Reef

by Romesh Gunesekera

Book Overview

The "incandescent" (New York Times Book Review) coming-of-age-story and debut novel by the acclaimed Booker Prize finalist Romesh Gunesekera

Triton loved living in Mister Salgado's house. It was the biggest house he had ever seen--filled with floors to sweep and silver to polish and meals to cook and adults to impress and a brilliant master whose voice was poetry. And people from all over the world came to the house-- to sell...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1573225339
• ISBN13: 9781573225335
• Release Date: February 1996
• Publisher: Riverhead Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.0" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Finding a place

A finalist for Britain's prestigious Booker Prize, "Reef" is the story of a Sri Lankan boy who carves out a place for himself in a precarious world.Animated by the lyrical narration of Triton, whose simple, focused voice resounds with enthusiasm and curiosity, mixed with the ignorance of the humble and uneducated, this is a touching, absorbing, entertaining novel.In the first pages, Triton is an adult, a restaurant owner in England, who stops at a gas station and encounters a cowering immigrant attendant who begs his help in figuring out his new job.Triton is plunged into the memories of 20 years before in Sri Lanka when, on the eve of a "bungled coup" he is scarcely aware of, he was brought to work at age 11 for Mister Salgado, a brooding scientist with a pessimistic passion for the nation's coral reefs."Mister Salgado's house was the centre of the universe, and everything in the world took place within its enclosure."His life shadowed by the hated figure of Joseph, the manservant, young Triton secures some pieces of onion to rub on the man's bed pallet. But suddenly there's an eruption of screams from next door. The old wife, it turns out, has tied her unfaithful husband in the bath and rubbed him all over with chilli powder. Triton chucked away his onion quarters; "they seemed too tame, but I was not ready to use chilli yet."But soon, after a scene of abuse Triton can never speak of, Joseph is banished from the house and Triton has what he wants. He has Mr. Salgado to himself and he goes about his work with single-minded dedication, anticipating his employer's wishes, reading his books, emulating him in small matters like list-making.But even this is not enough. With the outside world irrelevant, except as it affects the mood and movements of his master, Triton, an ambitious man even if he doesn't know it, transforms himself into a chef extraordinaire. There is nothing he cannot create.And a new, exciting presence at the house, Nili, a woman with an appreciative appetite, and a salutary effect on Mr. Salgado, spurs Triton to go all out. The food is "more than good. I knew, because I can feel it inside me when I get it right. It's a kind of energy that revitalizes every cell in my body. Suddenly everything becomes possible and the whole world, that before seemed slowly to be coming apart at the seams, pulls together."The house enjoys a resurgence of love and energy but outside events intrude, eroding their homelife and threatening their physical safety. Triton ignores politics as no concern of his, but no one can remain apart from the world, although it doesn't necessarily do any harm to try.Absorbed in his art, focused on his master, Triton finds contentment and satisfaction which he conveys in simple, delectable language and deceptively offhand anecdotes. Triton is a captivating character and Gunesekera a subtle, graceful writer with a rich feel for language.

What a Great Book

This is a GREAT BOOK. What a simple story told in so many beautiful prose. Its so close to the human heart - feelings and thoughts. Romesh indeed exposed us to something that we have never felt before. A precious GEM. I Highly recommend this book to all students and adults who really what to read a story so far away yet so close to our heart. I have given this book to everyone I know.

a mesmerizing tale

This short novel has so many dimensions that it is hard to say where to start. It is a beautiful description of the growing up from a shy boy to a confident professional of Triton, the servant. It has as a background the change in the Sri Lankan society and the decay of the ruling class. Through Mr Salando, Nili and his friends we get a good view on the differences between East and West. To see the 70's hippie, going to India to seek whatever it is, suddenly turn up as a very destructive force in the Eastern cultural fabric is quite hilarious. Above all, it is a beautiful story, told in a very poetical way and never failing to make the reader feel part of it.. Finally, the scenes in London are, again, painted with a beautifully fine brush. I will on my visits to London never again look at an Asian shopkeeper or restaurant owner in the same way....

A growing-up story by a new author.

Romesh Gunesekera, a Sri Lankan writer currently living in London, made his debut with this extraordinary novel about a young man whose existence is devoted to being a servant. Rising from a simple domestic to the exclusive cook, the main character observes his master's slow fall from grace as Sri Lankan society changes with the times. Although it is reminiscent of Ishiguro's _The Remains of the Day_, both Gunesekera's subject matter and style are distinctly different. His lush details make this book extraordinarily intense, and his characters range from deeply tragic to tragically humorous.

If you loved Remains of the Day, you'll love Reef.

This glimpse of post colonial Sri Lanka as seen through theeyes of Mister Salgado's manservant, Triton, is reminiscent of Remainsof the Day. Remarkably original (and hilarious) descriptions of eating and drinking Sri Lankan style highlight this ultimately poignant story of a revolution run amok.