The Sandglass
by Romesh Gunesekera
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Description
Already hailed as "intricate and compelling" by the Times Literary Supplement, The Sandglass is a striking novel by Sri Lankan author Romesh Gunesekera, a 1994 Booker Prize finalist for his first novel, Reef. Set in London where the Sri Lankan narrator lives, The Sandglass tells the story of two feuding families whose lives are interlinked by the changing fortunes of postcolonial Sri Lanka. In a beautifully constructed work that moves back and forth between two physical and temporal poles, show more Gunesekera brings to life Prins Ducal and his search for answers about his family's past in Sri Lanka, including his father's rise to wealth, rivalry with the Vatunas family, and a suspect death-a mystery that further unfolds upon Prins's arrival in London for his mother's funeral. Weaving together themes of memory, exile, and postcolonial upheaval, Gunesekera has written a book Marie Claire calls "utterly engaging. . . . Romantic, mysterious, and laced with a sense of yearning. . . . A heady mix of 1990s London and postwar Sri Lanka." show lessTags
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Member Reviews
He has a unique voice and, though I didn’t enjoy this as much as his first novel, The Reef, it was an enjoyable book because I find his prose sensual and evocative…he is a master of the evanescent thought, the evanescent moment. This is the history of two families in Sri Lanka but the book is really more a set of musings on the passage of time and its implications for mortality. Gunesekera also gives plenty of food for thought on the meaning of identity and, especially, of exile.
Prins returns to come to his Mother's funeral, and to find out some answers. The narrator is a family friend who lived with Pearl, the family's matriach. The action moves between London and Sri Lanka, where the family is from, and from the runup to Independence throught to the present day.
At times the book reminded me of The God of Small Things, which I read recently and also enjoyed greatly.
At times the book reminded me of The God of Small Things, which I read recently and also enjoyed greatly.
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Author Information
11+ Works 933 Members
Awards and Honors
Awards
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- The Sandglass
- Original publication date
- 1998
- Important places*
- Sri Lanka
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 103
- Popularity
- 313,135
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (2.60)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 11
- ASINs
- 3
