Scan barcode
A review by booksonadventures
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Let me introduce you to Maali Almeida: Photographer. Gambler. Slut.
💫Gist: When war photographer Maali Almeida dies, he finds himself suspended in a purgatory, where he has seven moons to get his affairs in order and advance to the afterlife. Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple. As Maali struggles to remember how he died, his living friends rush to find and publish potentially explosive photos that expose corruption of NGOs, rebels, and the Sri Lankan divestment.
I have never read a book that more creatively encapsulates the impacts of colonization. As our macabre narrator floats around the afterlife, he illustrates the futility of moral superiority when the game has been rigged against you. From casino floors to guerilla war camps, how much control do we ever truly have over our own destiny? Not to suggest we should succumb to despair... but instead, find peace in a "pointless cause to live for" (and do as little harm as possible along the way).
Anyway, if your idea of coping with mortality is cracking jokes... this may be the book for you. Maali brings top-notch sarcastic humor and a promise that "the universe does not care what you do with your meat suit." Karunatilaka has a snappy and satirical writing style that spares no one from critique.
Bonus points for the introspection of Sri Lankan ethos, although our book club agreed we'd like more descriptions of the country itself!
Final thoughts: ❤️ Loved.
💫Gist: When war photographer Maali Almeida dies, he finds himself suspended in a purgatory, where he has seven moons to get his affairs in order and advance to the afterlife. Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple. As Maali struggles to remember how he died, his living friends rush to find and publish potentially explosive photos that expose corruption of NGOs, rebels, and the Sri Lankan divestment.
I have never read a book that more creatively encapsulates the impacts of colonization. As our macabre narrator floats around the afterlife, he illustrates the futility of moral superiority when the game has been rigged against you. From casino floors to guerilla war camps, how much control do we ever truly have over our own destiny? Not to suggest we should succumb to despair... but instead, find peace in a "pointless cause to live for" (and do as little harm as possible along the way).
Anyway, if your idea of coping with mortality is cracking jokes... this may be the book for you. Maali brings top-notch sarcastic humor and a promise that "the universe does not care what you do with your meat suit." Karunatilaka has a snappy and satirical writing style that spares no one from critique.
Bonus points for the introspection of Sri Lankan ethos, although our book club agreed we'd like more descriptions of the country itself!
Final thoughts: ❤️ Loved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Homophobia, War, Suicide, Police brutality, and Murder