A Passage North
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- Create Date：2021-08-21 09:51:05
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Anuk Arudpragasam
- ISBN：1783786949
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Summary
"A young man journeys into Sri Lanka's formerly war-torn north， and into a country's soul， in this searing novel of love and the legacy of war from the award-winning author of The Story of a Brief Marriage。 "The closest we seem to get to the present are those brief moments we stop to consider the spaces our bodies are occupying， the warmth of the sheets in which we wake， the scratched surface of the window on a train taking us somewhere else。。。" A Passage North begins with a message: a telephone call informing Krishan， newly returned to Colombo， that his grandmother's caretaker， Rani， has died in unexpected circumstances--found at the bottom of the village well， her neck broken。 The news coincides with the arrival of an email from Anjum， a woman with whom he had a brief but passionate relationship in Delhi a few years before， bringing with it the stirring of old memories and desires。 As Krishan makes the long journey by train from Colombo into the war-torn northern province for the funeral， so begins an astonishing passage into the soul of a country。 At once a meditation on love and longing， and an incisive account of the impact of Sri Lanka's civil war， this procession to a pyre "at the end of the earth" shines a light on the distances we bridge in ourselves and those we love， and the indelible imprints of an island's past。 Anuk Arudpragasam's masterful novel is an effigy for the missing and the dead， and a vivid search for meaning， even amid tragedy"--
Reviews
Kit Wren
，
a meditative， oblique， oddly still look at Sri Lanka。 This is a novel of observation and not of plot， as everything is seen through the main character's eye and memory。 Nothing new happens to him as he takes the train to the funeral of a woman who cared for his grandmother， his eye casts backward towards his own relationship with his deteriorating grandmother， his abandoned academic career and his conflicting desire to be more deeply connected with the efforts to make Sri Lanka better with more a meditative， oblique， oddly still look at Sri Lanka。 This is a novel of observation and not of plot， as everything is seen through the main character's eye and memory。 Nothing new happens to him as he takes the train to the funeral of a woman who cared for his grandmother， his eye casts backward towards his own relationship with his deteriorating grandmother， his abandoned academic career and his conflicting desire to be more deeply connected with the efforts to make Sri Lanka better with more self-preserving instincts。 Sometimes， the idea of this even being a character gets ditched for long digressions about a documentary he's seen， the origin of the Buddha， or the sanskrit epic the cloud messenger。 There's very interesting scenery and observation of a rebuilding state that nobody wants to claim or sponsor， with Australia going so far as to buy anti-tourism billboards to discourage Tamil emigres， told in long， rolling， sheer cliffs of paragraphs that sometimes leave the reader without a foothold。 This sounds negative but it was a decent read， it just falls short of the pace of the other Booker candidates this year。 。。。more
Kathleen
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I will be reading this again， really loved it。
Sushilanair
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A beautiful meditation on death， war and the pain of loss。 This book is not for folks that are highly plot centric and need a story that goes along at a fast pace。 This is a beautifully written book， that is thought provoking。 t
Suvasini Sridharan reddy
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4。2/5
Clementine
，
An incredible density of ideas and insights makes this one a bit slow-going， but the payoff is worth it。 Gorgeous， emotive writing。
Parvathy
，
The Tamil insurgency in Sri Lanka is ripe for great literature。 Unfortunately this is not it。 The writing style is tiresome （100 word sentences are the norm） and while there are glimpses into the horror of the last days of the civil war， they are just that - glimpses。 We have instead， a lot of abstract wondering and reminiscences， rambling musings on grief， desire， guilt and much else。 Krishan is an uninspiring protagonist， and while the minor characters seem more interesting， they are only seen The Tamil insurgency in Sri Lanka is ripe for great literature。 Unfortunately this is not it。 The writing style is tiresome （100 word sentences are the norm） and while there are glimpses into the horror of the last days of the civil war， they are just that - glimpses。 We have instead， a lot of abstract wondering and reminiscences， rambling musings on grief， desire， guilt and much else。 Krishan is an uninspiring protagonist， and while the minor characters seem more interesting， they are only seen through the eyes of Krishan。 A disappointing， almost pointless read。 。。。more
Don
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（FROM MY BLOG）The present， we assume， is eternally before us， one of the few things in life from which we cannot be parted。 It overwhelms us in the painful first moments of entry into the world， when it is still too new to be managed or negotiated， remains by our side during childhood and adolescence， in those years before the weight of memory and expectation， and so it is sad and a little unsettling to see that we become， as we grow older， much less capable of touching， grazing， or even glimpsi （FROM MY BLOG）The present， we assume， is eternally before us， one of the few things in life from which we cannot be parted。 It overwhelms us in the painful first moments of entry into the world， when it is still too new to be managed or negotiated， remains by our side during childhood and adolescence， in those years before the weight of memory and expectation， and so it is sad and a little unsettling to see that we become， as we grow older， much less capable of touching， grazing， or even glimpsing it， 。。。。----------------In June， I described a trip that Pascal and I took to Sri Lanka in 2004。 I reprinted my journal's description of our ascent of Adam's Peak。 I'm sure that during our tour throughout the southern portion of Sri Lanka， we were aware of the continuing struggle of the Tamils in the Northeast for independence， and of the terrorist actions by both the Tamils （mostly Hindu， some Christian and others） and the Sinhalese majority （Buddhist） in the south。 I don't recall being concerned about the struggle， even though we spent a couple of days visiting the ruins at Anuradhapura， which is near the south's border with the Tamil north。 I may have been lulled into a sense of security by the fact that a formal cease fire -- often violated -- existed between the government and the Tamils from 2002 to 2007。 After the cease fire ended， the government achieved total military victory in 2009。This is all prelude to my having read a novel， set in the present， by Sri Lanka author Anuk Arudpragasam: A Passage North。 It's an unusual novel， containing far more impressions and contemplations than plot。 But it offers a vivid image of life in Sri Lanka and among Sri Lankans， and an interesting illustration of the life and thoughts of a contemporary， intelligent Tamil。Krishan is a Tamil who was born and raised in Colombo， the predominantly Sinhalese capital in the south。 He grew up in the same household as his mother， his grandmother Appamma， and Appamma's Tamil caretaker and eventual friend Rani， who had come to Colombo from the north to provide that care。 Krishan attended university in India， in the more cosmopolitan capital of Delhi， where he met and fell in love with an Indian student， Anjum。 He breaks up with Anjum， who is far more focused in her interests than is the somewhat dreamy Krishan。 Krishan's life is complicated when Rani， to whom he was somewhat attached， falls into a well during a visit back to her home village in the north and dies -- possibly but not conclusively a suicide。Although set in the present， the characters' lives and thoughts are haunted by the violence of the war。 Rani had lost both of her sons to war -- her eleven-year-old younger son killed before her eyes by shrapnel in the waning days of the war。 She is kind and friendly with Appamma， but suffers from progressive depression and emotional detachment from the world about her。 Krishan， growing up in Colombo， had been shielded from personal contact with the war， but while a student in Delhi finds himself obsessed with accounts and photographs of its horrors， and a sense of survivors' guilt for not having shared his people's sufferings。Much of the novel is given over to Krishan's thoughts and daydreams -- erudite passages that reflect Krishan's intellect and academic orientation， but also perhaps the concerns of the author。 Krishan gives a detailed and lengthy description of a Sanskrit "poem of yearning": The Cloud Messenger， a tale of a divine spirit （yaksha） who had been punished by exile from his home and family， and who pleads with a passing cloud to carry a message to his beloved wife。 The poem describes the wife's city as a place where flowers of every season bloom at once， which Krishan construes as proofthat all seasons were collapsed there into a single season， that time itself stood still or that all times were contained in a single time -- as though， the narrator was suggesting， in ordinary life we are pulled in different directions by our contradictory desires， so that what we imagine as heaven is a place where these conflicting longings are somehow reconciled， in which the separate and seemingly incompatible times of their fulfillment are brought together， uniting our otherwise divided souls。 Krishan， contemplating the ecstasy of being together with Anjum， concludes that it is only in such moments that one experiences reality， where the falsity of daily life becomes obvious。Krishan was grateful that they were part of the same place and the same time， that for now at least they were together in the same moment， a moment that contained not only what was proximate and what was distant but also what was past and what was future， a moment without length or breadth or height but which somehow contained everything of significance， as if everything else the world consisted of was a kind of cosmic scenery， an illusion that， now that it was being exposed， could quietly fall away。Krishan decides that， even when love dies， this knowledge that one acquires through love remains:。。。