Monkfish Moon

by Romesh Gunesekera

Book Overview

The nine haunting stories of Monkfish Moon, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, announce the appearance of an extraordinary writing talent. Published to universal acclaim in England, these... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573225509
• ISBN13: 9781573225502
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 138 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Simply fabulous

This is a haunting set of stories that sticks long after the last page is turned. Exemplifying this is the first of the lot, "A House in the Country," in which Ray's colonial comportment contrasts sharply with the religious violence around him. Ray has grown very close to his housemate and helper, Siri, who sees himself more as a servant than an equal with Ray. But all divisions are swept aside when Ray sees "smoke rise in small puffs out of the heaps of ash" from the nearby store from which he has purchased daily newspapers for several years. "The veins in his arms were swollen. A store burns like so many others up and down the country. Only this one's closer to home." Mr. Ibrahim, the shopkeeper has been burnt alive in his store by the fanatical terrorists of Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers. Some time later, we learn that back home in the country, the Tigers have "used a lamp-post for" Siri's brother. Ray knew that "the body would have been mutilated, then strung up as a beacon; the corpse would swing in the wind for days." In the end, the entire set of stories, like the first one, tremble "like the skin of a drum." A fabulous book. --Alyssa A. Lappen

Very simple and engrossing!! Excellent!

An excellent bit of writing!! Very descriptive of life in Sri Lanka! It takes you to the scene of the stories! It is very thought provoking, and grabbed my attention from the time I started reading it. I couldn't put it down till I was done. The stories are full very detailed, and yet very simple and comprehensible.It is as good as The Reef. I would recommend it for anyone.

A brilliant book, as good as Reef

The stories in Monkfish Moon are in some ways typical short stories - most of them have no definite ending. But they are really immersive to read and once you start you'll find the book hard to put down. Coming from Sri Lanka, the island the author bases most of the stories in, I think the book paints a pretty realistic and poignant picture of the country and it's people. The stories are sad, thought-provoking, sometimes even downright uplifting, but are always full of color and detail. True, some people may find the book a bit boring, but they just don't have any patience or appreciation for atmosphere. Read this book even if you have no knowledge of Sri Lanka, you'll probably enjoy it.