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The Jam Fruit Tree
Winner 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.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Carl Muller
40 books40 followersCarl Muller was born in 1935 in Kandy. As a young man he joined the Royal Ceylon Navy, then briefly served in the Ceylon Army and later joined the Colombo Port Commission. He moved into journalism and worked in the Middle East. He is a prolific writer having written poetry, fiction, a children’s book, short stories, historical fiction, a collection of essays and monographs. He has won many awards and prizes for his writing. He is best known for The Jam Fruit Tree (1993) which won the Gratiaen Prize for that year. He currently lives in Kandy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 9, 2021
I had to read it, I would say this was a shotgun reading. It was text under Sri Lankan lit where we are trying to anaylse the Burgher community. Whatever it is I'm sure the Burthers in Sri Lanka are cursing the the Von Bloss's.
Since I studied it, I do know the novel is semi-autobiographical, that infact Sonnaboy and Beryl are representative character of the parents of Carl Muller. I'll say this is pretty much doing dirty laundry, settling personal scores out in the open. A Good novel can address sex as an issue, but if the writer doesn't keep the control of his depth then we see art turns into vulgarity and that's The Jam Fruit Tree.
But I have to say the novel made me laugh, the funeral service, the bombing during the WWII. That's a funny point about the novel, tragedy turned into comedy and vice versa.
Since I studied it, I do know the novel is semi-autobiographical, that infact Sonnaboy and Beryl are representative character of the parents of Carl Muller. I'll say this is pretty much doing dirty laundry, settling personal scores out in the open. A Good novel can address sex as an issue, but if the writer doesn't keep the control of his depth then we see art turns into vulgarity and that's The Jam Fruit Tree.
But I have to say the novel made me laugh, the funeral service, the bombing during the WWII. That's a funny point about the novel, tragedy turned into comedy and vice versa.
July 16, 2015
I love this book, this depiction of Ceylon and the Burghers during this late colonial period. Of course, this book shows you the class of Burghers that weren't doctors and lawyers, but the working people who lived and mixed with the people of Ceylon.
Re-read - 15/07/2015. Reading the book again after many a long year has left me feeling disappointed. It is an interesting story, don't get me wrong, but the language is at times a bit pedestrian and the narrative, though funny, weaves in and out without much cohesion. I think a good editor would have done much to tighten and refine the book. It is a great introduction to the lower-middle class of Burghers though and their madcap existence in British Ceylon.
Re-read - 15/07/2015. Reading the book again after many a long year has left me feeling disappointed. It is an interesting story, don't get me wrong, but the language is at times a bit pedestrian and the narrative, though funny, weaves in and out without much cohesion. I think a good editor would have done much to tighten and refine the book. It is a great introduction to the lower-middle class of Burghers though and their madcap existence in British Ceylon.
March 29, 2013
Blunt, filthy, and unapologetic. A mixture of fiction and fact, referred to him as 'faction', this book is the beginning of his Burgher Trilogy. The story itself is a thinly veiled retelling of his life (Carloboy ring a bell?), and is full of all the ups and downs that any family goes through and more.
To many, Muller's style of writing could easily be categorized as filth. He is a master at bringing out the quirks and easily overlooked mannerisms of Sri Lankan culture, in ways that can be imagined happening in real life. Refreshing to read, especially after all the sadness or forced humour other SL authors seem to love writing about...
To many, Muller's style of writing could easily be categorized as filth. He is a master at bringing out the quirks and easily overlooked mannerisms of Sri Lankan culture, in ways that can be imagined happening in real life. Refreshing to read, especially after all the sadness or forced humour other SL authors seem to love writing about...
November 27, 2017
I loved being transported to the lanes and times of past Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon)
I was delighted to receive The Jamfruit Tree as a gift and couldn't put it down.
I was delighted to receive The Jamfruit Tree as a gift and couldn't put it down.
May 20, 2019
A bawdy, gaudy celebration/critique of 1930s Burgher society in Sri Lanka. I picked this up in Anuradhapura a decade ago and finally got 'round to reading it, and while I found it mildly enjoyable, it could easily have waited on the shelf another ten (or twenty, or thirty) years.
March 1, 2022
"But in truth, the jam fruit tree was so symbolic. The ever-bearing tree. And never-dying, too. Like the stout Burgher women of the age: fruitful, tough, always in bloom, earthy. Like the men too. Hard-working, hard-drinking, as lusty as life itself."
