Dealing with SK (Shehan Karunathilaka)

 

My Life and Shehan Karunathilaka(SK)

My navigation of life with excessive personal life failures and book reading to fight through depression is countering loneliness. The role of SK's books in this context is the hype created in the public to his books since 2010 and after the 'Booker' win. Self-help and SK are like philosophy and real life. He reveals to us the modern-day paradoxes and mysteries of real life in a dystopian manner. 

My attitude toward reading anything shows that reading self-help and feeling upset for being a failure and reading SK and feeling envious of not having fun is a part of my lonely life now.

I'm not in a position to read books or at least review them. Unfortunately, I am doing it to reduce stress and to avoid my past failures and it is relaxing. And it updates my perspective.

Reading SK in 2023 and 2024 after a turbulent time since 2019 in Sri Lanka and also having a turbulent personal life as a reader unveils the readers of his books and myself as well to the realities of contemporary Sri Lanka since the 1980s.

After the Easter Sunday Bombings, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic crisis Sri Lanka is with a new political leadership after 76 years since independence.

Hence Sri Lanka has many stories to tell.

SK's writing and fiction are sarcastic, witty, and haunting.

SK is many things in one. He is an author, marketer, and a musician.

He only wrote a few books. They are as follows.

(01) Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew (2010)

(02) Chats with the Dead [CWTD] (2020) and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida [TSMOMA] (2022)

(03) The Birth Lottery and Other Surprises [TBL&OS] (2022)

SK wrote some children's books as well and the links for the relevant review are given below.

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2023/03/confessions-of-book-collector-art-of.html

My review will be mostly personal reflections and criticisms since for me reading is a personal journey inwards into the personal life of a human through another person into another perspective.

And also this review will be a combined review of his three fiction books for adults and will not analyze or review the books separately.

I have been obsessed with art since a child and I even did Art and English Literature for General Certificate of Education (G.C.E.) Ordinary Level (O/L) in the Sri Lankan education system and got through them with 'A' passes in 2007. I did G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) in the commerce stream in 2010 but did many co-curricular and extra-curricular activities with a dream of creating artwork in the future. 

I was marginally disqualified to a Sri Lankan campus and there onwards the downward spiral of my life begins. I got depressed. Followed many courses though didn't complete many and luckily ended up in a Licensed Commercial Bank. But I did watch many films and reviewed them in a blog. So I have been more of an 'Art' fan than a studious student since 2010.

I started a blog about book reading in 2017 and there was a post about the meaning of the word booker. The link is shared below and the text is given below.

Meaning of "Booker"


The meaning of "Booker" according to Collins Dictionary is..........




noun

1. a person who hires performers or performance companies

2. a bookkeeper

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2017/12/meaning-of-booker.html

My Sri Lankan English literature experience has been very superficial since 2010 and I liked how they represented westernization, Colombo, the high society of Sri Lanka and it was revealing. 

A comment on my view of a poetry collection is shared below.

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2018/08/glimpses-of-shattered-island-chulananda.html

My father purchased "Chinaman" in 2012 when I was doing Law in Colombo. I was depressed and kind of out of my mind those days so it was dusting in the tables and bookshelves at our home. I was not eager to read it.

My father thought it was a book about Chinese.

My copy is one of the oldest prints and one of the first editions of its kind.

I also purchased 'Chats with the Dead' (2020), the first version of TSMOMA (2022) in 2020. I wasn't eager to read it, either.

But when Shehan Karunathilaka won the Booker Prize in 2022 for his novel "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida", I was triggered to read it.

The Copy I have of "Chinaman" doesn't have all the awards it won or the praise by 'Salman Rushdie', It's that old.

Fragments of Cricket, Jokes, Philosophy, and the author's own views are visible when reading the novel.

I don't think people read after their twenties or after schooling because reading is actually boring. I was in the same mindset. But I changed with depression.

There was a certain hype for SK in Sri Lanka after the booker prize win.

Since book reading is a dying hobby and contemporaries would rather watch free YouTube, the impact of book writing on the world is obviously outdated. But since I was conditioned to reading I followed it up anyway. It was a good read. Screen time and reading have both of their shared negativities. So it's up to you to decide which is better.

I bought CWTD in 2020 just when it was released but was not interested in reading it until it won the Booker Prize in 2022 for TSMOMA.

There was an event organized by Sarsavi Bookshops - One Galle Face (OGF) branch on January 2023 and I participated in it just after the hype of 2022 Aragalaya which allowed participants to meet SK.

A brief summary of the event as a short note is given below with pictures as well.

10 am to 10. 24 am - I purchased a copy and waited in the audience until the event was set by the organizers.

10. 45 am - Shehan arrived.

Discussion points during the event

Intro. about Shehan Karunatilaka.

About the Booker Prize.

Studied English lit. Against the parent's wish.

He was interested in reading when he was young.

It is quite normal not to know what you are doing in your 20s.

1980's Sri Lankan English literature is not prominent. But after the gratien trust in the 1990 Sri Lankan English literature had a boost.

