Shehan Karunatilaka’s novel, Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew - which won the Michael Ondaatje-established and well-respected Gratiaen Prize (for English writing by a resident Sri Lankan) as far back as 2008 but was only published outside the island nation this year - is about far more than cricket. But, he added, it’s not really about cricket cricket is merely the window-dressing for this “contender for the title of The Great Sri Lankan Novel”, as a Sunday Times reviewer dubbed it. As he admits himself, he doesn’t know the difference between a googly and a doosra. When my friend and A Case of Exploding Mangoes author Mohammed Hanif glowingly recommended this debut novel to me, he told me I would enjoy it because it revolves around cricket, a game I frequently obsess about, unlike him.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |