted hero finds himself aided by the unexpected attentions of a bold dwarf. There is so much going on, it's to be enjoyed on several levels. Innocence lost, cloak and daggery, true political intrigue, guy meets girl, expatriate sleaze, lessons in Indonesian culture: it's all there. Very nicely written with a perfect pace and memorable characters; Koch seems to be a great observer and decent researcher. So nicely composed was this book, the subsequent film (featuring breathtakingly fresh performances by youngsters Sigourney Weaver and Mel Gibson) captured the best dialogue and the steamy atmosphere with apparent ease. Destined to be a classic, YLD is a story that takes hold and stays with you a long time. De rigeur reading for the expats of Indonesia, but also a great book to have along if traveling in Indonesia (the twenty year ban on this book has been lifted by the government, so you can bring it in legally now)!
Review: The Movie is Better - The story centers on the lives of foreign journalists living in Indonesia during 1965, when the communists are trying to take over Indonesia. Against this tumultous background, a young Australian reporter, Guy Hamilton, is sent on his first assignment, and tries to make his way through the cut-throat world of breaking news and ratings. The writing is excellent; the story fantastic. A true character study covering a young man's ambition, and the attempts of a brilliant and devoted friend, Billy Kwan, a dwarf and cameraman, to enlighten him, to open his eyes to the true stories of poverty, suffering, and even love. This is one of my favorite movies, directed by legendary Peter Weir, and the movie pretty much follows the book. Weir made some excellent changes: having Billy Kwan's character narrate the story (as opposed to a fellow journalist), as Kwan is the central and most interesting person in the saga, and dramatically changing Jill Bryant's character (Guy Hamilton/Mel Gibson's romantic interest) from a beautiful but ditzy blond who laughs a lot and doesn't have much to say, who is having a romance with her boss who is twice her age and gets pregnant by Guy Hamilton (thus his incentive to marry her)... to the incredibly competent, sultry and mature Sigourney Weaver, who has done none of these things and is a riveting object for Hamilton's affection and intellect. The passion between Weaver and Gibson on screen is fiery; this doesn't come across in the book. Still, a great read; a fabulous story of characters, friendship, love, and suffering of the masses. Read my review on the movie for more critique.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN  | 0140065350 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #826,743 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,493 in Political Fiction (Books) #25,416 in Literary Fiction (Books) #40,430 in Historical Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars (241) |
| Dimensions  | 7.64 x 5.38 x 0.67 inches |
| Edition  | Reprint |
| Grade level  | 12 and up |
| ISBN-10  | 9780140065350 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0140065350 |
| Item Weight  | 8 ounces |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 288 pages |
| Publication date  | March 1, 1983 |
| Publisher  | Penguin Publishing Group |
| Reading age  | 18 years and up |

## Images

![The Year of Living Dangerously - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91FQhHSW+TL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Multi-Layered Novel
*by R***E on January 25, 2006*

Intriguing thriller set in one of Indonesia's most turbulent times follows the basic plot of most of that country's shadow puppet fables. Viz: The earthly balance of good and evil has lapsed, and the clueless but good-hearted hero finds himself aided by the unexpected attentions of a bold dwarf. There is so much going on, it's to be enjoyed on several levels. Innocence lost, cloak and daggery, true political intrigue, guy meets girl, expatriate sleaze, lessons in Indonesian culture: it's all there. Very nicely written with a perfect pace and memorable characters; Koch seems to be a great observer and decent researcher. So nicely composed was this book, the subsequent film (featuring breathtakingly fresh performances by youngsters Sigourney Weaver and Mel Gibson) captured the best dialogue and the steamy atmosphere with apparent ease. Destined to be a classic, YLD is a story that takes hold and stays with you a long time. De rigeur reading for the expats of Indonesia, but also a great book to have along if traveling in Indonesia (the twenty year ban on this book has been lifted by the government, so you can bring it in legally now)!

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Movie is Better
*by L***Y on January 31, 2013*

The story centers on the lives of foreign journalists living in Indonesia during 1965, when the communists are trying to take over Indonesia. Against this tumultous background, a young Australian reporter, Guy Hamilton, is sent on his first assignment, and tries to make his way through the cut-throat world of breaking news and ratings. The writing is excellent; the story fantastic. A true character study covering a young man's ambition, and the attempts of a brilliant and devoted friend, Billy Kwan, a dwarf and cameraman, to enlighten him, to open his eyes to the true stories of poverty, suffering, and even love. This is one of my favorite movies, directed by legendary Peter Weir, and the movie pretty much follows the book. Weir made some excellent changes: having Billy Kwan's character narrate the story (as opposed to a fellow journalist), as Kwan is the central and most interesting person in the saga, and dramatically changing Jill Bryant's character (Guy Hamilton/Mel Gibson's romantic interest) from a beautiful but ditzy blond who laughs a lot and doesn't have much to say, who is having a romance with her boss who is twice her age and gets pregnant by Guy Hamilton (thus his incentive to marry her)... to the incredibly competent, sultry and mature Sigourney Weaver, who has done none of these things and is a riveting object for Hamilton's affection and intellect. The passion between Weaver and Gibson on screen is fiery; this doesn't come across in the book. Still, a great read; a fabulous story of characters, friendship, love, and suffering of the masses. Read my review on the movie for more critique.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An adventure to read.
*by G***T on March 22, 2022*

I’d read this book years ago when I was working in Jakarta. Reading it again is an exercise in exotic memories. I could smell the heated richness and desperation of its poor. The fetid canals, the sate, the clove cigarettes mixed with frangipani and dust. The sounds of the gamelan and the wuick

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*Product available on Desertcart Singapore*
*Store origin: SG*
*Last updated: 2026-02-17*