Anil's Ghost (1 Viewer)

[coroneos]

Yeah, I agree, but when you're studying "The Skin Beneath the Skin" as well, then you don't have much choice in what you write about. Anil's Ghost is quite interesting in terms of studying CF becuase it isn't actually CF.

yea it is.. it is definitely cf

 

[cricketscorer]

I wouldn't disregard it as 'crap', rather it's a hard read, or that's what I found. A bit all over the place, a bit rambling, the language was a bit ... not what I'm used to. And of course, my favourite line from the book, "days of battle and fuck". But it's good to talk about and derive thesis' from. In ways, it's very similar to Snow Falling on Cedars.

Ultimately, it's got a crime in it, and therefore, it's crime fiction.

----
Yeah.
You're right. I did write about it in the Trials because I thought it was good to say interesting things about, and if you can criticise the texts in an intelligent way, often it's good to mention. And some of what it says does connect to the rest of the course, it's just a little too annoying for me; and I really don't think Ondaatje has much control over where the novel is going - as if he is trying to tie it all up in one neat little bundle, but bits keep popping out. It's alright, I suppose, and ultimately I will write about it in the HSC.

 

[ameh]

our english teacher read this thread out in class

=)

 

[Arvin Sloane]

I completely agree with you. I found Ondaatje's THE ENGLISH PATIENT insufferable, and to me this book seems like he just masturbated across the page and forced the publishers to print it.

Ugh.

Hah! It's funny because it's true.

 

[black_man]

Having not conducted any real investigation into the novel (apart from a first reading) it does seem a little bit all over the place. but out teacher had given us prior warning that Anils ghost was sort of like a curve ball in the HSC, where we really have to apply what we know in determining whether it's crime fiction or not. I dont think there is a right or wrong answer, just as long as you can back up what ur saying.
Honestly, i think Ondaatje is an amazing writer, and as candypants said, is similar to Cedars . Both Guterson and Ondaatje write in a kind of poetic language (ondaatje is also an accomplished poet, as you have probly all researched) and his style is really amazing. I think it is still possible to determine that anils ghost is crime fiction if you look at the conventions being applied:

1. there IS a crime at it's heart (although sailors death perhaps serves as a microcosm for all the political killings and unexplained deaths in the war.

2. the detective DOES use rationality and deduction in solving the crime (Anil uses forensic medicene to determine where Sailor worked, his village, his job etc.)

3. there are significant values in the text (like i think gamini or Sarath says 'only our weapons are state-of-the-art')

4.there is a sense of disorder created and a feeling of catharsis or purgatory (wrong word? i dunno) at the end, which is perhaps the ending scene with Ananda rebuilding the buddha.

the real difference might be that the crime itself is not complete in the context, and the crime is used as a scaffolding (sorry, cliched statement) to explore literary values within the sri lankan society

i'm babbling....

 

[tennille]

I also agree that it is all over the place. Personally, I found it to be an "incomplete" crime fiction text. There is too much development of the characters and history and not much attention payed to the investigation (which is clearly a convention).

Also, the text doesn't focus on one specific crime, which makes it less difficult to follow and to identify the conventions.

In three words- it was crap.