Monumental Java

Scheltema, J. F. (Johann Friedrich ), 1855-1922Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 497K words
Chapters: 50

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Monumental Java by J. F. ScheltemaAuthor: Scheltema, J. F. (Johann Friedrich ), 1855-1922,Language: English, Class: N: Fine Arts, Release Date: Mar 24, 2013

Editor's review

This book is an early English monograph on the ancient architectural remains of Java. The author, J. F. Scheltema, records in meticulous detail the forms, carvings, and religious backgrounds of well-known sites such as Borobudur and Prambanan. As an observational record from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, its value lies not in providing the latest archaeological conclusions but in preserving an on-site description with the perspective of its time, allowing readers to sense how early European scholars understood classical Southeast Asian civilization. The writing style is rather academic, with many illustrations and technical terms, making it suitable as supplementary material for architectural history, religious art, and the history of colonial-era scholarship. It should be read as a primary source rather than a guidebook; comparing it with modern archaeological research will better reveal the weight and limitations of its descriptions. For readers who want to understand the early research context of Java's cultural heritage, this is an e-text of historical significance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students studying ancient Southeast Asian architecture and religious art
Culture enthusiasts interested in Javanese sites such as Borobudur and Prambanan
Researchers concerned with colonial-era scholarship and early field records
University readers who need original English documents for course reference

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for the latest archaeological conclusions and precise survey data
General travelers who prefer light travelogues or illustrated guidebook-style reading
Readers with limited English reading ability who need a Chinese translation

Reading tips

First read the table of contents and illustration captions to build an overall impression of the sites' spatial and chapter structure.
Read alongside modern works on Javanese architecture, marking judgments in the book that are limited by its era.
Prepare a glossary of place names and religious terms to reduce the reading difficulty caused by English proper nouns.
Take notes chapter by chapter according to site, recording similarities and differences between descriptive details and modern research.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as a guidebook before traveling to Java?

Not really. It is an early academic record with the perspective of its time and lacks modern transportation, opening information, and the latest research findings. For travel preparation, it is advisable to use it alongside contemporary guidebooks, treating this book as supplementary material for understanding the history of research on the sites.

Is the content of the book outdated?

Some descriptions and judgments are limited by the era in which the author lived, and there are now new conclusions on issues such as archaeological dating and religious affiliation. However, the on-site observations of site forms and carving subjects still have historical value and should be read in comparison with modern research rather than as an authoritative basis on their own.

Can I read this book with a basic command of English?

This book is an original English work with many technical terms and long sentences, posing a certain barrier for non-specialist readers. It is recommended to have intermediate or higher English reading ability and to use glossaries and modern Chinese research materials for support; otherwise, readers may easily lose the thread among proper nouns and architectural descriptions.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Scheltema, J. F. (Johann Friedrich ), 1855-1922 Author · Dutch · 1855–1922

Johann Friedrich Scheltema (1855–1922) was a Dutch author whose dates are recorded in the library's holdings; other details of his life, such as education, profession, and honors, are limited in publicly available sources. He wrote in English, and his representative work is Monumental Java, of which the library holds one title. The book deals with the ancient buildings and sculptural remains of the island of Java and belongs to the literature introducing local historical and cultural monuments. Its style leans toward firsthand observation and description, with attention to the form and historical background of the remains. Among English-language works of its kind, it offers readers a relatively systematic reference for understanding Java's ancient civilization, and it is still mentioned and cited by readers interested in Southeast Asian art and archaeology.