What do you think?
Rate this book
Noontide Toll
Vasantha is a van driver in Sri Lanka. After nearly three decades of conflict, the civil war is over and the country is moving tentatively into the future - though at times the recent past seems too close for comfort. Entrepreneurial hoteliers have mysterious scars under their collars; Chinese businessmen looking to invest in scrap metal are led to gigantic scrapyards of abandoned bicycles; genial old soldiers are headhunted for brutal war crimes; young Sinhalese men pine after Tamil girls whose brothers, in another time, died by their hands. In this collection of linked stories, Vasantha drives across the beautiful but scarred landscape of his home island, lingering on the periphery of his passengers' varied stories. Though he keeps his own counsel and remains stoically in the background, he cannot help but reveal a little something of his own story too.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
19 people are currently reading
629 people want to read
About the author
Romesh Gunesekera
21 books195 followersRomesh Gunesekera was born in Sri Lanka where he spent his early years. Before coming to Britain he also lived in the Philippines. He now lives in London. In 2010 he was writer in residence at Somerset House.
His first novel, Reef, was published in 1994 and was short-listed as a finalist for the Booker Prize, as well as for the Guardian Fiction Prize. In the USA he was nominated for a New Voice Award.
Before that, in 1992 his first collection of stories, Monkfish Moon, was one of the first titles in Granta’s venture into book publishing. It was shortlisted for several prizes and named a New York Times Notable Book for 1993.
In 1998, he received the inaugural BBC Asia Award for Achievement in Writing & Literature for his novel The Sandglass. The previous year he was awarded one of the prestigious Italian literary prizes: the Premio Mondello Five Continents. In 1995 he won the Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award in Britain.
His third novel, Heaven’s Edge, a dystopian novel set in the near future was published by Bloomsbury in 2002.
Four years later Bloomsbury also published The Match hailed as one of the first novels in which cricket was celebrated, and a forerunner of the many cricket-related novels that have followed.
In 2008, a collection of his Madeira stories were published in a bilingual edition to celebrate its 500th anniversary of the founding of Funchal in Madeira.
His most recent novel is Suncatcher. His other books are Noontide Toll, a collection of linked stories, and the historical novel The Prisoner of Paradise.
Romesh Gunesekera is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has also received a National Honour in Sri Lanka.
He has been a judge for a number of literary prizes including the Caine Prize for African Writing, the David Cohen Literature Prize and the Forward Prize for Poetry. He has been a Guest Director at the Cheltenham Festival, an Associate Tutor at Goldsmiths College and on the Board of the Arvon Foundation for writing.
His first novel, Reef, was published in 1994 and was short-listed as a finalist for the Booker Prize, as well as for the Guardian Fiction Prize. In the USA he was nominated for a New Voice Award.
Before that, in 1992 his first collection of stories, Monkfish Moon, was one of the first titles in Granta’s venture into book publishing. It was shortlisted for several prizes and named a New York Times Notable Book for 1993.
In 1998, he received the inaugural BBC Asia Award for Achievement in Writing & Literature for his novel The Sandglass. The previous year he was awarded one of the prestigious Italian literary prizes: the Premio Mondello Five Continents. In 1995 he won the Yorkshire Post Best First Work Award in Britain.
His third novel, Heaven’s Edge, a dystopian novel set in the near future was published by Bloomsbury in 2002.
Four years later Bloomsbury also published The Match hailed as one of the first novels in which cricket was celebrated, and a forerunner of the many cricket-related novels that have followed.
In 2008, a collection of his Madeira stories were published in a bilingual edition to celebrate its 500th anniversary of the founding of Funchal in Madeira.
His most recent novel is Suncatcher. His other books are Noontide Toll, a collection of linked stories, and the historical novel The Prisoner of Paradise.
Romesh Gunesekera is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and has also received a National Honour in Sri Lanka.
He has been a judge for a number of literary prizes including the Caine Prize for African Writing, the David Cohen Literature Prize and the Forward Prize for Poetry. He has been a Guest Director at the Cheltenham Festival, an Associate Tutor at Goldsmiths College and on the Board of the Arvon Foundation for writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
December 31, 2014
If you are on the move, there is always hope.
