Great play based onAmerican consumer dream

Reviewed by R. S. Karunaratne

Senaratne Weerasinghe's 'Velendekuge Maranaya' is the authentic Sinhala version of Arthur Miller's penetrating drama "Death of a Salesman." Although the drama may not have drawn the attention of Sri Lankan readers, it marked the climax of Arthur Miller's career as a dramatist. When the play went on the boards in the United States of America, it won the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics' Award in 1949. It also received rave reviews from critics. Michael Billington wrote, "Miller puts more of America on to the stage than one would have thought possible... It is a beautiful play in which private and public themes perfectly mesh." "Daily Telegraph" called it "the best-made as well as the most courageous and emotionally compelling play to come from America since the war."

Velendekuge Maranaya Translator: Senaratne Weerasinghe Publisher: Fast Publishing (Pvt) Ltd.

"Death of a Salesman" was hailed as a great play because it questioned the American consumer dream for the first time on stage. Willy Loman, the central character in the play, is a 60-year-old Brooklyn salesman who says, "I still feel a kind of temporary about myself." Through the drama of his family quarrels, Willy emerges as an archetypal image of devouring insecurity and self-deception. On the other hand, Willy Loman is symbolic of a society that compels men and women to achieve material success at any cost.

Not only does Willy fail as a salesman but also he fails as the father and the head of the family. Can there be another tragedy for a man? Going by what is happening in the play, Willy would not have been happy even if he had succeeded as a salesman. This is heightened by allowing Willy Loman to die by his own hand and condemning the economic system that fashioned his fate.

One reason why Sri Lankan students skip this play at public examinations is that "Death of a Salesman" does not deal with a problem familiar to them. They hardly come across a salesman who runs panting in search of the will-o-the-wisp of financial success. However, are we not fast approaching an age in which education, marriage and life patterns are decided by economic success of a man? For instance, those who toil in Middle Eastern countries are only trying to change their social status in a world in which everything is decided in terms of money. There may not be anyone in Sri Lanka facing Willy Loman's predicament, but consumerism has come to stay and we must be prepared to face its repercussions.

Willy Loman remains a tragic character from the opening of the play to its end because he fails to achieve his ambition in life. What is more, he forces his sons to become successful in life and fails at the end. However, there is one character that arouses our sympathy, i.e. Linda. She remains a loyal wife to Willy and a devoted mother to her sons upto the very end of the play. As an innocent sufferer she deserves our sympathy.

Senaratne Weerasinghe who has many translations to his credit has successfully faced many challenges when he decided to translate "Death of a Salesman" into Sinhala. He would have found that to introduce the spirit of an American play in itself was an arduous task.

A thought-provoking play such as "Death of a Salesman" is full of psychological and sociological insight. Arthur Miller projects his theme in a dream world atmosphere. Only a capable translator can recreate the subtle symbols and contemporary idiom to suit local readers of the play.

I wish to quote two instances in which he deserves praise. "What the hell is going on in your head?" has been translated as "Mona mala ilavvakda thamusege oluve thiyenne? Again, "Biff is quarter back with the New York Giants" has been translated as "Biff New York kandayame honda kakulak."

When a literary work is translated into another language, some feelings, emotions and ideas tend to evaporate. This is inevitable. Subject to this proviso, Senaratne Weerasinghe's "Velendekuge Maranaya" has captured most of Arthur Miller's implied nuances, undertones and emotions that are central to the theme of the play.

Anthology of short stories with a difference

Reviewed by Ranga Chandrarathne

'Denethra' (eyes), is the first anthology of short stories by Nadimale Hek. Since the language is the medium for literature, a writer should always exercise care over the language used in his or her creative writings.

However, one cannot be a writer just because one has mastered the language. A skilful writer would avoid pitfalls in language and polish it to suit his or her purpose like a landscape architect would make a park out of beautiful greenery.

Denethra by Nadimale Hek

It is obvious if the author had been careful to avoid linguistic errors, the short stories would have been more effective and the author has also not properly edited the book. For instance, in the short story Ginigathi Lipa, same character has been referred to as Malinda and Daminda.

However, the short stories show a novel approach. The author has mentioned that short stories Perahand Kadaya, Ginigath Lipa, Denethra , Gullivers have been written in Borella while Salibage , Andaya saha Kora have been written in Dubai.

In the short story, Ginigath Lipa, the author skilfully depicts poverty which is a recurrent theme.

