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Chinaman

From author of Booker Prize 2022 winner The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
By Shehan Karunatilaka
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka is a compelling tale that follows a washed-up sports journalist on a quest to uncover the truth about a forgotten Sri Lankan cricketing legend. As the narrator delves deeper into the world of cricket and the enigmatic life of the cricketer, he confronts themes of ambition, legacy, and the chaotic backdrop of Sri Lanka’s social and political landscape. This book beautifully weaves fiction with the passionate, often chaotic spirit of cricket.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the blend of satire and detective storytelling, set in the world of cricket in Sri Lanka. This novel offers a fascinating exploration of identity, politics, and the love for the game, wrapped in a unique narrative style that is both humorous and thought-provoking.

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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.

Winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.

One of the most acclaimed debuts of the year - a rumbustuous, brilliant novel about Sri Lanka, cricket and the search for a legendary sportsman

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

From the Booker prize-winning author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida – a rumbustuous, brilliant novel about Sri Lanka, cricket and the search for a legendary sportsman.

A crazy ambidextrous delight – Michael Ondaatje

Bristling with energy and confidence – Sunday Times

Spellbinding – Mohammed Hanif

The blazing debut novel by the Booker prize-winning author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.

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.

Winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka is praised for its energetic narrative, blending humour with emotional depth and occasional intensity following Sri Lanka's turbulent context. Incorporating a playful use of cricket facts, it draws literary comparisons with the works of notable authors and offers a deft mix of humour and violence. This vibrant debut is both an elegy to unfulfilled ambitions and a celebration of wild dreams, with a lively comic tone portraying Sri Lankan life, despite its critical lens on the country.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099555681

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 April 2012

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 287g

Pages: 416

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Shehan Karunatilaka

About the Author

Shehan Karunatilaka is the multi-award winning author of two novels. He won the Commonwealth Book Prize and the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for his debut novel, Chinaman- The Legend of Pradeep Mathew. He won the Booker Prize 2022 for his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. In addition to his novels he has written rock songs, screenplays and travel stories.

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