Lead Review (Chinaman)

• Book: Chinaman
• Location: Sri Lanka
• Author: Shehan Karunatilaka

Review Author: tripfiction

SRI LANKA

Spotlight Review

#fromourbookshelves

Chinaman by Shehan Karuntatilaka

I know nothing about cricket and thus this novel is a bit of a ‘googly’ for me. I had to look up the meaning of Chinaman (other than the obvious) and I discover that in cricket it is a left-arm leg-spin delivery that moves to the right when it hits the ground, making it difficult for a right handed opponent. There, did you know that? I didn’t and much of the cricket themed content went straight over my head.

Right from the opening pages, there is a touch of humour in the writing but given the detail of the sport, I soon found my eyes glazing over. So, I draw the conclusion that you HAVE to have knowledge of the sport to really get under the skin of this novel. The author has also written The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, which I have read and is much more approachable #justsaying

Here is the blurb from the back:

Where is Pradeep S. Mathew – spin bowler extraordinaire and ‘the greatest cricketer to walk the earth’?

Retired sportswriter W. G. Karunasena is dying, and he wants to know.

W.G. will spend his final months drinking arrack, making his wife unhappy, ignoring his son and tracking down the mysterious Pradeep. On his quest he will also uncover a coach with six fingers, a secret bunker below a famous stadium, a Tamil Tiger warlord, and startling truths about Sri Lanka, cricket and himself.

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