" We are a nation which eat rice and curry for three meals… Another remark heard during the elections. The wife had no sense of the statement and he or his family does not belong to such a generation.

It is because of that they have to each wild leaves in the village pond. "( Ginigath Lipa)

In the title story Denethra , the author captures the disturbed state of mind of an unmarried female garment factory worker who is longing to be seduced by the supervisor.

"Suddenly Kusumalatha had a strong impulse. She looked, for a moment, a rotten arecanut beam in the wattle and daub wall…

Damn ..chastity

Chastity …

Why should I protect it even after passing thirty five years "

The short story Gullivers deals with the life of Shan, a government servant in Nuwaragala who takes leaves to produce drama. Shan's friend is Jeevantha. Shan introduces Jeevantha to the field of drama whilst rehearsing for the production 'Is Goebbels really dead?'.

" … I would tell this to Jeevantha as I see that you come to the field not to go back . Some come here to make a name for themselves as dramatists or else they like to do something. Others come to train themselves for the small screen. Our stage is filled up with such people. But the biggest damage is caused by the so called experts in drama"

The author is bluntly critical of society. His critical voice is raised even in the introduction to the anthology. The anthology provides a novel dimension to Sinhalese short story. The anthology is a social critique and an eye opener to a nation of lotus eaters.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Reviewed by Pramod de Silva

Nothing much ever happens in Sweden, right ? We usually imagine an idyllic landscape where time stands still. Nothing could be further from the truth. True, Sweden has one of the highest standards of living in the world and it is also at the top of 'top places to live' lists. But if you believe the late Swedish journalist and author Stieg Larsson, Sweden is rife with crime and corruption.

Larsson died at the age of 50 without ever seeing any of his three books in print, but today, he has become a publishing sensation all over the world. An investigative journalist, Larsson detested the abuse of women and fought corruption in Swedish business and politics. These traits are portrayed in his main male character Mikael Blomkvist, a fearless investigative journalist working for the fictional Millennium magazine in Stockholm.

Set in Sweden, his three books (in order of publication) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (The Millennium Trilogy) are selling millions of copies in physical and digital versions, in Swedish, English and around 40 other languages. Although first published five years ago, it is only now that his books have entered the bestseller lists, after the English translation. In fact, Larsson recently became the first author to sell one million e-books through Amazon, without even counting e-book sales on Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBook, Sony Reader and other platforms.

The following review is of the first book in the series and I have to confess that I read the electronic version, on my iPod Touch. It is advisable to read the three books in sequence, because the events in one book flow to the other. This way, you also have time to get more familiar with the Swedish names for people and places and of course, with the varied characters themselves.

The basic plot is not all that complex (No spoilers, so read on). Tattoo is a violent mystery about the disappearance of a 16-year-old heiress named Harriet Vanger in 1966. For decades her absence has tortured her great-uncle Henrik Vanger, a powerful industrialist who's in his twilight years at 82. Henrik hires Blomkvist, whose career has been deep-sixed by a libel conviction spurred by his writing on a business empire, to investigate the disappearance. But before giving him the assignment, Vanger and his lawyer Frode hire Lisbeth Salander (she is the girl with the dragon tattoo), a researcher at Milton Security in Stockholm, to do a background check on Blomkvist. He learns about it later and is impressed by Salander's thorough report on him, which includes minute details about his life. He immediately realizes that Salander could be an ally in his investigation. He takes some time to figure out that Salander has a photographic memory and a knack for hacking into computers. The story is basically about how they work together to catch the culprit(s) responsible for Harriet's disappearance.

That would, of course, be making matters too simple. Tattoo is a multi-layered work that takes time to fathom. It is a work that should be savoured, just like the countless cups of coffee consumed by the protagonists in the story.

More than anything else, Larsson's book can be described as a tirade against the sexual exploitation of young girls and women in Sweden and other parts of the world. Although a work of fiction, the things he writes about happen every day in every part of the globe. In fact, Larsson's work was originally titled Men Who Hate Women (Man Som Hatar Kvinoor in Swedish). Be warned that his descriptions are graphic and the book should strictly be for those over 18. He spares no detail in describing the horrors that helpless young girls are subjected to at the hands of sexual predators. He also tackles animal cruelty - those with a faint heart may want to skip some of the descriptions there as well.

