This book is the second exceptional book that I enjoyed reading this year.Most of Srilankan fiction talks about the atrocities of the civil war and I This book is the second exceptional book that I enjoyed reading this year.Most of Srilankan fiction talks about the atrocities of the civil war and I wanted to read something different that would also lay bare the soul and spirit of the island nation . ******************* Snehan Karunatilaka actually does that by giving us a telescopic view of Srilanka through the eyes of cricket fanatic,aged and retired sports journalist and dying alcoholic Mr.W.G Karunasena ,lovingly called Gamini by his wife Sheila and best friend Ari Byrd.Once ,he realises he has only a few days on planet Earth ,he decides to spend his remaining days writing a book on elusive cricketeer Pradeep Matthews ,who he feels is the best spinner the world has ever produced ,an unsung hero whose records have been vengefully erased and who has disappeared from public life since 1995 .His search for Matthews is the backbone for the entire story and it is ironic because in the process Gamini tries to search for his heart and spirit which he lost to alcohol many years ago.I love the fact that the author effortlessly has interweaved a friendship between two old men that has lasted over decades ,a rivalry between two old men,a marriage that still has a lot of love in it inspite of a lot of wear and tear over the years in the form of dead hopes and unfulfilled expectations and Srilankan cricket history into the story.We also have a midget,cricketing syndicates,caste differences, bombings ,cricketing anecdotes and the LTTE all thrown into the story.He cleverly shows the reader the quirks and behavior of Srilankan society at various levels. The writing is philosophical,humorous and cheeky in many places and we realise halfway through that the writer loves his cricket and his country.One can sense the writer's sadness when Gamini says that whatever the difference between the Tamilians and Sinhalese ,it is not so big that they have to shoot bullets at each other or burn down libraries or his disappointment when another character Johnny says that this is a beautiful country but you are going to destroy it. This book is a celebration of cricket and Srilanka as a nation .Don't miss it if you are a die hard cricket fan...more
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