This satirical historical novel, set in 1856 on the Indonesian island of Java, a Dutch colony at the time, is based on the author's personal experience.

Dutch civil servant Max Havelaar attempts to end the ill treatment and oppression inflicted on the Javanese by the colonial administration and the corrupt coffee trade, but is defeated and resigns.

Eduard Douwes Dekker was born in Amsterdam in 1820. At the age of 19 he moved to Indonesia to work as a colonial official. His opposition to the corruption he witnessed led to his resignation. The publication of the novel, written as a denunciation of Dutch colonial policies, contributed significantly to social and parliamentary debate and eventually led to important adjustments.

Ena Jansen taught literature at the University of the Witwatersrand for 16 years. From 2002-2006 she was Professor of South African Literature at the University of Amsterdam and taught in the Department of Literature and Society at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She has also taught at the Universitas Indonesia. Her translation of Maria Dermoût's Die tienduisenddinge was published in 2022. Her other books include Soos familie. Stedelike huiswerkers in Suid-Afrikaanse tekste, translated into English as Like Family, domestic workers in South African history and literature (2019).