Reef

Brilliant. A first novel and a Booker finalist. Writing that captivates. Gunesekera is, to my mind, an absolute master of those moments in life that are fleeting and indescribable; of a moment between two people. Of the evanescent, as I wrote above. I cannot think of anyone I have ever read who does it better. There is an exquisiteness, a tenderness, a stunning beauty to his images. Ostensibly the story of a houseboy in Sri Lanka, it becomes the story of two lives inextricably woven into the tragedy of the civil war in that country. As with Sandglass, above, it is a deep, unforgettable reflection on the passage of time, chances taken and chances lost, on identity, and of exile. Just stunning.

An eleven-year-old boy was delivered by his uncle to the house of a wealthy man in Sri Lanka after a bungled coup. The master of the house, Ranjan Salgado, accepted this boy Triton as one of his houseboys. Not happy being in the shadow of a more senior houseboy, Triton decided to do what he could to elevate his position within the household and was overjoyed when he finally reached the status of cook.

I wasn’t sure at first that this novel had any coherent plot. As I worked my way through the story, though, I realized that it was not one of action but rather of developing interrelationships. Most of the narrative dealt with the everyday lives of Triton, Mr. Salgado, Mr. Salgado’s girlfriend Nili, and Mr. Salgado’s close friend show more Dias. In the background were rumblings of impending political upheaval. This always seemed more shadowy than real. As the story began to draw to a close and not much had happened yet, I was beginning to wonder what I had missed. Finally, and it wasn’t until the last few pages of this book, I understood the direction of the story and came to appreciate its underlying beauty. show less

It's a book of "memory and imagination ... how you work out who you are and why you're there ..." (Romesh's words) and the characters have taken up residence in my head.

The story is a long flashback, narrated by a Sri Lankan restauranteur living in London after a late night encounter with a compatriot at a petrol station. Triton recalls his life as a houseboy in the employ of Mr. Salgado, an aristocratic dilettante, and how he gradually takes over the running of the household. Triton observes and puzzles over Salgado's relationship with the unconventional Nili, and does his best to lubricate the friendship with wonderous offerings of food (the love cake with extra eggs and freshest butter, the beautiful parrot fish, and of course the show more Christmas turkey).

It's a novel of great charm and beauty. show less

A thoughtful, sympathetic story of the spoliation of the beautiful island of Sri Lanka, renowned first for its coral, but then for its bitter civil war. And the tender, amusing, sad then possibly hopeful love story of Mister Salgado; all told through the eyes of Triton, the 11 year old houseboy, who you come to realise has his own story as he progresses, through luck, determination, Salgado's guidance and self education, to become a a restaurant owner in Earls Court. Triton had managed to break 'all the old taboos' and freed himself from the 'demons' of his past.
The story is sensuous, its interweaving themes brought together through detailed depictions of cooking, whether it is preparing the exotic parrot fish or love cake, or the show more triumphant mastering of the Xmas turkey. show less

What a great wee book, told through the eyes of the 'houseboy', through his recipes and interaction with the other characters.

The post colonial history of Sri Lanka told through food. Political events loom in the background as the kitchen takes the stage. National disruption is mirrored by disruption in the home through the introduction of a woman into bachelor domaine run smoothly by the house boy. A sad ending is inevitable.

Reef focuses on three main characters: the wealthy and intellectual socialite Mr. Salgado, his thoroughly modern girlfriend Nili and Triton, Mr. Salgado's teenage manservant who is also the book's narrator. The book was described as a coming of age tale set in Sri Lanka on the eve of civil war, which sounded perfect for my literary tastes. Unfortunately, the poor characterization and plot development made this book a difficult read. The milquetoast narrator barely changes except to get older and the other characters are equally bland. I think the novel wants to comment on the forces that create a civil war, but that's hard to do when the narrator is an uneducated, housebound servant with little knowledge of the outside world. The show more whispers of war that penetrate the walls of the mansion are too faint to make an impression on the reader. The book's final two chapters finally achieve some resonance, but 10 pages of strong writing is not enough to redeem a 200-page book. Beyond Gunesekera's flair for descriptive writing, this book has little to recommend it. show less