the knowledge that the world we ordinarily partake in is somehow not quite real， that time does not need to pass the way we usually experience it passing， that somehow it is possible to live and breathe and move in a single moment， that a single moment could be not a bead on an abacus of finite length but an ocean that can be entered into， whose distant shores can never be reached。The entire final section of the novel -- over a quarter of its length -- is devoted to Krishan's travel to the north to be present with Rani's Tamil family and fellow villagers at her funeral， and to witness in striking detail the cremation of her body。 He watches the smoke rising and dissipating into the sky， like a message to another world that would never be received。 Like the love-sick yaksha's cloud-borne message to his wife in the Sanskrit poem。Summarized， the novel sounds abstruse and perhaps boring。 In reality， I found it gripping and fascinating。 The author， in attempting to follow Krishan's thoughts， describes his surroundings and his actions in great detail， bringing to life the often strange （to us） world of Sri Lanka life， a world that is often strange but in some ways very familiar as well。 A book worth reading slowly， and -- although I haven't yet done so -- reading a second time。 。。。more
Scott Baird （Gunpowder Fiction and Plot）
，
Boring
Goutham Govindaraj
，
I've always wanted to understand about the Srilankan Civil war from the perspective of someone from who was born in Srilanka。 I started this book with a notion that its going to have a lot of content about war， the North and East of SL that was affected by the war and about the people。 But this book is much more than that。 It revolves around the life of Krishnan， a Tamil boy who lives in Colombo。 The narration is so beautiful， the timeline seamlessly changes from past to the present at a lot of I've always wanted to understand about the Srilankan Civil war from the perspective of someone from who was born in Srilanka。 I started this book with a notion that its going to have a lot of content about war， the North and East of SL that was affected by the war and about the people。 But this book is much more than that。 It revolves around the life of Krishnan， a Tamil boy who lives in Colombo。 The narration is so beautiful， the timeline seamlessly changes from past to the present at a lot of points。 The best part of this book is that， the author didn't just write about the extravagant events， rather he have given importance even to the mundane events in his day to day life which helps us to connect with the book even more。 The character of Rani， who is from the North where the war happened。， The grief and trauma of the war， the toll it imposes upon the people affected by the war has been shown through her。 You really feel sad that innocent people have to undergo such trauma。 This book is more authentic and it'll definitely surprise you。❤️I'm now looking forward to read the other book of Anuk Arudpragasam。 Such a gifted writer❤️ 。。。more
Arunaa （IG: rebelarunaareads）
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What a gifted writer Anuk Arudpragasam is。 A moving story so rich in pathos that tugs at the heart's strings。 A poignant masterpiece。 Pathos。 Moved me to tears。 Truly deepfelt。 Touching。 I'd be happy to see this book winning the #2021BookerPrize。 5 stellar stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🕊️So here is Krishan in 'A Passage North'， who anatomized the depths of his heart。 He sieved through fragile memories， unearthing the delicate layers。 He bares himself giving us the various textures of his yearnings and desolation。 What a gifted writer Anuk Arudpragasam is。 A moving story so rich in pathos that tugs at the heart's strings。 A poignant masterpiece。 Pathos。 Moved me to tears。 Truly deepfelt。 Touching。 I'd be happy to see this book winning the #2021BookerPrize。 5 stellar stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🕊️So here is Krishan in 'A Passage North'， who anatomized the depths of his heart。 He sieved through fragile memories， unearthing the delicate layers。 He bares himself giving us the various textures of his yearnings and desolation。 With time and deep ruminations during his train journeys， he examined the griefs， looking them in the mind's eye。 He articulated his feelings so eloquently， assigning the right expressions to these otherwise inexplicable feelings。 Even the void。 He has a sharpened spatial awareness。 Becomes perceptive of all he sees and feels。 🕊️Reading this book felt like I was experiencing a beautiful symphony。 Felt I was part of Krishan's journey to Kilinochchi too。 To the ground zero of the civil war and Tamils Genocide。 An X-ray vision into the visceral humanness and ugliness。 🕊️There were significant yet harrowing anecdotes from the civil war in Sri Lanka - the Tamils Genocide。 He narrated a funeral episode of Rani， his grandmother's caretaker who passed away。 Rani coralled in her infernal suffering and underwent unspeakable trauma。 Her death was a tragic one to comprehend。The soundscapes， sightscapes he witnessed at the funeral became an epiphany for him。 It dawned on him that the entire bereavement process allowed time and space for those left behind to find a footing while processing their permanent loss。 I teared reading the passages as I felt the grief too。 🕊️Krishan was analytical yet compassionate when he spoke of the woman he loved and lost。 Still wondering the why and what if。 The emotional valences between Anjum and him was drawn parallel to the equation between Rani and his grandmother。 The writer penned into his story his deep introspection of love， intimacy， romance， sex， the limbo， separation， the missing， reminiscing and the longing。The beautiful memories he made with her， his yearnings for her affection withheld him from letting go。 Unrequited love。 Grieves。 🕊️As he processed the grief， he accepted the loss and finally let go。 It becomes less painful， a lot lighter and more of a gratification。 Krishan shows grieving is a journey。 So were the bouts of addiction when one couldn't cope conventionally。 🕊️This is a story of resilience between life and death。 An account of all that has to be accounted for。 The affirmation of loss and yearnings。 Nothing triggering。 In fact it was assuaging。 This story is a gift for me。 I'll treasure the company it gave me。 Felt less lonlier and less lost。 A book on longing and remembering。 🕊️And what a calming narration by Neil Shah。 Made this immersive read all the more therapeutic。 🕊️#AnukArudpragasam #APassageNorth #publiclibrarysg #thebookerprize #whatareyoureadingsg #readingnationsg #bookstagram #read #pathos #book #booklover #bookreview #igreads #sgbookstagram #bookstagram #bookerprize #thebookerprize #booksofinstagram #finestfiction #grantabooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #goodreads #hogarthbooks #randomhouse #grantabooks 。。。more
Aayushi Jain
，
A Passage North is one of the books that gets hyped a lot， even chosen for prominent book prizes yet still remains unsatisfactory。 I would not say that the book is not worth giving a read or a waste of time， not at all， it is brilliant at places and sometimes makes you think What Even！ Anuk Arudpragasam is a gifted writer， he was aware of what he was writing， he structured it beautifully， in fact。 I loved his analysis of Kalidasa's Meghadutam （The Cloud Messenger）， the history of Gautam Buddha a A Passage North is one of the books that gets hyped a lot， even chosen for prominent book prizes yet still remains unsatisfactory。 I would not say that the book is not worth giving a read or a waste of time， not at all， it is brilliant at places and sometimes makes you think What Even！ Anuk Arudpragasam is a gifted writer， he was aware of what he was writing， he structured it beautifully， in fact。 I loved his analysis of Kalidasa's Meghadutam （The Cloud Messenger）， the history of Gautam Buddha and a documentary （whose name I can't recall）。 I've read Meghadutam in great detail and reading Arudpragasam's explication of Meghadutam was refreshing for me。 I was already aware of the story of the awakening of Buddha and I loved it in the book。 The parts where he unfolds the horrors of Sri-Lankan Civil War were harrowing and at one point very graphic， however， necessary。There is no single dialogue in the book， everything is told with Krishan's perspective albeit in a third person。 Due to an omniscient narrator it was easy to understand emotional development and stage of every character。 Arudpragasam has used the famous （and my favorite） literary device of stream of consciousness。 I was impressed with the beginning pages where the device was at its full potential with crisp long sentences and even longer paragraphs serving justice to the prose and the story。 But that was that。If you ask me what didn't work for me， it was the breaks， the perennial deformed ruptures that were not maintaining a momentum in the narration。 I know you expect this in stream of consciousness but here， this device was used forcefully， as if the author wanted to use it deliberately。 It broke the beautiful stream for me。 Also， I wonder what purpose did Anjum serve in the book？ It was only about the trauma of a man called Krishan。 Yes， there was Rani， of course， if it wasn't for her， the beauty of her character and funeral captured by the author， I'd have left the book in the middle。 Rani was the passive character yet omnipresent。 She broke my heart at times。 I wish she was real and I could also touch her feet。I won't ask you to not read this book。 Do read it but don't expect much from it。 It does deserve to be longlisted for The Booker Prize but I'll be shocked to see it shortlisted。 Ratings: 3。75/5Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy。 。。。more
Jan
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To be very fair， this book is extremely well written。 It was me who was not in the right frame of mind to read this introspective or to consider， in any depth， the main character's inner conflicts and musings。 To be very fair， this book is extremely well written。 It was me who was not in the right frame of mind to read this introspective or to consider， in any depth， the main character's inner conflicts and musings。 。。。more
Cassandra Stevens
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 DNF 31%。 It took from 31% to 71% for him to get to Ranis house for her funeral。 I am sorry， maybe this was lost on me， who knows but my goodness this was some over pretentious waffle all about （in a cave mans terms） a bloke， his grandma， her career， a death， a train ride and and a funeral。Gave it my all to read， I know people might get all hopety about my review and if you loved and enjoyed it I am pleased for you。 For me this just was unnecessary and not my cup of tea。 4 pages to smoke a cigare DNF 31%。 It took from 31% to 71% for him to get to Ranis house for her funeral。 I am sorry， maybe this was lost on me， who knows but my goodness this was some over pretentious waffle all about （in a cave mans terms） a bloke， his grandma， her career， a death， a train ride and and a funeral。Gave it my all to read， I know people might get all hopety about my review and if you loved and enjoyed it I am pleased for you。 For me this just was unnecessary and not my cup of tea。 4 pages to smoke a cigarette isn't arty and inspiring， it's frustrating。 Yet the book was well written and beautiful in places。 。。。more
