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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... Sri Lanka and the Middle East. His published works in Sri Lanka include Sri Lanka—a Lyric, and Father Saman and the Devil as well as a link language reader for students, Ranjit Discovers where Kandy Began. The Jam Fruit Tree, the first ...
... Sri Lanka and the Middle East. His published works in Sri Lanka include Sri Lanka—a Lyric, and Father Saman and the Devil as well as a link language reader for students, Ranjit Discovers where Kandy Began. The Jam Fruit Tree, the first ...
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Contents
Under the Umbrella | |
Shabby People | |
The Exhibitionists | |
The Canalians | |
Bodies and Spirits | |
Highlines and Skylines | |
Structured for Collapse | |
Colombos Child | |
In a GlassDimly | |
Other GunsOther Times | |
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Common terms and phrases
Angelbeck arms asked Bambalapitiya bastion began blood boat British Buddha Buddhist building called canal Captain carried Ceylon child Church cinnamon coconut Colombo Company dark door dragged Dutch elephants eyes father fire fish Galle Face Galle Face Hotel garden Gate girls give Governor Governor’s House Grand Pass guns hands harbour head Hotel Hulft hundred India Jaya Kalutara Kandy kill king knew Kochchikade Kollupitiya Kotte lake land Legrevisse light live looked LTTE Malays Maradana Minister mother moved MP’s Mutwal Negombo night officers Pettah police political port Portuguese Raja Sinha ramparts river road Royal Asiatic Society rupees scream ships Sinhala Sinhalese Slave Island Sri Lanka stands stood Street Tamil tell temples thousand today’s told took trade tree Trincomalee troops turned Vesak vessels wait walk walls watch Wellawatte wife woman