Harris Blogs

"You considered neither 'faggot' nor 'homo' nor 'queer' as slurs because you were none of these things. You were simply a handsome man who enjoyed beautiful boys" - The Seven Moon of Maali Almeida , Shehan Karunatilaka Buy from Amazon I feel this quote is simple yet stunningly beautiful (not for its homosexuality content) because it points to the meaninglessness of naming and defining things and how far names and definitions could be away from the truth. It mocks compartmentalizations and isms and rips straitjackets. Your emotions and the essence of your existence are dynamic and fluctuating every moment as the universe itself (And concerning 'moment' I'm yet to know if it is a second or a millisecond or a femtosecond or even smaller). By the time you call someone gay, their mind might have slipped into some other shade of sexuality or even one of the million subtle nuances of being gay itself. Language fails and is inadequate as it cannot ...

  The order of the above list is as per how I liked them. My perception says that Treacle Walker by Alan Garner is the best on the list as far as the literary value of the work is concerned. Hence, its placement at the topmost position. Which means if I were the sole Booker judge, I would have handed over the prize to Alan Garner However, I guess this year’s Booker might go to the next title on the list, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka. It would then be the first ever Booker for Sri Lanka. Here are the synopses of the books: Treacle Walker by Alan Garner: It's about the friendship between an older man and a little boy. There is a beautiful portrayal of the innocent and carefree world of childhood. Different times blend seamlessly. Spaces mix too, and the real world at times looks magical. There is hardly a solid plot or a rounded story, but the sheer exuberance of language beats all others on the shortlist. The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karun...