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Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury
I haven't seen ghosts, spirits and demons depicted in this way before. It's quite a fresh take as a way of unpacking a life lived alongside people who are responsible for huge amounts of human (and animal) suffering and bloodshed. As a person who rationalises his position taking pictures of heinous bloodshed, in the hopes that he can ruin the reputations of warmongers and bring end to conflict, he is both naïve and reckless.
As a retrospective, 40 years gives just about enough time between now and then for a look back at the political forces at play in Sri Lanka. The foreword is specific about it being a work of fiction, but certain contextual things are irrefutable history. Unpacking some of the ideas about racial frictions in the area, of the colonization and brutalization from various powers, over hundreds of years are myriad angry and frustrated or power-hungry spirits, some of whom plan revenge, or just hate on the living. They are cutting and profane in their expressions of contempt for living people and the history they have endured.
All this is counterpointed by some young dumb 20somethings – a rich jock brat, and his cousin and flatmate, a goth girl with a cynical outlook and artsy friends.
Maali has to decide whether he will go toward the light; will he stick around on Earth as an eternal spirit, remember past lives, or forget everything and be reborn.. will he trade his strength to the demons to get special powers allowing him to affect living humans!.. and are the nasty looking apparitions trying to trick him, or are the clean, white clad "Helpers" the ones who are stringing him along?
Cool book, but a bit hard going if you aren't ok with war reporting. Interesting revelations near the end and a fairly satisfying ending. Worth a read
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual harassment, War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
I can understand why this won a Booker Prize and I can agree with that but overall wasn’t my favourite book.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail