The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka is such an excellently written piece of fiction which is frankly incomprehensible for me to convey the jarring intensity. Wow, I am at a loss for words in describing this heart wrenching and insightful tale that captures the rawness of the human emotion and displays how corruption and the greed for more, lust and power can twist ones perception of righteousness and lead ones soul to be bounded and chained by them. This is an excellent satire that comments on the corrupted and the crooked nature of the authoritative regime and puts mockery on the concept war itself and how you can achieve nothing with war, only torment, grief, agony and sorrow. Blinded by the ones you trusted.
How the ones higher up in the power can dictate and rule out the lives of innocent and normal civilians and how greed feeds upon souls that choses to obey the lust for power. In this novel, we follow a war photographer, Maali Almeida after he died in an "afterlife", where he has 7 moons (7 days) to decide whether to ascend or to stay in between life and death. I'm sorry for being so vague, I don't want to spoil too much about the story so yeah.
As we see through his journey to serve righteousness and justice even in afterlife, caring for the ones closest to him and sacrificing himself for the sake of them, we get to see the unwanted and disturbing faces of the authority, the tyranny that is continued after generations and generations in Sri Lanka (and similar countries in South Asia) and how discrimination and prejudice builds up a nest in ones living soul, twisting and turning the courses of their life. How bigoted views of homosexuality and discrimination against other races can map out the evil side of humans. Here, we deal with alot of racism and homophobic views and how the lives of people in a country build upon discrimination is being affected by such stigmas. The authors portrayal of heartbreak, love agony and the horrors and the beastial brutal nature of war and the sufferings of the victims were masterfully conveyed. So meticulously and elegantly crafted that it will make your heart ache. At moments it will give you the utmost thrill of suspense and thoughts to ponder upon while you try to dwell in your slumber.
The significance of love and friendship, while not being the primary subject of the story, was excellently executed with humorous and playful comedic traits. There were moments in the story where I just straight up bursted laughing, parts are really funny. And were moments where I didn't wanted to progress and felt my soul visibly crumble upon myself. Life after death, being a completely fantastical story while portraying the horrors and the petrifying realities of war and authoritative regime on power while also displaying the degrees of torment and inhumane things inflicted upon innocent souls, incomprehensible and nightmarish fates.
The story is meticulously crafted that displays inhumanity and humanity in realistic lens and portrays the horrors of wrath and greed while signifying the acts of love and sacrifice. A highly political novel that takes on many lenses but never fades on any. I don't know why but I cant seem to say anything more, perhaps its cuz now is 4AM and my eyes are bloodshot and its been a few moments after I've finished the book. I've received alot of great quotes from this book and would like to share.
"History is people with ships and weapons wiping out those who forgot to invent them. Every civilization begins with a genocide. It is the rule of the universe. The immutable laws of the jungle; even this one made of concrete. You can see it in the movement of the stars, and in the dance of every atom. The rich will enslave the penniless. The strong will crush the weak."
"All stories are recycled and all stories are unfair. Many get luck, many get misery. Many are born to homes with books, many grow up in swamps of war. In the end, all becomes dust. All stories conclude with a fade to black."
"They say laughter is music, but that is just one of the thousand untruths that we suckle ourselves with. Some laughs are piquant, some are hideous, some can curdle the blood."
"Evil is not what we should fear. Creatures with power acting in their own interest: that is what should make us shudder"
"There are good reasons humans can't converse with animals, except after death. Because animals wouldn't stop complaining. And that would make them harder to slaughter. The same maybe said for dissidents and insurgents and separatists and photographers of wars. The less they are heard, the easier they are forgotten."
"Because, on reflection, once you have seen your own face and recognized the colour of your own eyes, tasted the air and smelt the soil, drunk from the purest fountains and the dirtiest wells, that is the kindest thing you can say about life. It's not nothing."
This is, something I would regard as an masterpiece. An excellent piece of literature that dwells into the deepest of the darkest sides of human mind, layered with magical realism and mockery of human actions; while being humorous and striking enough, displaying the raw and bitterness of it all. A story, a book, a fragmented layer of thoughts that will stay with you and your soul long after you've turned the last page.
by manthan_zzzz