Santanu Bhattacharya
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It takes some time to get into the rhythm of this novel， but once you’re flowing with its ebbs and flows， it’s the most rewarding experience。 Long sentences， paragraphs that go on for pages， the same thought repeated in many ways， popping back in at different points， it’s a brave and different style， something current authors are advised not to do。 So I’m glad that the author really doubled down on it。 The language itself is accessible， reading the text is like walking through the protagonist’s It takes some time to get into the rhythm of this novel， but once you’re flowing with its ebbs and flows， it’s the most rewarding experience。 Long sentences， paragraphs that go on for pages， the same thought repeated in many ways， popping back in at different points， it’s a brave and different style， something current authors are advised not to do。 So I’m glad that the author really doubled down on it。 The language itself is accessible， reading the text is like walking through the protagonist’s consciousness。 Every thought is important， holds weight， worthy of stopping and taking note of。 Every observation is astute， even the most mundane things。 And through it all is woven a strong sense of longing， a longing to be a part of something that gives life meaning。 Sometimes the characters know what it is but can never attain it， sometimes they don’t， sometimes they stumble upon it in the most unexpected ways。 Time folds over and extends in this book。 The subcontinent is a beautiful rich real vital place， not romanticised， not simplified， not glorified。 The detours into historical text， be it the Meghadootam or the story of Buddha or Poosal， are beautifully embedded in the narrative。 Snippets of political history around Sri Lanka’s separatist movements don’t feel jarring at all。 The book is as educative as it is contemplative。 It takes a while to shake it off。 There were a few proof errors in my copy。 And a vital factual error that I have flagged to publishers。 Surprised it passed the checks。 But otherwise， go for it。 。。。more
sisterimapoet
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When I first began this novel it felt quite dense and impenetrable but before too long I started to become absorbed by Krishan's account。 Almost a stream of consciousness existential exploration of his thoughts and feelings about various things， deftly structured around his reaction to the death of Rani， and the journey to her funeral。 Immersive and engaging， I'm not sure I learned a great deal about Sri Lankan politics， history or society but I feel I got to know an individual and his family （a When I first began this novel it felt quite dense and impenetrable but before too long I started to become absorbed by Krishan's account。 Almost a stream of consciousness existential exploration of his thoughts and feelings about various things， deftly structured around his reaction to the death of Rani， and the journey to her funeral。 Immersive and engaging， I'm not sure I learned a great deal about Sri Lankan politics， history or society but I feel I got to know an individual and his family （at least through his eyes） quite well。 。。。more
Manasa Tantravahi
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I can just say this journey。。 Was long。 Note to self: Stick to the South。
Foxed Folios
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4*
Andrea Barlien
，
Reading this while also reading In Memory of Memory has been quite enriching， I think。 Both books wonder at the pieces that we remember and why we remember them as we do。 The power of the past is a message in both books and it was a privilege to consider them together。 A Passage North is more of a reflection on the aftermath of a war but the significance of the violence and loss are so palpable that it is as if it’s about the violence and the loss。 Krishan however seems so devoid that what could Reading this while also reading In Memory of Memory has been quite enriching， I think。 Both books wonder at the pieces that we remember and why we remember them as we do。 The power of the past is a message in both books and it was a privilege to consider them together。 A Passage North is more of a reflection on the aftermath of a war but the significance of the violence and loss are so palpable that it is as if it’s about the violence and the loss。 Krishan however seems so devoid that what could be quite a loud imposing story is both quiet and reflective while bathing the reader in the horrors of the previous decades。 Long listed for the Booker Prize I’m very glad I read this。 。。。more
Robert