Carl Muller's "The Jam Fruit Tree" was an extremely enjoyable read for me, mostly because of the plot and the sheer descriptiveness. Using "Sri Lankan" English, Muller proceeds to portray all sorts of characters from yesteryear, and paints scenes so graphically that I had to struggle hard to contain my laughter (Sonnaboy's antics, the grave scene anyone?) when I was reading such passages on the Kandy-Colombo Intercity train. Here is a real gem containing enough fiction to create a solid plot (and subplots) as well as enough fact to glue the narrative with the Sri Lanka (Ceylon) of yesteryear, which makes the story feel ah...so relatable. The vulgarities common in such a life are described very nicely by Muller.
On a more personal note, I find even better connections with the story since I come from a, although Sinhala-Christian, family where hard-working and hard-drinking were the maxims of my father and elders when I was a child. Christmas was quite similar to what was described in "The Jam Fruit" tree; grandmother (the nucleus of the affair), siblings, aunts, uncles, children, cousins, grandchildren, dogs, all celebrating the birth of Our Lord in the most exuberant fashion until the end of the December vacation. The Cherry Guava (ජෑම් පේර, Psidium cattleyanum) tree planted by our late grandfather (a CGR head guard himself!) in front of the house supporting the weight of the many children hanging and playing on her branches and overlooking the jolly affair. Laughter and chatter, continuously for days. Those were the times. So many parallels with this book.
Reading "The Jam Fruit" tree was a trip down memory lane, and boy it was dripping nostalgia. 5+.
Carl Muller's "The Jam Fruit Tree" was an extremely enjoyable read for me, mostly because of the plot and the sheer descriptiveness. Using "Sri Lankan" English, Muller proceeds to portray all sorts of characters from yesteryear, and paints scenes so graphically that I had to struggle hard to contain my laughter (Sonnaboy's antics, the grave scene anyone?) when I was reading such passages on the Kandy-Colombo Intercity train. Here is a real gem containing enough fiction to create a solid plot (and subplots) as well as enough fact to glue the narrative with the Sri Lanka (Ceylon) of yesteryear, which makes the story feel ah...so relatable. The vulgarities common in such a life are described very nicely by Muller.
On a more personal note, I find even better connections with the story since I come from a, although Sinhala-Christian, family where hard-working and hard-drinking were the maxims of my father and elders when I was a child. Christmas was quite similar to what was described in "The Jam Fruit" tree; grandmother (the nucleus of the affair), siblings, aunts, uncles, children, cousins, grandchildren, dogs, all celebrating the birth of Our Lord in the most exuberant fashion until the end of the December vacation. The Cherry Guava (ජෑම් පේර, Psidium cattleyanum) tree planted by our late grandfather (a CGR head guard himself!) in front of the house supporting the weight of the many children hanging and playing on her branches and overlooking the jolly affair. Laughter and chatter, continuously for days. Those were the times. So many parallels with this book.
Reading "The Jam Fruit" tree was a trip down memory lane, and boy it was dripping nostalgia. 5+.
July 1, 2025
Country: Sri Lanka
May 17, 2019
Burgher community is a Eurasian ethnic group in Sri Lanka, which descended from Portuguese, Dutch, British and other Europeans who settled in Sri Lanka back then. I know very little about the Burgher community, but the little I know was clearly reflected in this book - specially the unique qualities of the Burghers! This book has beautifully illustrated the history in an exciting way, and it gives a real good insight to the Burgher community and their way of living. For me, moral of the story is, "Live like a Burgher!" 😄 Sending lots of love to the wonderful Burgher community out there! ❤️
January 2, 2017
I really don't know if I liked this book or not - as a burgher I have a warm fuzzy feeling overall and i enjoyed laughing at it as an inside joke - but I think it was over the top and exaggerated in ways I didn't really like.
March 18, 2009
Sad and funny. Reminds one of the hundreds of Anglo-Indians of Bangalore, Calcutta and Madras... slowly going the way of the Dodo..
January 23, 2016
Boisterous, poignant, hilarious, wild, crass, and pictorial, in equal measures, The Jam Fruit Tree is just that. A jam fruit tree which is what it is.
