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 227
A Novel Carl Muller. that made the foresyde Lake . And in the botme of that Lake , men fynden many precious stones and grete Perles . In that Lake growen many Reedes and grete Cannes : and there with inne ben many Cocodrilles and ...
A Novel Carl Muller. that made the foresyde Lake . And in the botme of that Lake , men fynden many precious stones and grete Perles . In that Lake growen many Reedes and grete Cannes : and there with inne ben many Cocodrilles and ...
Page 246
... LAKE COLOMBO koffe Lake Kelani River NEW CITY Proposed new lake MALABE VILLAGE Parliament Lake KOTTE KADUWELA VILLAGE Project for the New City of Colombo . The new city area is shaded . The outer dotted area is for further expansion . A ...
... LAKE COLOMBO koffe Lake Kelani River NEW CITY Proposed new lake MALABE VILLAGE Parliament Lake KOTTE KADUWELA VILLAGE Project for the New City of Colombo . The new city area is shaded . The outer dotted area is for further expansion . A ...
Page 316
... lake at Slave Island and beyond were two other residences where the British occupants enjoyed boating into the Fort each day and holding many lakeside parties . And it was such a sport to fish . In the Fifties , lake fishermen were a ...
... lake at Slave Island and beyond were two other residences where the British occupants enjoyed boating into the Fort each day and holding many lakeside parties . And it was such a sport to fish . In the Fifties , lake fishermen were a ...
Contents
Under the Umbrella | 3 |
The Leafy Mango Tree | 14 |
Shabby People | 23 |
Copyright | |
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