He also exposes the rampant corruption in corporate entities. Yes, the book is also a treatise on the abuse of power in business and political circles. Larsson's plot device for this expose is Wennerstrom Corporation, a fictional Swedish company.

Tattoo is also a tribute to investigative journalism, which is not in the best of health everywhere in the world. Our hero Blomkvist is the ideal journalist - fearless, forthright, curious, assertive and above all, a wielder of the pen for a good cause. He hunts for the truth literally risking his own life and finally gets it in both main strands of the story - his quest to find Harriet and to expose Wennerstrom.

Larsson has an almost magical ability to take us to the heart of the action, from the cold, dark alleys of Stockholm to the freezing village of Hedeby, where much of the story is set (a fictional island, though an actual Hedeby does exist in Germany). He reveals the twisted mentality of tormentors of women and serial killers, with astonishing clarity and finesse. The only flaw I noticed was Larsson's propensity for narrative excess on a number of occasions - he describes a computer system in great detail at one point, which is strictly not needed for the story. The translation is superb overall, in that it skillfully conveys the 'atmosphere' of the story.

But there are some instances where Keeland had used difficult or unfamiliar words which required referring to a dictionary. This presents no problem with electronic readers which have built-in pop-up dictionaries, but you may not want to hunt for a paper dictionary when the excitement has reached fever pitch.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is undoubtedly the best fiction book I have read so far this year. Thrilling, absorbing and fascinating, Tattoo sucks you in after the first few pages and doesn't let go until the final one. It has got all the ingredients for success - a determined hero, an unlikely heroine and plenty of intrigue and suspense. Go to your bookshop, give it a spin and like the Dragon Tattoo in the title, it will linger on long after the final page is read. And I have just begun reading 'The Girl Who Played With Fire', on my PC.

Writings of an erudite monk

Reviewed by Tenyson Perera

When we hear the name Ananda Maitreya two words delightedness (Ananda) and having loving kindness (Maitreya) come to our mind. The Ven. Thera promenaded for a long time on the soft clouds of our mind. We tried to draw in our minds a portrait of an unseen Buddha from him. It is with great wonder that the Maha Thera appeared in front of my mind's eye when I started turning the pages of the book, 'Unpublished letters of Ven. Ananda Maitreya. The pleasing way of writing this book is one. The other is the fact that this presentation comes from a young writer we know only too well.

Unpublished letters of Ven. Ananda Maitreya Maha Nayaka Thera Author: Samudra Wettasinghe Translated by Delicia Tillekeratne A Sarasavi Publication

Biographies of spiritual characters have been added to world literature for a long-time. There were many divine characters portrayed in the Upanishad stanzas. Buddhist literature enriched such divine or spiritual characters on a large-scale. 'Unpublished letters of Ven. Ananda Maitreya' stand out. To those who have read the great characters of the Buddhist clergy, this book sheds a new experience. In other words, Samudra Wettasingha's attempt no doubt creates a great interest and enthusiasm in readers who are tired of reading conventional biographies of religious figures. To those worthy people who are drowned in worldly fetters, religious literature would be a panacea for all ills. Even today Swami Vivekananda and Krishnamurti provide a divine inspiration to people.

The striking feature of this book is that it includes quotations and ideas of such eminent men to enrich the life of Ven. Ananda Maitreya. The author makes a concerted effort to protect the literary value of the book. Valuable information is given here on Krishnamurti and Adikaram. An account and a few photographs of Balavatsky, Anne Bessant and Ledbeater are also included in the book.

One may perhaps recollect the young author's going in search of the erudite Thera and drawing his attention, as an unusual happening. There is reference in the work such as 'Seeing that I loved reading dhamma books, the Maha Nayaka Thera presented me a large number of books. Even today those books are kept prominently in my library room. I saw two copies of 'Thoughts of Adikaram' in the Nayaka Thera's library. I felt reluctant to request it but later when I wrote to him, the Ven. Thera replied. You can take any book you need from my library. Accordingly I borrowed many books (Pgs 199-120)

Today it is difficult to borrow a book from another's library. To a person such as Ven. Thera there was nothing to hoard or protect. Samudra's love of books can be understood by books such as Tolstoy's and his contemporaries and Anton Chekhov's vision of life. A person who does not love books will never write a book of that nature. Considering the youth of today, who generally run after popular works will not write a book about a Maha Thera.