March 12, 2022
I have read the author's Colombo novel before & I didn't rate it too highly albeit it being an interesting glimpse in to the capital of Sri Lanka. But I always wanted to read his most famous one, The Jam Fruit Tree. It was the inaugural Gratiaen Prize winner back in 1993.
This book was a much better read. Quite fun to read actually. I could describe it as blunt, unapologetic & very filthy. Words you can describe a Carl Muller novel. This is the first of his Burgher* Trilogy. Apparently, the author took a lot of details from his own life when detailing the lives of the Von Bloss family & others.
The book is simply about the Burgher* society & their lifestyle back in Colonial 1930's. And what's interesting is that the story explores the working class Burghers of that era. The Von Bloss family is the main family of interest & the stories build from their lives & events. Pretty much a chronicle of what goes on in their homes.
All the stories have humour in them. Jolly good people the Von Bloss'. They drink a lot, they party a lot, they argue a lot, they fight a lot. And that's how the Burghers are. I know many of them who I call as friends & they're all that even now. But I guess with the inter-mingling in current society, the 'Burghers' of now aren't exactly the same as the 'Burghers' back then. But the partying is still on.
In terms of writing, Muller uses local colloquial language which relates a lot to a Sri Lankan reader. Maybe something foreigners could struggle with. But it's not hard to understand. In typical Carl Muller fashion, the book has a lot of sex. Sex dominates the chronology too. And's it's downright filthy. Creepy incest, sexual exploitation, illicit affairs, child abuse & what not. But that's just Carl Muller for you!
But overall, this book is very funny. Especially the funeral scene, Christmas party & the Sonnaboy-Court Officials incident. Hilariously good stories those are.
If you don't mind Muller's 'sexual' writing, this is a jolly good read on the Burghers of Sri Lanka.
By the way, shall we 'Put a Party' ?
This book was a much better read. Quite fun to read actually. I could describe it as blunt, unapologetic & very filthy. Words you can describe a Carl Muller novel. This is the first of his Burgher* Trilogy. Apparently, the author took a lot of details from his own life when detailing the lives of the Von Bloss family & others.
The book is simply about the Burgher* society & their lifestyle back in Colonial 1930's. And what's interesting is that the story explores the working class Burghers of that era. The Von Bloss family is the main family of interest & the stories build from their lives & events. Pretty much a chronicle of what goes on in their homes.
All the stories have humour in them. Jolly good people the Von Bloss'. They drink a lot, they party a lot, they argue a lot, they fight a lot. And that's how the Burghers are. I know many of them who I call as friends & they're all that even now. But I guess with the inter-mingling in current society, the 'Burghers' of now aren't exactly the same as the 'Burghers' back then. But the partying is still on.
In terms of writing, Muller uses local colloquial language which relates a lot to a Sri Lankan reader. Maybe something foreigners could struggle with. But it's not hard to understand. In typical Carl Muller fashion, the book has a lot of sex. Sex dominates the chronology too. And's it's downright filthy. Creepy incest, sexual exploitation, illicit affairs, child abuse & what not. But that's just Carl Muller for you!
But overall, this book is very funny. Especially the funeral scene, Christmas party & the Sonnaboy-Court Officials incident. Hilariously good stories those are.
If you don't mind Muller's 'sexual' writing, this is a jolly good read on the Burghers of Sri Lanka.
By the way, shall we 'Put a Party' ?
May 17, 2020
A chronicle about the Burghers, as depicted by the life and times of Cecilprins Von Bloss and his large family, set in the period from the 1930's to just after the second world war. The Burghers, a hybrid community and culture descended from the "mingling" of Dutch, Portuguese, British foreigners and Sri Lankan locals, are presented as a happy-go-lucky lot known for their eat, drink and be merry attitude towards life - ever ready to "put a party".