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The journey is a constant feature in literature， within this ‘genre’ A character goes on a voyage and ends up reflecting upon themselves， or coming to a realisation about their existence or even rejecting everything and they just keep on travelling until something happens to them。 Some examples: The Savage Detectives， The Stone Junction ， The Exodus narratives。 In the film world Pixar built it’s entire career on the importance of the journey， and that’s just naming one cause that can go on forev The journey is a constant feature in literature， within this ‘genre’ A character goes on a voyage and ends up reflecting upon themselves， or coming to a realisation about their existence or even rejecting everything and they just keep on travelling until something happens to them。 Some examples: The Savage Detectives， The Stone Junction ， The Exodus narratives。 In the film world Pixar built it’s entire career on the importance of the journey， and that’s just naming one cause that can go on forever as well。Anuk Arudpragasam’s A Passage North is also a journey novel:One afternoon， main protagonist， Krishan discovers two messages。 One is about his grandmother’s carer dying and the other is from a girl he had a relationship with back in Delhi。 Krishan then decides that the right thing to do is attend the funeral of the carer， despite the fact that it is in the north of Sri Lanka， which suffered under the civil war。The book is divided into 10 chapters。 One could say that they focus on a premise and it is explored in a philosophical manner。 One chapter is about death， another one is about the many faces of love， another is about politics， especially the Tamil Tigers。 These sections are not just cod philosophy: Arudpragasam digs deep and as Krishan is analysing his life he begins to notice that maybe all the problems which occurred could have been anticipated， like his break up or the carer’s actual death but at the same time an sort of existential mentality begins to overcome him。As this book is full of Philosophical meditations， there is no clear answer: some realisations， but nothing concrete。 As all journeys end : the analogy that life is a journey is strong in the book， Krishan finally knows that this journey has ended once he sees the carer being cremated。 i。e everything ends in flames。A Passage North is open to many interpretations， and who knows， maybe mine is incorrect but it is this aspect of the book that will divide readers。 This is a rambly novel， filled with long sentences which need reflecting after reading。 Some may enjoy it （me） some may find it off-putting so I am hesitant in recommending it。 If you are ok with philosophical （and I mean PROPER philosophical， not the Alchemist） novels then I do suggest one reads it。 Trust me， in it’s odd way the reader will benefit form these meditations。 。。。more
Ben
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Beautifully written but an absolute slog to get through。
Ari Levine
，
Longlisted for the 2021 Booker PrizeThis is a slow and ruminative novel of ideas， reminiscent of W。G。 Sebald and Thomas Bernhard。 Arudpragsam uses third-person narration to follow the subtle fluctuations of the mind of Krishan， a sensitive and bookish man in his mid-20s。 The plot of the novel （such as it is） follows his one-way train journey from Colombo to a Tamil village in northeast Sri Lanka to attend the funeral of his grandmother's caretaker， Rani。 Along the way， fragments of his own past， Longlisted for the 2021 Booker PrizeThis is a slow and ruminative novel of ideas， reminiscent of W。G。 Sebald and Thomas Bernhard。 Arudpragsam uses third-person narration to follow the subtle fluctuations of the mind of Krishan， a sensitive and bookish man in his mid-20s。 The plot of the novel （such as it is） follows his one-way train journey from Colombo to a Tamil village in northeast Sri Lanka to attend the funeral of his grandmother's caretaker， Rani。 Along the way， fragments of his own past， his family's past， and Rani's past start rising to the surface of his consciousness， along with philosophical digressions into the nature of time， allusions to Tamil epic poetry， and allegories of the life of the Buddha。 But mostly， the novel follows two mental threads， as Krishan processes the traumatic violence of the Sri Lankan Civil War （which permanently shattered Rani's psyche） and memories of the arc of his own affair with an elusive woman and fellow activist （over whom he melancholically obsesses）。I found this incredibly moving， both emotionally and intellectually， if read at the proper speed and in a receptive frame of mind。 So far， it's my second favorite of this year's Booker longlist， after Damon Galgut's The Promise。 。。。more
Maxwell
，
[4。5 stars]Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize There are so many layers to peel back in this novel。 From meditations on war， particularly a civil war， and the repercussions it has on a nation and its people， to the effects of time and how we seek to escape or inhabit it from our various vantage points， Anuk Arudpragasam takes a simple story and manages to weave together a rich story of trauma， loss， and the connections that bind us as humans to one another。Krishan， a Sri Lankan Tamil young man， [4。5 stars]Longlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize There are so many layers to peel back in this novel。 From meditations on war， particularly a civil war， and the repercussions it has on a nation and its people， to the effects of time and how we seek to escape or inhabit it from our various vantage points， Anuk Arudpragasam takes a simple story and manages to weave together a rich story of trauma， loss， and the connections that bind us as humans to one another。