Sri Lanka is a country still reeling from war and a devastating tsunami. Vasantha drives a van, taking his paying customers wherever they want to go, for whatever reason, be it business or something more personal.
Sometimes it feels like we are all driving in the dark with no headlights.
V. serves as a fly-on-the-wall, observing without comment as his passengers discuss life, politics and the details of their lives.
A driver's job is to stay in control behind the wheel and that is all. The past is what you leave as you go.
There's some wonderful writing here and the stories prove to be a marvelous lesson in all that can be learned by sitting quietly and listening.
Some nights, I just want to drive. We can do that now. No curfew, no roadblocks. The cost of petrol is high, but if I need to be in the van on my own, carrying no one, going nowhere, remembering nothing, loafing, I can do it. I tap in the cassette Mrs. Cooray left in the van and turn up the volume, pretending the bouncy song is about me: Mister Van Man, bring me a dream...
Sri Lanka is a country still reeling from war and a devastating tsunami. Vasantha drives a van, taking his paying customers wherever they want to go, for whatever reason, be it business or something more personal.
Sometimes it feels like we are all driving in the dark with no headlights.
V. serves as a fly-on-the-wall, observing without comment as his passengers discuss life, politics and the details of their lives.
A driver's job is to stay in control behind the wheel and that is all. The past is what you leave as you go.
There's some wonderful writing here and the stories prove to be a marvelous lesson in all that can be learned by sitting quietly and listening.
Some nights, I just want to drive. We can do that now. No curfew, no roadblocks. The cost of petrol is high, but if I need to be in the van on my own, carrying no one, going nowhere, remembering nothing, loafing, I can do it. I tap in the cassette Mrs. Cooray left in the van and turn up the volume, pretending the bouncy song is about me: Mister Van Man, bring me a dream...
June 14, 2015
Finished it months before the Georgetown summer assignment was due. Not as boring as I thought it would be, but then again, I was reading it with headphones in. But I really liked the idea of vignettes... I just feel like there were some really crucial ones that made me feel all philosophical whereas the others were just like space-fillers. It was like reading a TV show premise out a dude driving a van, meeting a bunch of cool people. "Taxi Cab" by Vampire Weekend was definitely playing in the background while I was reading this.
September 29, 2020
“In 1945, Japan was a dump. Nobody thought the Japanese could make even a cup of tea anymore, but now Toyota is the biggest car company in the world. It’s a funny business, I tell them. No one knows who will have the last laugh. Look at Germany, same thing. German tourists are rolling in it now. Their chancellor is the boss of Europe. It makes you wonder about this business of defeat and victory.”
I just finished my 20-book reading marathon on books on Sri Lanka and I have to say that Noontide Toll is perhaps my favorite fiction book of these 20. I just love this book. I love the style of writing. It's witty and sharp. I love how philosophical it is.
Vasantha retired early from his office job, bought a used van, and started a business of driving tourists, NGO employees, business people, expatriates, etc. from one end of Sri Lanka to another. Each chapter of the book covers one ride. In chapter 1, it's some Dutch tourists visiting the fort in Jaffna, in chapter 2 priests visiting an army base, in chapter 3 a Sri Lankan Tamil who immigrated many years ago and his son visiting the father's childhood home, and so on.
I sometimes don't need a lot of action or suspense in my books. Sometimes books that just make me think deeply about an issue or raise questions that I myself have often wondered about spark my interest. Truth, lies your government tells you, forgiveness, history, forgetting the past, holding onto the past versus moving into the future. These are all things that I think about and ask myself.
In the age of Donald Trump and his cult and his accusations of “fake news! Fake news! Fake new!” and the idea of alternative realities, the importance of “truth” obsesses me. This book brought up so many questions about the importance of truth.
Can a country move forward and can it heal if it continues to cover up the truth? Can a country sustain itself if some of its citizens still feel wronged? What happens when no one knows the truth of what happened? How important is truth? How important is justice?
