A review by vighnesh
A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Passage North is a, contemplative and important book which goes into the minutest of details of the human condition, the civil war in Sri Lanka in a philosophical manner with genuinely moving prose. This is one to read if you enjoy books where nothing much happens, but the writing is beautiful and it’s full of observations on everything. 

A Passage North follows Krishan, a Jaffnese living in Colombo as he journeys back to Jaffna to attend the funeral of his grandmother’s caretaker.

If you are unconvinced by that description, I wouldn’t be surprised because nothing really happens in this book. Yet, I enjoyed it so much and out of the few books I’ve read this year, this is easily my favourite. 

This is most surprising to me because a few years back, I would have been bored by this book. So I think my enjoyment of it speaks more to my growth and learning to appreciate books on observations because that is what A Passage North is essentially.

The book is made up of long, winding sentences talking about observations of human behaviour and contemplating many of our actions and why we do things. It is highly philosophical but not in a way that is hard to grasp. 

Every word and sentence feels highly thought out and the message the author tries to give is conveyed really well. The writing is beautiful, so beautiful. I remember reading the first few sentences on the first page and I was in awe at how Anuk Arudpragasam even managed to string the words together. There are many sentences that’ll make you feel that way. 

However, what I found to be the best thing of this book was the tender approach it has to speaking about what can be considered a genocide of the Tamils in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It’s an issue we don’t talk about enough and I implore you to learn more about it. The only reason I know is because I am half Ceylonese. I have close relatives that had to flee Jaffna because they were not safe. The book talks about a plethora of things relating to this under a microscope. He hones in on individuals all affected by the war which makes it feel extremely personal and real, only making you feel even more for them. 

However you have to remember that while some characters are fictional, this story and what it talks about is rooted in a harsh reality that was life for many people. Many Tamils have lost loved ones, had to flee their homes and hold trauma from these events. I feel that this book is a loudspeaker for them, it has allowed for many of their stories to be told.