Krishan， a Sri Lankan Tamil young man， returns from a few years abroad in India to his home country。 His grandmother is ill and has a caretaker named Rani who has unexpectedly died in her northern village while on a trip there to memorialize her sons lost during the civil war。 Krishan takes a train journey to attend her funeral as a representative of his family。 Along the way， he recalls various events in his life as well as the events of his country， and ruminates on topics of love， desire， yearning， and our callings in life。 The sentences in this book are long。 Sometimes half a page or more， and there is basically no dialogue。 The paragraph breaks， even， are sparse， and Arudpragasam loves a good comma。 However， these particularly elements， which normally intimidate me and make me expect a slow read， leant themselves to a very lyrical， flowing prose style。 The writing is sort of stream-of-consciousness and used to flow in and out of time， moving between Krishan's present and jumping back into memories as he recalls them on his journey。 The author uses the journey storyline to explore the various topics in a natural and moving way。 While the plot is simple and relatively uneventful， it never felt boring。 I was always intrigued where Krishan's mind would wander， and over time I would eagerly anticipate the profound observations and musings he'd relate。 Arudpragasam clearly has his PhD in Philosophy; the way that he imbues philosophical quandaries into the narrative to allow Krishan to reflect and try and sort through his feelings was excellent。At the same time， for this reason， it did， only occasionally， take me out of the story。 I think with time， and perhaps a re-read， I'll be able to appreciate， even more， this choice and come to glean something deeper from the text （I'm reminded of a fellow Booker nominee （and winner） [Book: The Sense of an Ending] which I had a much stronger， positive reaction to upon a re-read）。 I also can't wait to discuss this one with the book club since there are so many elements to dissect， and every reader may find something particular to focus on or relate to in this multifaceted story。So happy this was longlisted， and I'd be surprised （and sad） if it isn't shortlisted。 I'd even be happy to see it win because it has a quality to it that I expect will make it long-lasting， and I'm sure if Arudpragasam continues to write， he will be a force in the literary world for years to come。 。。。more
Chinmaya Lal
，
Except a few passages and descriptions that feel imposed and inorganic， 'A Passage North' is a fiercely intelligent novel。 Just one reading is enough for anyone to understand that the author Anuk Arudpragasam gives a lot of thought to not only what he writes about but also to how he writes about the same。 It is an understatement to suggest that Arudpragasam is a talent to watch out for as he provides searing and probing portraits of contemporary south Asia/Sri Lanka in a unique voice that is mea Except a few passages and descriptions that feel imposed and inorganic， 'A Passage North' is a fiercely intelligent novel。 Just one reading is enough for anyone to understand that the author Anuk Arudpragasam gives a lot of thought to not only what he writes about but also to how he writes about the same。 It is an understatement to suggest that Arudpragasam is a talent to watch out for as he provides searing and probing portraits of contemporary south Asia/Sri Lanka in a unique voice that is measured， self-conscious， and yet deeply intimate with the history of the region and that of the various peoples inhabiting it。 。。。more
Tamara
，
Deserves to make the Booker shortlist。 I liked The Promise and China Room better。 Of the eight I’ve read from the longlist， this is my third favorite。
Gitu Sharma
，
Absolutely loved it！ He writes so beautifully
Millie Stephen
，
My 2nd Booker read was A Passage North started well， but after about 50 pages it lost its spark for me and I was very， very tempted to DNF but powered through and tbh I wish I had。 The main character was very self-centered， the sentences never seemed to end （just like the book…） and there was a severe lack of dialogue。 I did enjoy the story of the grandmother ‘Appamma’ though and found her story rather lovely - but apart from that this book wasn’t for me。 It takes a look into the trauma and impa My 2nd Booker read was A Passage North started well， but after about 50 pages it lost its spark for me and I was very， very tempted to DNF but powered through and tbh I wish I had。 The main character was very self-centered， the sentences never seemed to end （just like the book…） and there was a severe lack of dialogue。 I did enjoy the story of the grandmother ‘Appamma’ though and found her story rather lovely - but apart from that this book wasn’t for me。 It takes a look into the trauma and impact of the Sri Lankan war and the politics of Sri Lanka。 It has a really good premise and I was hoping to love it but it was not for me。 。。。more
Elaine
，
