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Graphic: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, War
Moderate: Homophobia, Torture
Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
— Все едно вярата в Бога или кармата те прави добър.
— Съгласен съм, другарю Патхирана. Всички ние сме диваци, без значение пред какво коленичим.
Не виждам смисъл да повтарям анотацията, затова просто бих казала, че обективно е добре написана книга. Разказва се във второ лице, което допринася за добре контролирания хаос и за объркването от това, че главният герой е дух и не помни част от спомените си - включително кой и как го е убил.
Въпреки фактът, че иде реч за духове и задгробен живот, книгата беше реалистична до мозъка на костите. Недовършените нишки; информацията, която живите никога няма да научат; точната доза горчилка; финалът...
Не съм много запозната с историята на Шри Ланка, но научих много за политическия климат по това време. Цялата картина беше жива и динамична, изпъстрена с толкова различни фракции, които разкъсват цялата страна.
Определено е една от онези книги, върху които има нужда човек да помисли след като е прочел.
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Violence, War
Moderate: Drug abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Suicide, Colonisation
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, Abandonment
I quite enjoyed the writing style and the elements of magical realism. The narrative was challenging and even brutal at times, but very much captivating.
I have to admit that I generally struggle with unlikeable characters (especially if they are the main characters) but this is a rare case in which I actually appreciated all of these flawed and at times even unpleasant people, they felt very real and well-rounded in their portrayal.
I also liked that the story is deeply grounded in Sri Lankan history but the narration is not weighed down with long-winded explanatory paragraphs (which I really do not like in fiction as they stand out too much and interrupt the narrative flow), the reader has to pick up pieces of historical information as the narration progresses and/or do further reasearch by themself.
I also want to mention that the final revelation of Maali's fate left me completely stunned, I was speechless, floored, I still cannot believe it, it was truly a plot twist that I did not see coming and it landed like a punch to the stomach.
Some episodes/sections left me a bit perplexed
Because, on reflection, once you have seen your own face and recognized the color of your eyes, tasted the air and smelled the soil, drunk from the purest fountains and the dirtiest wells, that is the kindest thing you can say abut life. It's not nothing.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Slavery, Excrement, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
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: 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
Giving major Cantik itu luka/Beauty is a wound vibes: magical realism at the height of violence of the civil war.
A must read for anyone wanting to know more about one of the bloodiest civil wars of the 20th century.
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Abandonment