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4.0 AVERAGE
4.0 AVERAGE
This book brought so much to the table including historical events and figures, realistic world views from many perspectives, an lgbt story, a morally complex protagonist, and many more interesting facets. I loved the portrayal of the after life, a very different concept than what I’ve heard of before. The story had some aspects which moved me emotionally, but I can’t say that I would feel completely sad or completely happy in those moments; it was usually a mix of both, which just further pushed the book’s theme of moving forward and letting go.
A tip for future readers: it may be useful to you to keep a list of characters, because there are so many that you’re introduced to and many of them are very prominent throughout the story.
A tip for future readers: it may be useful to you to keep a list of characters, because there are so many that you’re introduced to and many of them are very prominent throughout the story.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Absolutely fabulous audiobook version, the main character was so charming and funny, even though the subject matter is at times horrific it didn't feel like hard going.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
"We must all find pointless causes to live for, or why bother with breath?"
Shehan Karunatilaka's novel opens on your first day (aka your first moon) as a dead man. Your name is Maali Almeida, and you self-describe as a photographer, gambler, queer, and slut. You have no idea why you are dead and how it happened. And you only have seven moons to understand why you're stuck in purgatory and figure out your unfinished business - and possibly, your killers' identity - if you want to enter the Light.
Told in the second person and set in an afterlife that looks like a low-functioning minister's office, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is a Cubist portrait of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
The author's storytelling combines the violence of a corrupt country with a magical afterlife. I found it mesmerizing how he manages to describe the ordinary nature of human evilness. The book is both harsh, funny, and sweet at times. It comes in pieces of Maali's memories, sewed in the actions he takes during his seven moons to put his life's jigsaw puzzle together.
To be honest, this is an incredible piece of fiction. I won't say that it was always an easy read. I felt like the first 100 pages flew and then I was stuck for a while. In its second half, the book speeds up, straight to a satisfying ending.
On a final note, the opening is one of the best of the last decades. The Booker Prize was truly deserved.
Shehan Karunatilaka's novel opens on your first day (aka your first moon) as a dead man. Your name is Maali Almeida, and you self-describe as a photographer, gambler, queer, and slut. You have no idea why you are dead and how it happened. And you only have seven moons to understand why you're stuck in purgatory and figure out your unfinished business - and possibly, your killers' identity - if you want to enter the Light.
Told in the second person and set in an afterlife that looks like a low-functioning minister's office, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida is a Cubist portrait of the Sri Lankan Civil War.
The author's storytelling combines the violence of a corrupt country with a magical afterlife. I found it mesmerizing how he manages to describe the ordinary nature of human evilness. The book is both harsh, funny, and sweet at times. It comes in pieces of Maali's memories, sewed in the actions he takes during his seven moons to put his life's jigsaw puzzle together.
To be honest, this is an incredible piece of fiction. I won't say that it was always an easy read. I felt like the first 100 pages flew and then I was stuck for a while. In its second half, the book speeds up, straight to a satisfying ending.
On a final note, the opening is one of the best of the last decades. The Booker Prize was truly deserved.
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
holy shit! as close to a perfect book as it gets! so exciting and fascinating and had me intrigued the whole time