This book was not for me - it's a slow meditative distanced book on trauma and vision， and desire and loss。 It takes place against the background of the still-fresh trauma of Sri Lanka's civil war as experienced by the Tamils， but we experience that （and most of the book） through removed lens， as our narrator， a young man， tries to understand the experiences of an older woman who is left indelibly scarred by her losses in the war。 The problem is that Arudpragasam uses so many words - so many hea This book was not for me - it's a slow meditative distanced book on trauma and vision， and desire and loss。 It takes place against the background of the still-fresh trauma of Sri Lanka's civil war as experienced by the Tamils， but we experience that （and most of the book） through removed lens， as our narrator， a young man， tries to understand the experiences of an older woman who is left indelibly scarred by her losses in the war。 The problem is that Arudpragasam uses so many words - so many heady philosophical winding words - that the emotional impact felt muted to me （as I believe it does to Krishan， our narrator， who spends his time in self-analysis and reminiscence）。 The most vivid parts of the book are when the narrator recounts stories， poems， or most memorably， a film， that has influenced him。 These interludes contrast with Krishan's painstaking dry recounting - different textures and rhythms briefly add color to the story， before returning us to the lull of Krishan's memories and musings。 As others have said， Krishan， a stifled， almost suffocated character， afraid always of doing the wrong thing and （likely because of his own PTSD） almost entirely devoid of strong emotion， is the least interesting thing about the book - and yet he is most of it。 The glimpses of the war and the atrocities inflicted on the Tamils are of course harrowing。 But they are just that - glimpses。 I could appreciate the artistry with which Arudpragsam works away at the mystery of PTSD， individual and cultural， without ever truly being drawn into the book。 Maybe in the end， it's a peculiarly male book - a story of a young man trying and failing to understand the women who surround him， lover， mother， grandmother， and Rani， the war victim he tries and fails to save， and any of the women would have been a more compelling center。 If you like me are interested in Sri Lanka， its fiction and its recent tragic history， I highly recommend Nayomi Munaweera's novels， as well as the stories of Romesh Gunesekera。 。。。more
Atri
，
An introspective sojourn tracing the protagonist's metamorphosis and his coming to terms with the pivotal events of his life， the causes and consequences of his decisions。 Arudpragasam explores the spectrum of emotions through the philosophical vein he adopts， reifying abstractions and lyrically evoking the imperceptible changes， that one is always oblivious of， except from the vantage point of time and experience。 The transmutation of the self， the intensely subjective desire and yearning， are An introspective sojourn tracing the protagonist's metamorphosis and his coming to terms with the pivotal events of his life， the causes and consequences of his decisions。 Arudpragasam explores the spectrum of emotions through the philosophical vein he adopts， reifying abstractions and lyrically evoking the imperceptible changes， that one is always oblivious of， except from the vantage point of time and experience。 The transmutation of the self， the intensely subjective desire and yearning， are attuned to the kaleidoscopic range of situations - the concatenation of place and chance， the impingement of political realities on the psyche supposedly ensconced in the private sphere， and the subterranean arc of destiny that defines these unique configurations。Listening to the sounds of the waves breaking gently against the rocks， the birds flapping their wings against the push of the warm breeze， he gradually became less restive， the present ceasing to be a void and becoming instead， for a short period of time， a place he could inhabit comfortably and securely。 。。。more
Andy Weston
，
Not for me I’m afraid。 I struggled to finish it。 I had hoped for something different from it， having spent sometime in Sri Lanka just after the war。
Sarah Benjamin
，
Set in Sri Lanka this book cleverly sets out the history of ethnic conflict in the country in the late 20th Century by describing how a young man comes to be taking a long journey from south to north of the island to attend a funeral The relationships between family members are set out and developed in detail with tenderness and a perceptive eye 。The decline in an elderly grandmother is worsened by her isolation and the family employs a caretaker for her who has her own health problems linked to Set in Sri Lanka this book cleverly sets out the history of ethnic conflict in the country in the late 20th Century by describing how a young man comes to be taking a long journey from south to north of the island to attend a funeral The relationships between family members are set out and developed in detail with tenderness and a perceptive eye 。The decline in an elderly grandmother is worsened by her isolation and the family employs a caretaker for her who has her own health problems linked to post traumatic syndrome related to atrocities experienced during the civil war in the country 。I loved the setting as well as the characters and read the book in one sitting 。The combination of family saga and journey tied up with recent historical events make this book an enjoyable read 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=A Passage North
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=A Passage North&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,A Passage North&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0