There are several standout chapters. I particularly loved Chapter 4. Vasantha takes a group of Chinese businesspeople to Mullaitivu, the location of the last battle of the civil war. He compares what the Chinese went through during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution and what Sri Lanka went through during the civil war. He wonders how the Chinese can just forget about the past and move forward and questions whether Sri Lanka can do that or even if they should. I have often wondered also how the Chinese can just completely forget about those crazy years when everyone went completely mad during the Cultural Revolution.
In chapter 6, Vasantha is driving a married couple from Colombo to Jaffna. They stop overnight at a hotel in Kilinochchi. Vasantha is talking to the woman who runs the hotel. Through her actions, demeanor and appearances, he can tell that she probably was a Tamil Tiger. He wonders how that works—going from a terrorist to a hotel manager.
There’s a rat in the restaurant. He describes her response:
"After impressively killing the rat, the woman says, “They are all over town, but we do not allow them here. I believe it is not good for guests.”
She seems to be talking about more than just rats.
If you’re someone who loves history and philosophy and you know something about what Sri Lanka has gone through over the past several decades, then I think you’ll enjoy Noontide Toll.
If you want to read more reviews of all the 20 books I read on Sri Lanka, you can read my post here:
https://thebambootraveler.com/books-o...
I just finished my 20-book reading marathon on books on Sri Lanka and I have to say that Noontide Toll is perhaps my favorite fiction book of these 20. I just love this book. I love the style of writing. It's witty and sharp. I love how philosophical it is.
Vasantha retired early from his office job, bought a used van, and started a business of driving tourists, NGO employees, business people, expatriates, etc. from one end of Sri Lanka to another. Each chapter of the book covers one ride. In chapter 1, it's some Dutch tourists visiting the fort in Jaffna, in chapter 2 priests visiting an army base, in chapter 3 a Sri Lankan Tamil who immigrated many years ago and his son visiting the father's childhood home, and so on.
I sometimes don't need a lot of action or suspense in my books. Sometimes books that just make me think deeply about an issue or raise questions that I myself have often wondered about spark my interest. Truth, lies your government tells you, forgiveness, history, forgetting the past, holding onto the past versus moving into the future. These are all things that I think about and ask myself.
In the age of Donald Trump and his cult and his accusations of “fake news! Fake news! Fake new!” and the idea of alternative realities, the importance of “truth” obsesses me. This book brought up so many questions about the importance of truth.
Can a country move forward and can it heal if it continues to cover up the truth? Can a country sustain itself if some of its citizens still feel wronged? What happens when no one knows the truth of what happened? How important is truth? How important is justice?
There are several standout chapters. I particularly loved Chapter 4. Vasantha takes a group of Chinese businesspeople to Mullaitivu, the location of the last battle of the civil war. He compares what the Chinese went through during the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution and what Sri Lanka went through during the civil war. He wonders how the Chinese can just forget about the past and move forward and questions whether Sri Lanka can do that or even if they should. I have often wondered also how the Chinese can just completely forget about those crazy years when everyone went completely mad during the Cultural Revolution.
In chapter 6, Vasantha is driving a married couple from Colombo to Jaffna. They stop overnight at a hotel in Kilinochchi. Vasantha is talking to the woman who runs the hotel. Through her actions, demeanor and appearances, he can tell that she probably was a Tamil Tiger. He wonders how that works—going from a terrorist to a hotel manager.
There’s a rat in the restaurant. He describes her response:
"After impressively killing the rat, the woman says, “They are all over town, but we do not allow them here. I believe it is not good for guests.”
She seems to be talking about more than just rats.
If you’re someone who loves history and philosophy and you know something about what Sri Lanka has gone through over the past several decades, then I think you’ll enjoy Noontide Toll.
If you want to read more reviews of all the 20 books I read on Sri Lanka, you can read my post here:
https://thebambootraveler.com/books-o...
January 5, 2023
"If the damage is there, I want to invite it in. Make it mine so that I can do something with it" (Gunesekera, 2014: 106).
This is a book that has left me thinking about the damage that has been done and the scars that heal from that. Moving forward isn't easy over a scarred past. We all exist in a game of tug; the tides of the sea almost mimic the relationships we keep with one another. There's nothing we can do but be stirred together and try our best to deal with that. Perhaps not all these 'epiphanes' I just came up with stem from the teachings of this book, but rather the context in which I have read it has added some essential flavour to them. Nonetheless, all of these meanings mesh together to form an understanding, which happens to be both universal and unique to me. I hope this book brings you your own particular understanding of the world that surround us.
This is a book that has left me thinking about the damage that has been done and the scars that heal from that. Moving forward isn't easy over a scarred past. We all exist in a game of tug; the tides of the sea almost mimic the relationships we keep with one another. There's nothing we can do but be stirred together and try our best to deal with that. Perhaps not all these 'epiphanes' I just came up with stem from the teachings of this book, but rather the context in which I have read it has added some essential flavour to them. Nonetheless, all of these meanings mesh together to form an understanding, which happens to be both universal and unique to me. I hope this book brings you your own particular understanding of the world that surround us.
January 26, 2014
I liked the fact that it can be read as a novel and a series of short stories.
I do however have a tiny problem with Vasantha, the narrator of the story. There are certain elements about him which don't ring true but this is probably me nitpicking. Quite liked the last chapter/story and I found myself marking out certain bits which I thought were nicely articulated. Here's one:
“When we first heard the war was over, we believed a line could be drawn between the mistakes of the past and the promise of the future. One was the place you had been, the other was the place you were going to. We believed there was no need for the two to be connected. But as a driver, I should have known better. To go from one to the other, you need a road. And a road is nothing if it doesn’t connect,”
Also plugging an interview and a slightly more detailed synopsis of the book: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140126/plus...
I do however have a tiny problem with Vasantha, the narrator of the story. There are certain elements about him which don't ring true but this is probably me nitpicking. Quite liked the last chapter/story and I found myself marking out certain bits which I thought were nicely articulated. Here's one:
“When we first heard the war was over, we believed a line could be drawn between the mistakes of the past and the promise of the future. One was the place you had been, the other was the place you were going to. We believed there was no need for the two to be connected. But as a driver, I should have known better. To go from one to the other, you need a road. And a road is nothing if it doesn’t connect,”
Also plugging an interview and a slightly more detailed synopsis of the book: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/140126/plus...
May 29, 2021
"Up here, in this wounded country, even the sky bleeds every evening."
Ceylon... Sri Lanka... een eiland twee keer zo groot als België, met een zeer bewogen geschiedenis, een koloniale geschiedenis, een multiculturele en multireligieuze geschiedenis... en een land dat geleden heeft onder een dertig jaar durende burgeroorlog en de gevolgen van een vernielende tsunami (2004). Tegen deze achtergrond spelen de verhalen uit dit boek zich af, verhalen die aan elkaar gelinkt zijn en één geheel vormen.
Het zijn heel mooie beeldende verhalen, geschreven op een manier die je misschien niet zou verwachten uit de mond van een eenvoudige chauffeur die met zijn klanten het ganse eiland rond rijdt, maar laat dat geen bezwaar zijn om te genieten van de gedachten en overpeinzingen die hier aan elkaar geregen worden.
Van het noorden met de oorlog en terrorisme tot het zuiden met de tsunami, er is stof tot nadenken, eenvoudig gezond verstand...
"Sometimes it feels like we are all driving in the dark with no headlights."
Ceylon... Sri Lanka... een eiland twee keer zo groot als België, met een zeer bewogen geschiedenis, een koloniale geschiedenis, een multiculturele en multireligieuze geschiedenis... en een land dat geleden heeft onder een dertig jaar durende burgeroorlog en de gevolgen van een vernielende tsunami (2004). Tegen deze achtergrond spelen de verhalen uit dit boek zich af, verhalen die aan elkaar gelinkt zijn en één geheel vormen.
Het zijn heel mooie beeldende verhalen, geschreven op een manier die je misschien niet zou verwachten uit de mond van een eenvoudige chauffeur die met zijn klanten het ganse eiland rond rijdt, maar laat dat geen bezwaar zijn om te genieten van de gedachten en overpeinzingen die hier aan elkaar geregen worden.
Van het noorden met de oorlog en terrorisme tot het zuiden met de tsunami, er is stof tot nadenken, eenvoudig gezond verstand...
"Sometimes it feels like we are all driving in the dark with no headlights."
April 19, 2019
It's been a long time since I've read Romesh Gunesekera, a favourite author of mine and this collection of short stories didn't disappoint one iota.
The short stories cleverly takes us on journeys with the driver Vasantha as he transports his clients through the north and south of Sri Lanka – Jaffna in the north with returning expat Tamils looking for the ‘good old days’ when ‘only nuts fell from the sky’, not bombs; aid workers; Chinese investors; and the South with re-purposed soldiers; retired Brigadiers; and more returning expats.
The war may be over but Romesh reminds us its aftermath lingers despite all the building and investment that pours in. The scars remain.
‘When we first heard the war was over, we believed a line could be drawn between the mistake of the past and the promise of the future. One was the place you had been, the other was the place you were going to. We believed there was no need for the two to be connected. But as a driver, I should have known better. To go from one to the other, you need a road. And a road is nothing if it doesn’t connect.’
The short stories cleverly takes us on journeys with the driver Vasantha as he transports his clients through the north and south of Sri Lanka – Jaffna in the north with returning expat Tamils looking for the ‘good old days’ when ‘only nuts fell from the sky’, not bombs; aid workers; Chinese investors; and the South with re-purposed soldiers; retired Brigadiers; and more returning expats.
The war may be over but Romesh reminds us its aftermath lingers despite all the building and investment that pours in. The scars remain.
‘When we first heard the war was over, we believed a line could be drawn between the mistake of the past and the promise of the future. One was the place you had been, the other was the place you were going to. We believed there was no need for the two to be connected. But as a driver, I should have known better. To go from one to the other, you need a road. And a road is nothing if it doesn’t connect.’
September 27, 2022
A great book essentially compiled of many short stories told from one POV - a retired Sri Lankan who drives visitors around the island. I received this book as part of the Q2 box from The Alignist (check it out!), and loved how it covered Sri Lankan history. As someone who did not know much before reading this book (and the accompanying guide I received in my box), it was helpful to read the guide and understand in depth a bit more about the Civil war and the tsunami (and honestly just general history).
April 11, 2020
“When we first heard the war was over, we believed a line could be drawn between the mistakes of the past and the promise of the future. One was the place you had been, the other was the place you were going to. We believed there was no need for the two to be connected. But as a driver, I should have known better. To go from one to the other, you need a road. And a road is nothing if it doesn’t connect.”
January 2, 2023
There’s something really beautiful about how much this book meandered almost aimlessly through Sri Lanka. Its occasional mundanity made the tension palpable, probably reflecting well on the energy felt by Vasantha as a result of his country’s progression from volatile and war torn to a tourist haven.
Not much happens, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment this book offers. Equal parts heartbreaking and optimistic, perhaps we can all feel a little bit like Vasantha at times!
Not much happens, but it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment this book offers. Equal parts heartbreaking and optimistic, perhaps we can all feel a little bit like Vasantha at times!
April 20, 2024
3.5 stars
This book is a collection of short stories told from the point of view of a driver in Sri Lanka. Each vignette offers a glimpse into the trying history of the country through Colonialism, civil war and natural disaster through the experience or purpose of the passengers Vasantha carries on journeys both North and South. It was an enjoyable read, adding nuance to my understanding of the political history of the country.
This book is a collection of short stories told from the point of view of a driver in Sri Lanka. Each vignette offers a glimpse into the trying history of the country through Colonialism, civil war and natural disaster through the experience or purpose of the passengers Vasantha carries on journeys both North and South. It was an enjoyable read, adding nuance to my understanding of the political history of the country.
March 23, 2025
This book presents the life of a van driver traveling to the north and south of Sri Lanka, reading as a short story book. Taking place shortly after the civil war had ended, I found the stories in the first half of the book (North) more interesting and engaging than the latter half (South). Not to say that the book runs out of steam as it goes on but simply that Vasantha's stories in the North just have a more to say and offer. I think Gunesekera did well to touch on the impact the war had towards the North of the island and whilst reading this half it does come off as though this section is where he was the most passionate. I found the stories in the South to be less thought provoking and I feel like there will be less moments from this section that will stick with me in comparison to the North. Although, it did certainly have it's own highlights that are well worth reading. Gunesekera's writing all throughout was a treat to read, and there were certainly moments after putting down the book that stayed in my head throughout the day. Aside from the marginally weaker latter half, I really wish Gunesekera delved deeper into Vasantha's character, at times he offered some really interesting insights into his ideals and beliefs but it would've been even better if he devoted more time to this. I finished the book wanting to know more about him, I understand that the intention was to have him more as a fly on the wall type figure, yet I still would've liked to see his character examined in a deeper light. Anyways another solid Lankan book that was a good read!
3.7 ⭐️
3.7 ⭐️
May 19, 2017
Vasantha is a taxi driver in post-Civil war, post-Tsunami Sri Lanka. As he tries to make sense of the "new" Sri Lanka, his interactions with his western clients cause confusion and disillusionment. This novel provides a glimpse into the physical scars on the landscape and people as well as the feeling of upheaval or imbalance in the country at large.
July 18, 2017
Quietly beautifully funny, sad and at times, shocking. Poetic in that every word is worth its weight. Characters sketched lightly, as seen through the eyes of a taxi driver, Vasantha, who has the measure of his passengers, telling their stories in the context of the recent troubled history of Sri Lanka.
June 11, 2017
Wonderful real life stories of modern Sri Lanka after the 'Troubles'. Subtle writing of serious themes done in a non threatening way. Really enjoyed this, especially after traveling around Sri Lanka many years ago in a van seeing all the nooks and crannies during the time of troubles.
March 22, 2021
The book was very interesting. Especially the imagery of the van as a way to potentially escape but that ultimately imprisons. Very much liked also the memories of war and post-traumatic trauma, because it was told very well. Highly recommend.
April 15, 2021
Very interesting starting point of reflection for the role played by the short story within a wider narrative and the way we perceive single stories that are part of a bigger picture. I however found it challenging to put together. Would recommend.
May 6, 2021
[Culture, Crisis, Ecology] This was likely a 7/10 - nice collection of tales that cover a lot of interesting issues beyond the clear war/tsunami thematic branch - like: time / memory / colonialism / environmentalism / consumerism / home
September 29, 2025
It was quite enjoyable with lots of nice moments and interesting overall. It felt a bit disparate though, the characters were interesting and brought about good anecdotes but that's almost all it felt like, and some were a bit cliché.
March 19, 2017
DNF...I just couldn't get through it. It did not work for me..it did not hold my interest. It's extremely hard for me to DNF a book but this just wasn't working.
March 18, 2021
I absolutely loved this book. Wonderful prose style and deeply interesting stories. It's left me with a lot to think about. It's what i'd describe as a quiet book, very contemplative.
May 14, 2021
Really enjoyed rereading and writing an essay about this book
April 25, 2022
Each chapter is a separate story about a van driver taking different groups around Sri Lanka. Not written as interestingly as it might be. Many of the stories don’t seem to go anywhere.
November 19, 2022
Gunesekera's narrative is like a lyric underlying a sinister activity.
January 20, 2025
Beautiful vignettes of the contemporary Sri Lankan landscape. I could not put this down.
January 13, 2025
I read this whilst travelling Sri Lanka so was good to imagine the places the driver goes too whilst there.
However I do not recommend driving in Sri Lanka the buses are mental
However I do not recommend driving in Sri Lanka the buses are mental
February 28, 2016
Noontide Toll by Anglo-Sri Lankan author Romesh Gunasekera has been short-listed for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, and I think it is my favourite of those I have read so far. Narrated by the ruminative van driver Vasantha in a linked sequence of vignettes, Noontide Toll is a meditation on life in Sri Lanka as it comes to terms with the trauma of its recent past: the 2004 tsunami, and the end of the brutal civil war.
