Colombo: A NovelColombo is in the throes of an explosion. Its face changes continuously, its vices are legion, its future as yet obscure and its paths speak of sunlight as well as of shadow.-' Carl Muller begins his quasi-fictional portrait of this beautiful, war-torn city by describing the great battles fought over it by European colonizers-. In AD 1505, a Portuguese fleet blown off-course took shelter in Galle, overthrew the local kings, fortified Colombo and decided to stay. The Dutch came along, ousted the Portuguese, made Colombo their capital and ruled till the British arrived and sent them packing. Muller intersperses the tales of the past into descriptions of the battles that are being fought in Colombo today"political battles in which vested interests play a major role as well as battles fought on the individual level in the struggle to survive: young women and children turning to prostitution to earn an extra buck, people begging in the streets to make ends meet, unemployed young men turning to crime in frustration, students demonstrating against atrocities, lovers pining for nightfall in order to push away loneliness if only for a few moments... Written in Muller's lucid style, Colombo: A Novel is a chronicle of a city's trials and triumphs. |
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Page 80
... knew he could do a far better job . He knew that Boniface was a rogue and a cheat . He knew how the man paid urchins to steal flowers from the cemetery and even from churches that had been decorated for weddings . And this year he had ...
... knew he could do a far better job . He knew that Boniface was a rogue and a cheat . He knew how the man paid urchins to steal flowers from the cemetery and even from churches that had been decorated for weddings . And this year he had ...
Page 168
... knew that however wildly , violently the Portuguese fought , it was a fight tinged with desperation . They were suffering within the walls , he knew . Hulft had kept his three ships of war in the roadstead . One lay burning in the ...
... knew that however wildly , violently the Portuguese fought , it was a fight tinged with desperation . They were suffering within the walls , he knew . Hulft had kept his three ships of war in the roadstead . One lay burning in the ...
Page 357
... knew there was nothing she could do . She heard the splinter of wood , the whimper of her quiet lodger , then the ... knew she couldn't say anymore . She knew the lodger was dead . She had heard the thunder of the gun in the next room ...
... knew there was nothing she could do . She heard the splinter of wood , the whimper of her quiet lodger , then the ... knew she couldn't say anymore . She knew the lodger was dead . She had heard the thunder of the gun in the next room ...
Contents
Under the Umbrella | 3 |
The Leafy Mango Tree | 14 |
Shabby People | 23 |
Copyright | |
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Angelbeck arms asked become began bodies bring British building called carried Ceylon child Church close Colombo coming Company dark door dragged Dutch East established eyes face father fire followed force Fort Galle garden Gate girls give given Governor guns hands harbour head hold hour hundred India island keep kill king knew lake land later letter light live London looked Malays marched mother moved never night officers Pass Pettah police political port Portuguese road seemed ships side Sinhalese Sri Lanka stands station stood Street taken tell thing thought thousand told took trade tree turned wait walk walls watch wife woman