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A review by goldencages
A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The prose of A Passage North is incredible. Lyrical, profound, and though adorned with long sentences (there were no short sentences, I swear), always comfortable to read. Anuk Arudpragasam has a way with words that makes them flow so seamlessly together, even when strung together to lengthy observations about a world ravaged by war and violence, grief, and heartbreak. On that note, his observations were so astute, picking up tiny details that usually only remain in our subconscious; I have a lot of respect for how he put them all into words.
As for the story, it reads itself like one continuous inner monologue as Krishan, the main character, makes his way up to the north of Sri Lanka, grappling with the ways the war has shaped him and the people around him, in manners that are both more and less obvious. I found the story sometimes to be too meandering, and I don't think it's for everybody, but overall it draws a haunting portrayal of grief, of (collective) trauma, and of human capacity for coping.
As for the story, it reads itself like one continuous inner monologue as Krishan, the main character, makes his way up to the north of Sri Lanka, grappling with the ways the war has shaped him and the people around him, in manners that are both more and less obvious. I found the story sometimes to be too meandering, and I don't think it's for everybody, but overall it draws a haunting portrayal of grief, of (collective) trauma, and of human capacity for coping.