Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Anil's Ghost gets five stars from me because it's beautiful. Ondaatje's prose, the nuances he affects as well as the information that he does not give us lend magic to this glimpse into the lives of a few people during Sri Lanka's civil war. Sometimes, people need to invent endings to make peace and move on--and Mr. Ondaatje requires his readers to do that a bit here, as well. I care enough about the characters to be able to do that for them.
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Check out my blog! http://libellus.weebly.com/blog/review-anils-ghost
Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
Sept-Oct 2017
3/5
*Read for my IB level A English class
Awards: Scotiabank Giller Prize (2000), Prix Médicis Étranger (2000), Kiriyama Prize for Fiction (2000), Irish Times International Fiction Prize (2001)
French translation: Le fantôme d’Anil
Summary
Anil’s Ghost transports us to Sri Lanka, a country steeped in centuries of tradition, now forced into the late twentieth century by the ravages of civil war. Into this maelstrom steps Anil Tissera, a young woman born in Sri Lanka, educated in England and America, who returns to her homeland as a forensic anthropologist sent by an international human rights group to discover the source of the organized campaigns of murder engulfing the island. What follows is a story about love, about family, about identity, about the unknown enemy, about the quest to unlock the hidden past–a story propelled by a riveting mystery. Unfolding against the deeply evocative background of Sri Lanka’s landscape and ancient civilization, Anil’s Ghost is a literary spellbinder–Michael Ondaatje’s most powerful novel yet. -- Goodreads
My review
Do not let the summary fool you. Anil’s Ghost is not an action-heavy thriller with gangsters, stakeouts and break-ins. It is a quiet novel, and therefore probably much more historically accurate. Anil’s Ghost is all about the people of Sri Lanka. The novel focuses much more on the past lives of Anil and her acolytes than on the denunciation of government or of the Tigers of Eelam. Through the various characters, the scientists, the husband, the brother, the artist, the miner… you experience the impact of war on every social class. I would’ve loved more backstory on the conflict in Sri Lanka which remains fairly unheard of, in North America at least. The reader also dives deep in pre-war memories from some characters, partly to show the massive change of personality and mentalities once the war starts, but most of the characters were already broken from the start. Sri Lanka is portrayed as a beautiful country with rich resources, but its beauty was corrupted by humans. The characters are fleshed out and complex. The plot is predictable and slow. One might argue that it was Ondaatje’s intention to make it so (and they would be right). However, in a book that presents itself as a murder-mystery, it was underwhelming. There is so much foreshadowing throughout the novel, and it is not subtle at all. Ondaatje’s writing style is reminiscent of the French naturalists. Miss one line, and you will get lost. He writes almost minute by minute, movement by movement of not only the characters but also of the surrounding nature. He describes with such casualty the cruelties of war. I remember reading a line about a doctor staying awake for days on end, covered in blood, high on drugs, just to keep up with the flow of victims coming in the hospital. It was so banal that it almost wasn’t shocking to read. If there is one thing that this novel does amazingly is portrayed the horrors of war. Overall, it was not a terrible read, but it had the potential to go so much further than it did. A little less description, more action and the same character development would’ve given this book another full star.
If you liked Anil’s Ghost, then you will love…
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
To Kill A Mockingbird #1 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje
Sept-Oct 2017
3/5
*Read for my IB level A English class
Awards: Scotiabank Giller Prize (2000), Prix Médicis Étranger (2000), Kiriyama Prize for Fiction (2000), Irish Times International Fiction Prize (2001)
French translation: Le fantôme d’Anil
Summary
Anil’s Ghost transports us to Sri Lanka, a country steeped in centuries of tradition, now forced into the late twentieth century by the ravages of civil war. Into this maelstrom steps Anil Tissera, a young woman born in Sri Lanka, educated in England and America, who returns to her homeland as a forensic anthropologist sent by an international human rights group to discover the source of the organized campaigns of murder engulfing the island. What follows is a story about love, about family, about identity, about the unknown enemy, about the quest to unlock the hidden past–a story propelled by a riveting mystery. Unfolding against the deeply evocative background of Sri Lanka’s landscape and ancient civilization, Anil’s Ghost is a literary spellbinder–Michael Ondaatje’s most powerful novel yet. -- Goodreads
My review
Do not let the summary fool you. Anil’s Ghost is not an action-heavy thriller with gangsters, stakeouts and break-ins. It is a quiet novel, and therefore probably much more historically accurate. Anil’s Ghost is all about the people of Sri Lanka. The novel focuses much more on the past lives of Anil and her acolytes than on the denunciation of government or of the Tigers of Eelam. Through the various characters, the scientists, the husband, the brother, the artist, the miner… you experience the impact of war on every social class. I would’ve loved more backstory on the conflict in Sri Lanka which remains fairly unheard of, in North America at least. The reader also dives deep in pre-war memories from some characters, partly to show the massive change of personality and mentalities once the war starts, but most of the characters were already broken from the start. Sri Lanka is portrayed as a beautiful country with rich resources, but its beauty was corrupted by humans. The characters are fleshed out and complex. The plot is predictable and slow. One might argue that it was Ondaatje’s intention to make it so (and they would be right). However, in a book that presents itself as a murder-mystery, it was underwhelming. There is so much foreshadowing throughout the novel, and it is not subtle at all. Ondaatje’s writing style is reminiscent of the French naturalists. Miss one line, and you will get lost. He writes almost minute by minute, movement by movement of not only the characters but also of the surrounding nature. He describes with such casualty the cruelties of war. I remember reading a line about a doctor staying awake for days on end, covered in blood, high on drugs, just to keep up with the flow of victims coming in the hospital. It was so banal that it almost wasn’t shocking to read. If there is one thing that this novel does amazingly is portrayed the horrors of war. Overall, it was not a terrible read, but it had the potential to go so much further than it did. A little less description, more action and the same character development would’ve given this book another full star.
If you liked Anil’s Ghost, then you will love…
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
To Kill A Mockingbird #1 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
Loved the subplots but little confusing honestly loved the way of tying things together just not sure if I got all the tie ins.
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While Anil's Ghost feels just a little bit slimmer than Ondaatje's other great works, that doesn't keep it from being gorgeously, carefully written, with memorable characters and a fascinating, well-told story.
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated