Admired Sri Lankan Writer

Reef, by Romesh Gunesekera, the Sri Lankan writer, is one of the most beautifully written books I've evr read. It is small, yet detailed and subtle. Every word evoked the Sri Lankan land and seascape. The descriptions of the surrounding vegetation, and of the food, which was a focal point, was real.

The words are precise, and not superfluous. Just the way a book should be written.

Triton worked as a cook for Ranjan Salgado, who researched the sea. Nili came to live with Salgado. Friends and parties happened. Then Salgado and Nini quarelled, and split.

Salgado and Triton went to London. Salgado returned to Sri Lanka hearing that Nili was in a sanatorium. Triton stayed back and worked at his own restaurant.

Throughout the book, there was a lot of interwoven description about the Sri Lankan insurgency. But nowhere was there any jerky movements in the pace of the novel. Everything was smooth and believable.