I loved the language used by the characters, a transfer of sub-continental grammar and idioms to the English language. Constructs such as "What happens let happen.." or "...why you hitting, only asking , no?" are now commonly used by many Indian authors writing in English; it lends a certain authenticity and also helps to really get into the skin of the characters. The book starts with Cecil Von Bloss and his wife Maudiegirl, and unfolds with the lives and loves of each of his children (thirteen less a couple who died early) and other characters who cross their path. As the story proceeds with the amorous pursuits of the children, a bawdy undertone creeps in with the sexual exploration and adventures of the next generation, including incidents of incest and child abuse, which were probably par for the course in large extended families within a tight-knit minority community in that era. The humor, largely affectionate and at times sarcastic, is what stands out in the story telling. The situational set-up reminds one of RK Narayan, the language of Wodehouse and the end result is laugh out loud funny at times. The wedding party, the funeral and a particular piece when Court officials visit Sonnaboy's house in the railway colony are hilarious. Such anecdotes peppered through out the book are not only rib-tickling but also provide insights into those lives and times. Go read it!
I loved the language used by the characters, a transfer of sub-continental grammar and idioms to the English language. Constructs such as "What happens let happen.." or "...why you hitting, only asking , no?" are now commonly used by many Indian authors writing in English; it lends a certain authenticity and also helps to really get into the skin of the characters. The book starts with Cecil Von Bloss and his wife Maudiegirl, and unfolds with the lives and loves of each of his children (thirteen less a couple who died early) and other characters who cross their path. As the story proceeds with the amorous pursuits of the children, a bawdy undertone creeps in with the sexual exploration and adventures of the next generation, including incidents of incest and child abuse, which were probably par for the course in large extended families within a tight-knit minority community in that era. The humor, largely affectionate and at times sarcastic, is what stands out in the story telling. The situational set-up reminds one of RK Narayan, the language of Wodehouse and the end result is laugh out loud funny at times. The wedding party, the funeral and a particular piece when Court officials visit Sonnaboy's house in the railway colony are hilarious. Such anecdotes peppered through out the book are not only rib-tickling but also provide insights into those lives and times. Go read it!
January 13, 2023
168📱🇱🇰SRI LANKA🇱��When looking for books, I admit that I am a sucker for prize-winners and this won the 1993 @gratiaentrust prize for a novel by a Sri Lankan author…and I am perplexed. Carl Muller tells a longwinded, sometimes humorous, often convoluted tale of the von Bloss family: father Cecilprins, mother Maudiegirl and their 13 children. They are a member of the Burgher class, a multiracial people who have European and Asian heritage, are Christian (mostly Catholic), speak English but think in Dutch, so their patois is a jumbled up mixture of English and goodness knows what else. As Muller describes, they are all a bunch of drunken Burgher buggers, unashamedly crude and crass. This is a “factional” (fiction based on fact) account of Muller’s chaotic family that left me exhausted and feeling slightly grubby. #🌏📚#readingworldtour2021 #readtheworld #worldliterature #readingworldliterature #reading #readingwomenchallenge #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #bookstagram #booklover #book #booknerd #bibliophile #travel #travelogue #fiction #nonfiction #nonfictionreads #travelbooks #ayearofreadingaroundtheworld #srilanka #carlmuller #burgher
March 8, 2021
I got this book as a present for my dad’s bday (and decided to give it a cheeky read first), as it actually includes my grandmother’s family! Even though it is sold as fiction, it’s actually based on real people.
I may be quite biased, but I overall loved this book.
(Uncle?) Carl really beautifully and richly captured so many facets of Burgher culture, from the food to the country to the relationships and even the Burgher patois. So many sayings and little quirks were captured, it was perfect.
The rollicking plot reminded me of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” the way new family members continually sprouted into the story. I couldn’t put it down** and I absolutely loved it and it made me very nostalgic. I’m sure dad is going to love it too.
**OK but some of this book is truly FILTHY, which is fine normally, but it’s VERY uncomfortable and weird when you may be reading something super graphic about a relative hahaha. What a journey. Uncle Carl must have been a real character/weird dude, I’m sad I never met him, may he RIP. Xx
I may be quite biased, but I overall loved this book.
(Uncle?) Carl really beautifully and richly captured so many facets of Burgher culture, from the food to the country to the relationships and even the Burgher patois. So many sayings and little quirks were captured, it was perfect.
The rollicking plot reminded me of “One Hundred Years of Solitude” the way new family members continually sprouted into the story. I couldn’t put it down** and I absolutely loved it and it made me very nostalgic. I’m sure dad is going to love it too.
