The Jam Fruit TreeWinner of the Gratiean Memorial Prize for the best work in English Literature by a Sri Lankan for 1993 Hilarious, affectionate, candid and moving, this is the story of the Burghers of Sri Lanka... Who are the Burghers? Descended from the Dutch, the Portuguese, the British and other foreigners who arrived in the island-nation of Sri Lanka (and 'mingled' with the local inhabitants), the Burghers often stand out because of their curiously mixed features-grey eyes in an otherwise Dravid face, for instance.... A handsome and guileless people, the Burghers have always lived it up, forever willing to 'put a party'. Carl Muller, a Burgher himself, writes in this quasi-fictional, engaging biography of the lives of his people; they emerge, at the end of his story, as a race of fun-loving, hardy people, much like the jam fruit tree which simply refuses to be contained or destroyed. |
From inside the book
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Page 97
... chronicler feels it incumbent to fix Burgher society of the 1930s in proper perspective . The reader may be inclined to dismiss all Burghers as a roistering , bawdy breed who spoke funny and were extremely Catholic in matters of sex ...
... chronicler feels it incumbent to fix Burgher society of the 1930s in proper perspective . The reader may be inclined to dismiss all Burghers as a roistering , bawdy breed who spoke funny and were extremely Catholic in matters of sex ...
Page 137
... chronicler's mind , is what has made the Burghers unique . They knew how to fit in , to belong . They accepted , centuries ago , that Sri Lanka was their land . There was never any thought that they could , if things got bad , pack and ...
... chronicler's mind , is what has made the Burghers unique . They knew how to fit in , to belong . They accepted , centuries ago , that Sri Lanka was their land . There was never any thought that they could , if things got bad , pack and ...
Page 175
... chronicler recalls one Colombo road which stubbornly clung to its native name — Timbirigasyaya ( the plain of the Timbiri trees ) , which must have sounded quite intriguing and exotic to the British , who decided to keep it . It was ...
... chronicler recalls one Colombo road which stubbornly clung to its native name — Timbirigasyaya ( the plain of the Timbiri trees ) , which must have sounded quite intriguing and exotic to the British , who decided to keep it . It was ...
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Common terms and phrases
Anna baby beef Beryl bloody Bloss bottle bring British brothers brought buggers Burgher cake called Carloboy carried Cecilprins child Christmas church Colombo Colontota coming considered course court daughter door drink eggs Elaine Elsie Elva Eric everything eyes face Father fellow Florrie fruit gate gave George getting girl give hand head Iris keep kitchen knew lady Lane Leah legs letter listen live look Lord Mama manner marry Maudiegirl months morning mother moved never never mind nice night nodded Opel Papa poor railway road shouting Sinhalese Sonnaboy sort sure talk tell thing thought told took Totoboy tree turned Viva wait wedding whole wife woman write