![]() Book name: Elephant Complex Author: John Gimlette Genre: Travel Literature Goodreads: Link Storygraph: Link I picked up the book at the Galle Lit Fest a couple of years back where the author spoke at the event. A point that struck me during his talk is that Sri Lanka is a place of contradictions. This was especially the case to an outsider like the author where foreigners couldn't fathom how at one end of the island a raging civil war was going on while at the other end of it there was a booming luxury tourist resorts. This was mirrored in alot of the locations which the author touches on the book which intersects with the war and other tragedies where staring out to the the sea from one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, it is juxtaposed with the sight of a cargo freighter riddled with bullet holes where the tigers made their final stand. This is a theme the author returns to over and over again throughout the book where despite all the violence and tragedy, there is some irresistible force which keeps compelling people to keep returning to the island. The author offers an outsiders perspective of Sri Lanka highlighting his travels which takes him to very unexpected places and doesn't shy away from the troubled history and where in his talk he described Sri Lankans on how we are all "Tikkak Pissu" . The book is well researched and filled with interviews with colourful personalities from all walks of life. At the same time, the book doesn't try to overwhelm the reader with facts and figures and instead its written in a way to tell a very readable story. More than a travel log, it reads more like an adventure novel and i like how along the events have been laid out, the people he interviews are framed in a way to fit a particular theme for each chapter. Ex: The courtly Kandyans, the Wild East, edgy Negombo, The tea capital etc. I particularly like how the writing and the framing shifts from chapter to chapter. While because of this it does feel at times like the events described and encounters that take place are written in a very subjective manner from a particularly viewpoint in order fit the them and where some of the encounters he describes such as his crazy driver, the ghost stories and crazy coincidences seem to be really outlandish, but knowing how many improbable things happen on a day to day basis in Sri Lanka; doesn't actually feel that far fetched and is keeping with the spirit of it! Some of the Interesting trivia that caught my attention were: Colombo lost for a piece of Cheese - The capture of Colombo by the British was conceived by a Professor Cleghorn while on Holiday where he met the Count De Meuron who was the brother of the Commander of the VOC's Swiss garrison in Colombo. They agreed on a price for the Swiss mercenaries to switch sides and the message of this was smuggled to the brother in a Hollowed out Cheese Elephant pass - The location made famous or infamous during the war, to the Vanniyas, it was also the perfect place to bring wild elephants driving them out of the forest and offering them a choice; Die, swim or learn to work which is where the place got its name An interesting visitor to Fort Fredrick, Trinco - in the late 1800s Arthur Wellesley. i.e the later famous Duke of Wellington was suffering from 'Malabar Itch'. The forts remedy was a tincture of Sulfur and Lard didn't work and as a result he missed the next ship that was to sail to the campaign to Egypt but never made it as it sunk in the red sea. According to the author, but for Trinco's cure; the rest of century would've looked a lot more French! Recommendation While the novel might seem daunting at first at over 400 pages, the writing is very sharp and evocative and each chapter is divided into a series of little vignette's which makes for easy reading .While I wouldn't recommend this book if you are looking for a more traditional travel guide and would caution that you do need some basic knowledge of Sri Lanka and its history to appreciate the novel, overall it makes for a very entertaining read.
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AuthorAvid reader of Historical fiction, High fantasy novels, Comics & Graphic Novels. Passionate about teaching & the future of education in general. Categories
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December 2023
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