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Ruins

By Rajith Savanadasa
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Check link for latest rating. ( 275 ratings, 42 reviews)
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
Ruins by Rajith Savanadasa provides a vivid portrayal of contemporary Sri Lanka through the lens of a single family. As the novel unfolds, each member's distinct voice reveals intricate dynamics and personal struggles, set against the backdrop of a country grappling with its complex history and political tensions. The story elegantly intertwines personal troubles with larger societal themes, offering an insightful snapshot of modern life.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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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 are intrigued by complex family dynamics set against the backdrop of a politically charged Sri Lanka. It delves into the intersecting lives and aspirations of a middle-class family, offering a vivid portrayal of cultural and social challenges. Fans of richly woven narratives that explore personal and societal struggles would find this an engaging read.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

In the pent-up heat of Colombo, piece by piece a family comes apart . . .

A stunning debut novel from a fresh new voice in Australian fiction, for fans of Zadie Smith and Rohinton Mistry.

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

Ruins is a stirring and skilfully crafted debut, and Savanadasa's characters are so vividly drawn they feel like family. With his sharp and masterful observations of race, class, and gender in the "new" Sri Lanka, Savanadasa takes his seat beside Omar Musa, Alice Pung, and Michael Mohammed Ahmad to usher in the brave and stunning new dawn of diverse Australian fiction.

Maxine Beneba Clarke, award-winning author of Foreign Soil

A country picking up the pieces, a family among the ruins.

In the restless streets, crowded waiting rooms, and glittering nightclubs of Colombo, five family members find their bonds stretched to breaking point in the aftermath of the Sri Lankan civil war.

Latha wants a home. Anoushka wants an iPod.

Mano hopes to win his wife back.

Lakshmi dreams of rescuing a lost boy.

And Niranjan needs big money so he can leave them all behind.

'A highly accomplished and well-oiled book . . . It claims the attention of the reader with rare confidence and doesn't let it go . . . This book could well achieve the same kind of success as The Kite Runner.' - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

'[Savanadasa's] writing recalls Christos Tsiolkas' recent work ... distinct and convincing, Ruins heralds the arrival of a gifted new talent in Australian fiction.' - BOOKS+PUBLISHING

'An absolute must-read' - WOMAN'S DAY

'An outstanding debut novel' - WEST AUSTRALIAN

'Ruins is an impressive debut. Savanadasa joins other important contemporary Australian-Sri Lankan novelists . . . in enriching the globalised phenomenon that is Australian literature.' - THE SATURDAY PAPER

'Ruins stands out from other Australian debuts for its ambitious structure, its vibrant setting, and the depth and complexity of the Sri Lankan family at the centre of the story.' - READINGS

'An intelligent, engaging novel' - DARK MATTER ZINE

'A rich and colourful story of family and country, its complexity revealed in layers . . . Only through the eyes of others can we begin to see a place.' - Inga Simpson, author of the critically acclaimed Where the Trees Were

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?

Rajith Savanadasa's Ruins is praised for its compelling and authentic writing, drawing comparisons to Christos Tsiolkas. It's noted as a must-read, celebrated for its confident storytelling and ambitious structure, often compared to the success of The Kite Runner. This impressive debut enriches Australian literature, offering a vibrant setting and complex depiction of a Sri Lankan family.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733635052

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 June 2016

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 27.0mm

Width: 213.0mm

Height: 136.0mm

Weight: 364g

Pages: 352

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Rajith Savanadasa

About the Author

Rajith Savanadasa was born in Sri Lanka and now lives in Melbourne. He turned to creative writing in the final year of an engineering degree, which he followed up with the Professional Writing and Editing course at RMIT University. He was shortlisted for the Asia-Europe Foundation short story prize in 2013, the Fish Publishing short story prize in 2013, received a Wheeler Centre Hotdesk Fellowship in 2014 and was part of the QWC/Hachette Manuscript Development Program in 2014. RUINS is his debut novel. Rajith is also the founder and primary contributor to Open City Stories, a website documenting the lives of a group of asylum seekers in Melbourne.

@RajithSHS

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