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Chinaman

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Chinaman

By: Shehan Karunatilaka
Narrated by: Shivantha Wijesinha
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover the blazing debut novel from the Booker Prize winning author.

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

©2011 Shehan Karunatilaka (P)2023 Penguin Audio Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Sports Tiger

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Critic reviews

"The strength of the book lies in its energy, its mixture of humour and heartwrenching emotion, its twisting narrative, its playful use of cricketing facts and characters, and its occasional blazing anger about what Sri Lanka has done to itself..." (Kamila Shamsie)

"A crazy ambidextrous delight." (Michael Ondaatje)

"Bristling with energy and confidence." (Sunday Times)

Featured article: Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka on a rare Sri Lankan story that didn’t involve the civil war


We absolutely loved listening to Shehan Karunatilaka’s The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, so when his debut novel Chinaman was released as an audiobook earlier this year, we couldn’t wait to ask him about it.

Featured article Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka on a rare Sri Lankan story that didn’t involve the civil war
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This is an extraordinary book of incredible writing quality. Tragic, playful, humorous, loving, angry and wise.
This 100% a time when it’s definitely better to listen than read as the performed reading adds another layer of nuance and understanding - and keeps the flow for English readers who’d stutter with Sri Lankan proper names and Singhalese dialogue.

Exceptional

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.. but I adore this book, the dry humour, brutal undercurrent, and excellent narration.

I'm not even a fan of cricket

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The depiction of personal relationships, culture and cricket in Sri Lanka creates pictures, atmosphere and insights. All draped over a quest that is the last “life’s work” of the main protagonist. It has a gentle but insistent rhythm and humour, punctuated by starkness that drew me in and along effortlessly. Thoroughly enjoyable read.

The humanity in the story.

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A magical story which explores so many topics (obsession, addiction, familial pressure) with such wonderful and vivid prose.

The ending is superb and the recital is great.

My favourite quote is of The Yorkshireman "he made enemies faster than he made runs".

A magical story

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I started reading this and abandoned it, I went back and chuckled when the author said you’ve got to page 7 checked the back to see if said it’s about cricket ! Can I get a refund ? I know nothing about cricket and perhaps know a bit more but this book has so many depths and sub stories about love, friendship, sport, addiction, religion all wrapped in fabulous wit I’m glad I didn’t go for the refund

Do not overlook this book it’s just wonderful

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This is a book filled with conversations, contradictory stories, where the reader's perception of reality is constantly challenged by unreliable narrators. I enjoy being misled as such and listening to these stories and discovering every character.

intriguing and fascinating

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