shehan karunatilaka The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

[Mister Hobgoblin]

Seven Moons is an absolutely terrific, excellent and clever novel for which mere words can never be enough. It is a thoroughly immersive experience in both this world and the next, working on so many levels, and always with a flash of deadpan humour. 

 

Maali Almeida finds himself in the afterlife, having exited 1990 Colombi somewhat suddenly. he is/was a photojournalist, gay and dating the son of a cabinet minister. During a civil war. What, you wonder, could possibly go wrong? 

 

Maali has seven moons (days) left on Earth as a ghost , trying to piece together what happened. He follows various arcane rules as he follows death squads, eavesdrops on shady western NGOs, visits his former housemates and tries to stay one step ahead of the masters and demons who are trying to claim his soul. Meanwhile, the bureaucrats in the afterlife are determined to check his ears. 

 

It's impossible, really, to categorise Seven Moons. It is a murder mystery, a political satire, magical realism, a historical commentary on the civil war, a love story, folk legends and so much more. It is an affectionate portrait of Sri Lanka - a truly remarkable country of contrasts and heritage. For all this - and it is a very intelligent novel - it never feels heavy. It is light and pacy and humorous. Even though the plot is complicated, the text keeps reminding us off who is who, what is what. It guides us patiently through the various groupings and factions while showing the human qualities (both good and bad) of the various protagonists. 

 

There is also, dare I say it, something very British about the whole thing. Everyone is terribly polite, even as they try to swindle one another, throw people off balconies or dispose of bodies. The satire and sarcasm is reassuringly familiar. They drink tea. 

 

I have been fortunate enough to read the text (before it won the Booker Prize) and now to listen to the audiobook. Both were a joy and the novel benefits from a second reading when the reader knows where it is all heading. It is a delight to spot the signposts along the way that were missed when the destination is unknown. The narrator of the audiobook, Shivantha Wijesinha, speaks with a genteel Sri Lankan accent, but one which never gets in the way of the story (think cricket commentary). It is a perfect voice for a perfect novel. 

 

I cannot recommend Seven Moons highly enough. It is definitely up there in my all time top half dozen. 

 

*****