**OK but some of this book is truly FILTHY, which is fine normally, but it’s VERY uncomfortable and weird when you may be reading something super graphic about a relative hahaha. What a journey. Uncle Carl must have been a real character/weird dude, I’m sad I never met him, may he RIP. Xx
March 5, 2018
Colourful depiction of the burghers: mixed race Sri Lankans who were favoured by the British and created their own unique approach to religion, food and family. Set in the early 20th century, it follows one (very large) family as generation gives way to generation.
The narrative is written in a faux naif style, as though being told by a storyteller, though sometimes it feels like the intentional clumsiness of the narrative slips over into real clumsiness in the writing . A work of great flair or skill this is not.
But I really enjoyed it nevertheless, which just goes to show that a natural talent for imagery goes a long way toward creating engaging literature.
The narrative is written in a faux naif style, as though being told by a storyteller, though sometimes it feels like the intentional clumsiness of the narrative slips over into real clumsiness in the writing . A work of great flair or skill this is not.
But I really enjoyed it nevertheless, which just goes to show that a natural talent for imagery goes a long way toward creating engaging literature.
April 14, 2026
A lot of fun, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and episodes of knockabout farce, but only one character out of the cast of dozens really stands out, and he’s more of a literary caricature than a real person and never really develops, just stays the way he’s initially presented. Having said which, I must admit that I have known a real-life Sonnaboy von Bloss, in all his appalling magnificence, for most of my life; and he hasn’t developed much, either. Life can sometimes imitate art in a most reprehensible way.
November 8, 2025
I love Carl Muller's work and this is probably the best place to start. Great characters, a book which somehow manages to convey a great sense of place and some profound thoughts about Sri Lankan society, but without ever being pompous. And its funny. Well worth a read to anyone curious about Sri Lanka, especially its history and culture.
January 31, 2019
I would rate this book 3.5. Interesting account of the Burgher community in Sri Lanka in the 1930s. Really funny in bits and enjoyed the details when it came to celebrations and funerals and all the food. Well written, but it was too sexually graphic and vulgar ( wish that had been toned down).
March 19, 2019
The book is authentically Sri Lankan. The story telling and characters are truly (in a literal sense) hilarious.
The story is beautifully told with just the right amount of Sri Lankan added to it.
Would recommend.
The story is beautifully told with just the right amount of Sri Lankan added to it.
Would recommend.
Want to Read
November 2, 2019We burghers eat,drink,?,and die.This is our motto.
I met Carlo in Bangladesh he calls himself the black burgher and myself the white burgher as many many names have we shoe burghers.cockroach burghers and the C lansiya.Translate into Sinhala ha ha I forgot the thuppai lansiya
I met Carlo in Bangladesh he calls himself the black burgher and myself the white burgher as many many names have we shoe burghers.cockroach burghers and the C lansiya.Translate into Sinhala ha ha I forgot the thuppai lansiya
September 7, 2021
There are books you decipher and analyse every minuscule detail and then there are simply "books" . Like lotuses blooming on muddy waters they are meant to just be enjoyed just as they are. That is how i read The Jam Fruit Tree and I loved every page of it.
July 15, 2018
මේක ලංකාවේ ක්රමයෙන් වෙනත් සංස්කෘතීන්වලට අවශෝෂණය වුණ සංස්කෘතියක් ගැන අපූරු කතාවක්.
July 21, 2018
This book completely transported me to Ceylonese lanes of simpler days in 1930s. I laughed with them, got shell shocked with their expression of love, hate and everything in between and finally found myself completely lonely as the book ended. Hilarious and brutally honest take on everyday life in 1930s which I believe is largely applicable to today as well.
November 23, 2019
Never a dull moment!
April 19, 2020
What does it mean when your significant other gives this book to you to read?
Want to Read
December 10, 2022ජෑම් ගස යට ගෙදර
June 14, 2023
Loved every moment of it
Carl Muller just became one of my favorite writers... loved every bit
of it. So sad the book ended so fast
Carl Muller just became one of my favorite writers... loved every bit
of it. So sad the book ended so fast
April 20, 2025
A relatable story with typical Sri Lankan family drama focussing on one family, its triumphs and tragedies. The book is both funny and disturbing with facts of life in Sri Lanka in the 30s and 40s.
January 23, 2026
Funny and v bawdy account of the Sri Lankan Burgher community - lovable characters and enjoyed the ‘chronicler’s’ voice, also nice useful descriptions of parts of Sri Lankan culture throughout
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews