The Good Little Ceylonese Girl

by Ashok Ferrey

Our Sri Lankan narrator visits his friend Joe in Italy, where Joe attends a special course—in higher (or, shall we say, lower) studies in women. Italians—much like Sri Lankans—live at home through marriage, death, and sometimes even beyond the pale. An accompanying string of fake fiancés and phoney engagements are the backdrop to this delightful collection of darkly humorous tales about Sri Lankans at home and abroad. Long years and many miles away, Colombo’s Father Cruz attempts to rescue a church from parishioners who like to put their donations where others can see them—on large plaques; on the coast, a retired Admiral escapes the tsunami on an antique Dutch cabinet; two childhood sweethearts, in time-honoured Sri Lankan tradition, are married off to strangers.
Ashok Ferrey writes about Sri Lanka and its people, wherever they roam, with remarkable acuity. He writes of the West’s effect on Sri Lankans, of its ‘turning them into caricatures, unmistakably genuine but not at all the real thing’. In The Good Little Ceylonese Girl, his second collection of stories, he shows us the reality beyond those feeble sketches, in its full glory.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Contemporary

217 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Ashok Ferrey - Sri Lanka Born in Colombo, raised in East Africa, educated at a Benedictine monastery in the wilds of Sussex, Ferrey read Pure Maths at Christ Church Oxford, ending up (naturally) in Brixton, converting Victorian houses during the Thatcher Years.

He describes himself as a failed builder, indifferent mathematician, barman and personal trainer to the rich and infamous. Ferrey's Colpetty People was short-listed for the Gratiaen Prize in 2003.

His second book The Good Little Ceylonese Girl was published in December 2006. Today Ferrey continues to design houses, and is a guest lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Architecture.

Reviews

[The Book Outline · Rating 4 out of 5]

All seventeen stories in The Good Little Ceylonese Girl vary widely in their length and aptitude but with a common underlying focus. Initially, the book may feel difficult because certain phases used in the stories are not common to all readers. But, it does not take long to move with the flow.

Read the complete review of The Good Little Ceylonese Girl at
http://www.thebookoutline.com/2013/06...

[Ivy Blues · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I always thought, father, it wasn’t the apple on the tree in the garden of Eden that got us into all this trouble. It was the pair on the ground”





The story was a complete masterpiece. While some in this collection of short stories made us laugh, and some made us sad and some left us confused they all left us with a lot to think.
Almost all of the stories were highly relatable.

[Minoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Ren Nadaraja · Rating 4 out of 5]

“But she must have also known I was that good little Ceylonese girl, trained to obey, trained by her. I went over and sat.

A book of short stories illustrating familiar places and spaces in Sri Lanka, India and England, as gathered.

Working one’s way into the book, stories range from 1-2 characters to about 5.

Its genres range from adventure, romance, love, comedy, crime and thriller….

It’s got stories with fun - loving, hard working, eccentric, over powering, over excited and glamorous characters, LITERALLY!

There is good character development with the use of colloquial English language at every turn, which is quite amusing to a young reader that might be you.

It’s a good book to read if you are Sri Lankan or from another country. It gives you intimate details and takes you into a world that’s so different yet familiar.

Gives you more insight into the old and the new in just under 300 pages….

An easy read for a beginner and advanced reader.

…..

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the short stories were quite interesting, others didn't really make sense to me. I kind of wish all the characters were somehow connected to each other, but they didn't. Perhaps I haven't lived in Srilanka long enough to understand all the intricacies and all the jokes, but overall it was quite a light and enjoyable read.

[Ava (jeepneylit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this gem in a second-hand book shop. Filled with darkly humorous tales on Sri Lankan psyche written by an author who describes himself as a failed builder, unpaid extra, and a hack author. Easy read and would recommend this.

[Agata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories, some were really good, some I didn’t get, but overall it was fun to read. Witty, tasteful. About Sri Lankans in Sri Lanka and abroad.

[Indiabookstore · Rating 3 out of 5]

“God’s great, Beer’s good and People are Crazy …” by Billy Currington was what I kept on humming all day long while exploring this Ashok Ferrey fictions collection of darkly humorous tales about Sri Lankans at home & abroad, to say a canvas painted quite randomly in order to accommodate the simplest Vitamin-V for all those Fidanza to Fidanzata including Maleeshya. Got a bit confused, right??? Hold On … As Mr Arishtabotale Pereira (Mr Ashok Ferrey, as in the chapter Maleeshya) unfolds his tremendously surprising illustrations about the varied types of native Sri Lankans settled in different corners of this globe, put in different situations & circumstances, determined to go ahead for some exquisite experiences al-together for what you refer as ‘Life Goes On’.

Flicking around the variety of genres, from Italian hungriness (physiological and physical) to Somalia of elephant hair bracelets for luck & shark’s teeth necklaces to undeterred ethics of Father Cruz for saving the losing-out glory from some hypocrites of new society, we keep on travelling from Colombo to London every now & then, thanks to Mr Ferrey, and truly saying this is something not so boring as I had anticipated it to be (by its cover-page … Yes, I know but now don’t look at me like that), rather damn good...

For the full review, visit IndiaBookStore.

[Ranmalee Gamage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haha surprise surprise so many has marked this book down. This is a collection of short stories. Please don't even think of touching this book if you are looking for a completed set of stories that makes sense.
Every story in it was captivating and then just stop leaving the reader in a confusing but in fascination at the same time. I love the Sri Lankan writing style, the metaphors used, story lines and how some stories just stop right in the middle.
And each story funny, refreshing and not for the faint of hearts. The stories are quite, too real and can see few people getting pissed off

[David Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and humorous gathering of tales about different Sri Lankans living in all parts of the world - an evocation of local and diaspora dialogues. I like his quirky humour. Read the long reviews in Goodreads to get a fuller sense of the author’s funny, if bleak, outlook on Sri Lankans.

[Ramzi Zaindeen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, AF is a talented writer but I thought this one wasn’t his best work. Although some short stories were great, it had its moments and the sense of poetry but overall I don’t know whether it did the trick.

Anyway it’s just my opinion.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great boook! Colpetty People is way better though, and I found some of the stories somewhat boring.

[Samarpita Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://sankshvet.blogspot.in/2013/01/...

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was enjoyable and as darkly humorous as advertised. I didn't understand all the humor/racism/references, not being Sri Lankan, so I felt slightly like a voyeur though.

[Shantalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed really! A collection of short stories that vary in length and quality. Some were ok and others were basically pointless.?

[Wikum Kuruppu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories were very short which made for very vague character development and plot. Writing itself was nice to read though. I'd be interested in something a bit longer by him.

[Megara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Complete waste of time.