Fiction based on true story

Reviewed by M. B. Mathmaluwe

Piyadasa Welikannage's writings have won him acclaim, particularly, with his novels winning him several National Literary Awards and with one of them, "Sudu Sevaneli", being carried in the cinematic medium. He has now brought out a new novel which could be considered as based on the fall-out from the social, economic and moral regeneration that was triggered off by the introduction of the epoch making, piece of legislation, the Free Education Act' of 1945 by Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara, Minister of Education of the then-existing State Council.

Welikannage's novel is only a small tribute to this great piece of legislation.

Piyadasa Welikannage's (PW) story, 'Eya Apooru Lamayek", is about a little boy, with exceptional intelligence, aptitude for studies and hard working, born into a family sunk in abject poverty. The entire story is the depressing saga of starvation and shortages. In the boy's family it was particularly so, because his father was an inveterate addict to liquor and gambling and the much harassed mother was the economic mainstay of the family.

How terrible this poverty was, as portrayed by PW, needs some expatiation because it is of great relevance to the story.

The author does it in graphic detail. There was not a day the mother who did not have to engage in an unrelenting battle from dawn to dusk, to scrounge a few cents to keep the home fires burning while the wayward father, inextricably trapped in drunkenness and gambling seldom gave any economic support for the up keep of the family or even cared to come home. For the mother it was a hard grind with the endless toil in the garden and, when available, in the nearby tea estate to earn a few additional cents. In the estate her risks were great for, it was a continuous battle to keep herself safe from the lascivious advances of the 'Kangani' and even from the Superintendent who, for no apparent reason called her to the bungalow. That was the price she had to pay for her good looks.

As soon as school was over, little Appuhamy, her son came running, ate whatever morsel of food she had left for him and ran to the tea estate to help his mother for her to earn a few cents more. In the weekends they packed into their shabby gunny-bags whatever commodities they could pick from their home garden and carried them on their heads or, if they were lucky with their pleading with the passing carters to the Sunday fair. Late in the evening, with the meagre money they could get they would buy a few things and come home. Dead tired, with the toils of the day, they ate something and fell on mats and gunny-bags, covered themselves with whatever rags available and slept.

This is essentially, the story of the bright little boy, Appuhamy who is salvaged from this endless drudgery and ultimately elevated to great circumstances in later life by the Free Education system. He proceeds from the humble village school to the Maha Vidyalaya and from there, he sits for the highly competitive entrance test to the Madhya Maha Vidyalaya and is selected scoring top marks. Unfortunately, on account of some bungling by the Head Master of the Maha Vidyalaya. He is deprived of sitting for the Grade V Scholarship Exam. At the Central College, he is a star pupil and at O/L Exam he passes with flying colours bringing much credit to the school and his teachers. From there, there is no looking back, he forges ahead and heads for a great career.

Meanwhile, the father who, everybody thought was incorrigible, corrects himself and re-enters a normal, useful and dutiful life. But this too, is however, once again, because of the good offices of the son.

While this unbelievable metamorphosis was taking place the father was caught by the Police on one of their raids, in a gambling den. When he and his companions were hand-cuffed and were being prepared to be taken to the Police station, his wife and son, Appuhamy turn up seeking his release.

As the inspector was about to take them away, he notices the boy whom he had seen earlier at school when he had visited it, and also about whom his own son in the same classes, had spoken glowingly about his flair for studies and, about his friendship with him.

To the surprise of everyone, the Inspector now relents and agrees to release the father, saying that he was doing that favour for the sake of his son's companion Appuhamy. Thus the little episode ends on that happy note for Appuhamy's family and everyone else. The father reforms himself, and turns over a new leaf in his life. That evening he comes home, loaded with good things for the family larder.

The story too, ends on that rather unexpected but happy note. However, the author says that this, incidentally, is a true story. It is known that sometimes truth can be stranger than fiction: if so, here is one instance.

The rural background of the story has been created realistically. The novel depicts the manner of the villagers' speech, their uninhibited folk jargon colourful and vivid as it often is, in the lower social orders of the villages.

Sambudu Siritha

The latest edition of "Sambudu Siritha", written by the late Dr. K.D.P. Wickremasinghe, will be launched at Kuppiyawatte Jayasekararama Vihara, Colombo 10 on September 11 at 4 p.m.

The book will be presented to Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera. After the book launch Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera will deliver a Dhamma Desana. "Sambudu Siritha" is a Dayawansa Jayakody publication.