[5] The novel met with mixed reviews after its publication in Poedjangga Baroe, and was widely criticised on two grounds: that the storyline was highly improbable since the characters acted differently from normal people; and that the story was immoral.

[5] The plot, a love triangle between a doctor, his wife, and his mistress, was considered new and very shocking to many Indonesians, particularly so since the novel stops short of assigning blame.

Pane applied the technique of interior monologue and used elliptical dots and dashes following incomplete sentences to indicate the doubts and uncertainties assailing a modern educated Indonesian man.

Barang Tidak Berharga (A Worthless Thing), published in 1935, was similar in subject matter and tone, while Tudjuan Hidup (Life's Purpose), also written in 1935, is about a young woman's search for the courage to face a lonely future.

[5] A. Teeuw notes that many of the plays written during this period differ from Pane's earlier works in their idealism and the lack of confusion and inner problems demonstrated by the characters.

[4] During the 1950s he helped establish several cultural institutions and organisations, and also published a history of the Chinese since the nineteenth century, and a book on the development of the Indonesian language.