Advertising, music, and copyright have a shadow on the writing of Shehan Karunatilaka.

Fast-paced arc in the story. So much happening in the story.

Research related to the book. - > Dante's inferno, Eastern philosophy, and afterlife bureaucracy are self-made, his favorite part of writing.

Shehan's books are clearly not logical or sober sometimes. But they are narrative techniques to show you the nature of life in my opinion.

Why I think anyone would read a prize-winning book is that they know it is reviewed by the best authoritative figures globally for literature and hence it is something readable and valuable.

And I think as a Sri Lankan these books are something worthwhile.

Personal reflections on BOOKER win and SK's Fiction

It's a rare occasion according to my knowledge where a book has a rebirth with a different cover, title, and several amendments and goes to win the 'Booker' prize. It's a milestone achievement for Sri Lanka after 30 years (The English Patient)

I met SK in 2023 Jan, but read his first novel in 2023 Dec during my annual leave. I read TSMOMA in 2024 April during the Sinhala New Year holidays. SK is now a global phenomenon. Besides my life going haywire and my career at the brink of destruction as a banker, I thoroughly enjoyed the two eccentric protagonists of his two books.

The prices of the books changed drastically during the period of nomination and after the win. I purchased a copy when the book was shortlisted which was highly priced and later purchased a book at a book signing event where the prices were lower. Maybe to attract a larger readership. (Both purchased from SARASAVI)

A free illegal PDF was released and circulated on WhatsApp the day after the booker won. It improved the marketing of the book and created kind of a buzz.

Below is a post shared on SK's social media pages related to the above matter.

when I first met SK in 2023 Jan. I hadn't read any of his fiction. I was inspired and interested in his win in the Booker Prizes 2022. He was on a book tour in Sri Lanka and had a discussion in Sarasavi OGF. It was free and many other advertised book reading and discussion events were ticket based. I went on the train and went to the event and got the book signed. SK seems like a down-to-earth guy. And talented with his words. This is where I bought the lower-priced version of his book.

Chinaman and TSMOMA were read at a pivotal time in my country and my personal life. Both shed light on the current negative state of the country's violent politics and the breaking down of SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket).

Thematically I don't think SK is traditional literature and I think he is more of a contemporary figure who is changing the course of fiction.

SK rejects traditional storytelling and his trademark is innovative storytelling techniques and new narrative styles.

One of the major aspects I noticed of SK and his fiction is the clash with the traditional norms of society. 

As a conservative, traditional, introvert who lives in suburban Gampaha, this novel and the protagonist was a hectic and eccentric reading experience.

As a person who reads for the sake of reading and who prefers safety and conservatism, SK is not your traditional author. 

As a blind follower of self-help and also of fiction books because they reflect reality, according to Stephen Covey (Renowned self-help author) everything you do should be based on a 'win-win' situation. How I made SK's fiction reading a win-win by enjoying the language and his talented words.

What SK is doing through his fiction is unmasking Sri Lanka from his own perspective.

Many of his books reveal the cautionary nature of the human tendency to have too much fun.

The pulp literature vibe of SK is far ahead since he can mix many aspects of life and its meanings to the readers with the Sri Lankan 'third class' or petty experiences.

MOTM and TSMOMA both published in 2022 are a counter-cultural attack on the Buddhist and the religious aspects of Sri Lanka by being manipulative and independent in both history and concepts.

A review of MOTM is shared below.

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-siddhartha-from-parallel-universe.html

As Buddhists in Sri Lanka, many tend to print Buddhist books for free as a sharing of Buddhist knowledge during Buddhist sermons at their homes. My family also did it once for an almsgiving of one of my grandparents. Many books elaborate on merits to be done to get rid of a bad birth in next life or the ways of stopping rebirth. This book is a countercultural punch for the modern and post-modern (philosophically) Buddhists and allows a rethinking of what life has to offer as a ghost through fiction.

Diaspora loves this book because of its Westernized content and the posh protagonist. And also the anti-Sri Lankan army sentiment of the novel. Sri Lankan Diaspora has increased in number with the large number of people leaving since 2020.

Readers meet the characters of Chinaman in TSMOMA.

In the book Chinaman English book and the Sinhala translation there was a slight difference in adding a picture in the inception of each chapter.

TSMOMA novel created a resurgence of the memories of my visit to Helga's Folly anti-hotel residence in Kandy, the English film Ghost (1990), the Sinhalese teledrama Giju from 1992, and the Sinhalese film U-TURN (2019).

After watching Ted-Ed videos I was exposed to the literary techniques of Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe which are also present in TSMOMA.

While being spiritual and magical about both cricket, life, and the afterlife the fiction of SK also unveils us to the negative energy that drives the Colombo urban world is magically reflected by the author in his two books. This is a great book to enjoy the sub-cultural and counter-cultural aspects of Colombo. But the length of both books is very intimidating.

Chinaman and TSMOMA do focus on the meaninglessness of our value systems.

TSMOMA is comparatively different but is kind of a cunning marketing of a Sri Lankan political disaster to sell it as a detective story and a social commentary and put SK in the global literary spotlight.

