De stille kracht

by Louis Couperus

"De stille kracht" by Louis Couperus is a novel published in 1900. Set in colonial Java, it follows Dutch resident Otto van Oudijck, whose ordered world begins to unravel. His young wife Léonie carries on secret affairs, mysterious supernatural forces plague his household with unexplained phenomena, and he clashes with local Javanese authorities by ignoring traditional customs. As family betrayals surface and inexplicable events intensify, Van Oudijck's confidence crumbles, forcing him to confront a "silent force" more powerful than colonial authority.