Every time I drive across the causeway to Jaffna, I feel I am entering another country. The lagoon is as big as a sea. The sky touches it at the edge, on the left, and on the right, and the wind makes the ripples look like waves. The fellows at the checkpoint know me so well now that they don’t even look at my ID. They crack a couple of jokes about the state of my van and laugh their heads off. I tell them it is a Japanese van. In 1945, Japan was a dump. Nobody thought the Japanese could make even a cup of tea any more, but now Toyota is the biggest car company in the world. It’s a funny business, I tell them. No one knows who will have the last laugh. Look at Germany, same thing. German tourists are rolling in it now. Their chancellor is the boss of Europe. It makes you wonder about this business of defeat and victory.
Sri Lanka is open for business, it seems. Investors flock to transform the landscape with luxury hotels while the government builds new roads to service the tourists, and the Chinese haggle over the logistics of scrap metal removal. The detritus of war has to be cleaned up, as Vasantha observes, but it’s not so easy to tidy up people’s memories.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2015/01/03/no...
Every time I drive across the causeway to Jaffna, I feel I am entering another country. The lagoon is as big as a sea. The sky touches it at the edge, on the left, and on the right, and the wind makes the ripples look like waves. The fellows at the checkpoint know me so well now that they don’t even look at my ID. They crack a couple of jokes about the state of my van and laugh their heads off. I tell them it is a Japanese van. In 1945, Japan was a dump. Nobody thought the Japanese could make even a cup of tea any more, but now Toyota is the biggest car company in the world. It’s a funny business, I tell them. No one knows who will have the last laugh. Look at Germany, same thing. German tourists are rolling in it now. Their chancellor is the boss of Europe. It makes you wonder about this business of defeat and victory.
Sri Lanka is open for business, it seems. Investors flock to transform the landscape with luxury hotels while the government builds new roads to service the tourists, and the Chinese haggle over the logistics of scrap metal removal. The detritus of war has to be cleaned up, as Vasantha observes, but it’s not so easy to tidy up people’s memories.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2015/01/03/no...
December 26, 2015
These are short stories with the same protagonist, the van driver, Vasantha. I didn't know much about Sri Lanka, other than that I'd heard of the Tamil Tigers and of course knew about the tsunami.
One of the tourists, who wants to see the turtles, says to the nightwatchman:
Quote: "Isn't it good luck to see a turtle?" "So they say, miss," the nightwatchman said. "That's what they say, but if it is true I must be the luckiest man in the world." " You are," she laughed tipsily. " Amazingly lucky to be here every night." I saw Pavel's teeth gleam in the moonlight. " Lucky, miss?" The nightwatchman lowered his head. For him, on his beach, it seemed there was only pounding of the sea. A deep, dark, unrelenting sea. " Maybe, miss"
" Sure. Just look at all this." She flung out her hands. " The Indian Ocean."
" Yes, miss. Like you say, I am lucky to be here. "
Unquote.
I will not include the rest of the conversation since it would be a spoiler, but it left me catatonic. It's in the chapter called " Turtle."
From the inside cover: " Vasantha is a van driver for hire, aid workers, returning exiles, and tentative entrepreneurs across the battle-seared landscapes of Sri Lanka. The war is finally over, but the traumas of the past are still haunting. Behind the façade of peace we are made to remember the war: mysterious hoteliers conceal scars under their collars; genial old soldiers are secretly identified as perpetrators of brutal crimes; young Sinhalese men pine after Tamil girls whose brothers died by the hands."