SK is a marketeer so his playing with words is obviously powerful and it is evident when reading the book.

One of the biggest problems that occurred to me during the hype of the book was did TSMOMA triggered officials to find the criminals of the Sri Lankan past?

I also drafted a story of an incident in the Sri Lankan 1980s and I really enjoyed playing cricket when I was young.

The below link is the draft of my short story.

'The Fascist'

https://daysofmylifeupdated.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-fascist-short-story.html

Due to my depression, I felt alienated and TSMOMA felt mutual. During 2017 before the publication of this book I had the urge to go inside the Lionel Wendt and Galle Face Courts to check, which I actually did.

There are a lot of half-truths about places, people, and scenarios of the SL past in this book and that is the iconic style of SK. 

E.g.:- Politicians, Galle face Courts, Lionel Wendt

My opinion on the 'Aragalaya' 2022 was negative. But in 2024 the results have been fulfilled by the people mandate and it shows that it was fruitful.

Many Sri Lankan artists supported the Aragalaya or the struggle during the year 2022 and SK also supported it during an interview in the US. His book reflects Sri Lankan political turmoil during the 1980's and 1990's. His booker win was dedicated to a peaceful Sri Lanka during his acceptance speech. This is the first time a Sri Lankan has won a booker price and the hype created during the year 2022 September was immense. Hence I was obsessed with the celebrity status of this writer and purchased many of his books during that period.

The below youtube video shows SK and his support for Aragalaya.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wys4PZEI80&t=263s

Nationalists despise this book. It was evident in many social media platforms as well as the literature circles in Sri Lanka. There were a lot of negative criticisms of this book and also blamed it for being actual literature.

below are some links.

https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2022/10/30/booker-prize-chattel-slavery-sugar-its-politics-and-sri-lanka/

https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2022/11/15/booker-prize-and-dissecting-seven-moons-of-maali-almeida-part-ii-second-moon/

https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2022/11/12/seven-moons-of-maali-almeida-by-shehan-karunatilaka/

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/a-contrarian-review-the-seven-moons-of-maali-almeida/

https://literaryreview.co.uk/dead-man-talking

book released during the Aragalaya protests in 2022 was a social protest magical realism novel depicting the dark past of SL. But it supports MR and also has a black-humor vibe.

The novel had artificial hype and a big discourse surrounding creating SK into a celebrity globally.

But in my opinion, I like his books.

When studying the narrative threads of Sri Lanka it was obvious that simple interpretations of the Sri Lankan psyche presented by SK is much more truer than Many of the other SL writers present to SL readers and audiences. Hence I feel like adding his two novels to the Sri Lankan education system would be a better to give a broader perspective for SL literature students.

purposely being superficial about Sri Lankan aspects and cultural aspects does make it unique. It's like a reflection of the Sri Lankan middle class and the high-class societies.

selfish attitudes of the Sri Lankan middle class are exposed sarcastically in this book. It was what drove the modern world after the 1950s in the local and foreign context.

The way SK drafted his characters is cartoonish and one-dimensional which makes his fiction colorful.

Controversial nature is embedded in this novel. I get the same feeling of disgust for relying on the Westernization of this novel as I felt when reading 'Thambi Mudiyanse' which was vice-versa. The link for the review of 'Thambi Mudiyanse' is shared below.

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2023/05/thambi-mudiyanse-dharma-sri-kariyawasam.html

https://bookerreadsdaily.blogspot.com/2023/05/75.html

TSMOMA can be considered in the subgenre of 'queer literature'. The novel TSMOMA is not for the faint of heart. It is vulgar and scary.

Much of SK's fiction focuses on dysfunctional family dynamics which will be a very good learning experience for unmarried and younger readers during schooling and their twenties.

My Booker prize-winning reading experiences are as follows.

(01) The English Patient : Michael Ondaatje sinhalese translation as ආගන්තුක රොගියා : පරිවර්තනය : කේ. එන්. ඕ. පේරේරා

(02) Life of Pi by Yann Martel

(03) TSMOMA by SK

SK and his selling of high-priced Sri Lankan English literature books by creating a big book-selling business show his skills in bookselling. I was also attracted to this marketing.

SK does not focus on the lives of the lower tiers of Sri Lanka or the village life. Rather he only focuses on the upper middle class and high class Sri Lankan social tiers.

SK's fiction is illogical and unsober. Filled with meaninglessness. Authoritative and clear but due to the illogical nature of the story and the endless writing book becomes filled with unnecessary facts.

book exposes the readers to the worst thoughts of a human being and it shows that it would have been banned in Sri Lanka. But it is not. It is one of the darkest aspects of human nature revealed by the author.

This fiction especially TSMOMA and TBL&OS can be considered as a black hole of SK taking your positivity about being stuck in Sri Lanka away from you.

SK expands his universe in his new books both TSMOMA and TBL&OS. But they both feel like listening to or watching the news or reading newspapers because both of them are like gossip and pulp fiction.

With the rise of chat GPT since 2022 besides these books, I'll stick to classics due to authenticity-related factors.