One of the tourists, who wants to see the turtles, says to the nightwatchman:
Quote: "Isn't it good luck to see a turtle?" "So they say, miss," the nightwatchman said. "That's what they say, but if it is true I must be the luckiest man in the world." " You are," she laughed tipsily. " Amazingly lucky to be here every night." I saw Pavel's teeth gleam in the moonlight. " Lucky, miss?" The nightwatchman lowered his head. For him, on his beach, it seemed there was only pounding of the sea. A deep, dark, unrelenting sea. " Maybe, miss"
" Sure. Just look at all this." She flung out her hands. " The Indian Ocean."
" Yes, miss. Like you say, I am lucky to be here. "
Unquote.
I will not include the rest of the conversation since it would be a spoiler, but it left me catatonic. It's in the chapter called " Turtle."
From the inside cover: " Vasantha is a van driver for hire, aid workers, returning exiles, and tentative entrepreneurs across the battle-seared landscapes of Sri Lanka. The war is finally over, but the traumas of the past are still haunting. Behind the façade of peace we are made to remember the war: mysterious hoteliers conceal scars under their collars; genial old soldiers are secretly identified as perpetrators of brutal crimes; young Sinhalese men pine after Tamil girls whose brothers died by the hands."
May 1, 2025
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka #32 of Read a Book from Every Country
I picked this up purely because I couldn’t find anything else to read whilst I’m here in Sri Lanka and because I knew that, at the very least, this would contribute another country to my global literature goal. Consequently…
Boring man in a boring van writing about the insignificant characters he drives around Sri Lanka, not because he should, but just because he can.
This is a book which tries to romanticise the job of a van driver as if it’s the coolest, most profound job in the world 💀
Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but feel how Gunesekera was trying to give the impression that he was saying a lot when, in actual fact, he wasn’t really saying anything at all.
——————
- Peace has made us all dozy, I guess.
(My experience in Sri Lanka so far, to a tee)
- I stepped outside for a cigarette. I’m not much of a smoker, but there are times when I have this urge to fill my lungs with poison. 🤮
- I could understand the boy's need to travel, to break out. That is why I have the van. To go places. I like to see things slip past the window on an open road. But for all the driving I do, I never seem to break out. I am always in the van. 🙄💀
- 'Have you been married, machang?'
‘No, I am a driver. I am never in one place long enough.’ 🙄💀🤮
I picked this up purely because I couldn’t find anything else to read whilst I’m here in Sri Lanka and because I knew that, at the very least, this would contribute another country to my global literature goal. Consequently…
Boring man in a boring van writing about the insignificant characters he drives around Sri Lanka, not because he should, but just because he can.
This is a book which tries to romanticise the job of a van driver as if it’s the coolest, most profound job in the world 💀
Throughout the book, I couldn’t help but feel how Gunesekera was trying to give the impression that he was saying a lot when, in actual fact, he wasn’t really saying anything at all.
——————
- Peace has made us all dozy, I guess.
(My experience in Sri Lanka so far, to a tee)
- I stepped outside for a cigarette. I’m not much of a smoker, but there are times when I have this urge to fill my lungs with poison. 🤮
- I could understand the boy's need to travel, to break out. That is why I have the van. To go places. I like to see things slip past the window on an open road. But for all the driving I do, I never seem to break out. I am always in the van. 🙄💀
- 'Have you been married, machang?'
‘No, I am a driver. I am never in one place long enough.’ 🙄💀🤮
August 2, 2015
Had to read this for Georgetown, and I'll have the chance to meet the author and ask questions during orientation. (Maybe I'll have an update then!) This is an interesting read—definitely something I wouldn't have picked out or even know about by myself. Vasantha drives mostly foreigners around his home country, Sri Lanka, which has been ravaged by a long civil war and disastrous tsunami. Through his interactions with tourists, businesspeople, and various others whom he drives, he ponders the relationship between the past and the future: Can his country move ahead despite all it has suffered? He considers his own life, too, though his regrets (relationship with father, unrequited love, didn't go to college) are not particularly well developed. Little comes of his musings, as the novel ends with him feeling overwhelmed but holding onto his sense of duty—to his country, perhaps?—of carrying on his passengers' stories. Not quite sure what I'd ask Gunesekera; I'm mostly frustrated by books that don't come to a definitive conclusion, even if that's the point.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews