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喽溹陡喾� 喽脆窓喽秽穮喾掄逗 #1

喽溹陡喾娻洞喾权痘喾呧窉喽�

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The trilogy consists of the following I - Gamperaliya, The Village; II - Kaliyugaya, The Village and the City; III - Yuganthaya, The City. The first novel depicts the crumbling of traditional village life under the pressure of modernisation. The story of a successful family in a Southern village is used to portray the gradual replacement of traditional economic and social structure of the village by commercial city influence. Yuganthaya and After the decay of traditional life, the story details the rise of the bourgeoisie, with its urban base and entrepreneurial drive, ending with the formation of the labour movement and socialist theology and rise of hopes for a new social order.

234 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1944

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About the author

Martin Wickramasinghe

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The search for roots is the central theme in Martin Wickramasinghe鈥檚 writings on the culture and life of the people of Sri Lanka. He imaginatively explored and applied modern knowledge in natural and social sciences, literature, linguistics, the arts, philosophy, education, and Buddhism and comparative religion to reach beyond the superficial emotionalism of vulgar nationalism, and guide us to the enduring roots of our common national identity that exists in the folklife and folk culture of Sri Lanka...

Martin Wickramasinghe鈥檚 vision was primarily nurtured in the tolerant, humane, realistic attitude to life traditional to Buddhist folk culture. He valued the intellectual freedom and independence inspired by the Buddha鈥檚 鈥楰alama Sutta鈥� which he saw as a tradition to question tradition, not unlike the Western scientific attitude. Through his writings, he consistently opposed dogmatism, casuistry, elitism, and oppression in any form, be it cultural, religious, political or social.

His works have been translated and published in English, Hindi, Tamil, Russian, Chinese, Romanian, Dutch, German, French and Japanese languages.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Sandy.
564 reviews24 followers
November 7, 2019
喽溹陡喾娻洞喾权痘喾呧窉喽�, One of the best books of my childhood. It's not meant for children but still, I was never the one who stuck to the rules.

As the name depicts, the book is focused on "changes in the village". Mainly how the traditional village life changes with the impact of the modernization. It is basically the story of an upper class family of the village and how things changes from the way it was to a different situation and peoples views along with it. Mr. Wickramasinghe does an excellent job in capturing the sadness, helplessness, the rage, the love and the conflict of views.

Then there's is one interesting fellow. The youngest of the family, Tissa. The ever rebellious, young blood who seeks to break the norms. I quite like him.

喽溹陡喾娻洞喾权痘喾呧窉喽� does not end from this book. It flows to the next couple of generations with the next two making this the first and the best of the trilogy. Undoubtedly one of the milestones in Sinhalese literature.
Profile Image for Josiah.
127 reviews17 followers
May 5, 2015
My first look into Sri Lankan literature, I picked this book up at a book store in Colombo a few weeks ago. I was looking at the English-language "Sri Lankan literature" section on the second floor of the mercifully air conditioned building after roaming around the hot streets for about forty five minutes looking for this particular book store, when one of the salesmen approached me. I pointed to the rack of novels and asked him which one I should buy (having really no information regarding the quality of different Sri Lankan authors). He picked out this book, translated as "Uprooted" in my copy, saying that Wickramasinghe was one of the authors who helped revolutionize Sri Lankan literature. I said, "Thanks, OK, good enough for me," paid the 300 rupees (roughly $3) down on the first floor, and stuck it in my backpack.

My favorite characters in this book were Tissa and sometimes Nanda. I actually felt like I saw a fair amount of myself in the younger brother Tissa, but I shan't ruin it by saying why. The book focuses around a family from the upper class of a southern village (a village that I actually went through myself on my recent trip to the island), and how it lives and changes with time. I actually really enjoyed this book, and if I had read it in Sinhala (original language) and if I knew more about the Sri Lankan culture and religion, I'm sure it would have been more meaningful and enjoyable. Nevertheless, though, reading this was both entertaining and enlightening (my favorite kind of book).

Thank you, man in the book store!
Profile Image for Prasad Polwatte.
Author听5 books13 followers
May 2, 2022
喽溹陡喾娻洞喾权痘喽洁窉喽� (1944)/ 喽氞督喾抡逗喾断稖喽� (1957)/ 喽亨窋喽溹窂喽编穵喽逗 (1949)
喾勦窓喽洁逗喾� 喽膏穭喾� 喽溹董喾娻稓喽秽窋 喽膏窂喽秽穵喽о窉喽编穵 喾€喾掄稓喾娾€嵿痘喽膏穬喾掄侗喾娻穭

喾佮穵鈥嵿痘喾� 喽洁侗喾娻稓喾忇穩喾� 1900 - 1950 喽稓喾娻穩喾� 喽窉喾€喾權侗 喽氞窂喽洁逗喾氞动喾� 喾冟窉喽窋喾€喾� 喾冟窂喽膏窂喽⑧窊喽�, 喽嗋痘喾娻懂喾掄稓 喾€喾掄稓喾忇穪喽编逗 喽氞窚喽溹穵喽溹督 喽溹穵鈥嵿痘喾忇陡喽亨窓喽编穵 喽多窉喾勦窉喾€喾� 喽脆穩喾斷督喽� 喾冟窉喽窋喾€喾撪陡喾� 喽洁窓喾� 喽编穩喽氞董喾� 喽穵鈥嵿痘喾掄董喾娻穩喽氞稓喽� 喽膏窂喽秽穵喽о窉喽编穵 喾€喾掄稓喾娾€嵿痘喽膏穬喾掄侗喾娻穭 喽夃动喾掄痘喾掄洞喽穵喽氞痘 喽堗董.

喽溹陡喾娻洞喾权痘喽洁窉喽�

喽氞窚喽溹穵喽溹督 喽班侗喾€喽穵, 喽呧穭喽编穵喽氞窂喽� 喽秽动喽洁逗喽氞窋喾€喾� 喽氞逗喾掄穬喾忇痘喾斷穩喽穵喽窔 喽膏窋喽溹侗喾娻动喾掄痘喽膏穵喽溹窔 喽编侗喾娻动喾� 喽编窇喽膏董喾� 喽秽窋喽膏董喾� 喽窉喽亨侗喾掄逗喽� 喽堗逗喽溹窔 喽夃侗喾娻稖喾娾€嵿痘喾掄穬喾� 喽溹窋喽秽窋喾€喽秽逗喾忇穩喾� 喽脆窉喽亨督喾� 喽编陡喾� 喽溹陡喾� 喾冟窂喽膏窂喽编穵喽� 喽脆穩喾斷督喽� 喽嬥稖喽穵, 喽窉喽亨窋喽编窋喾€喾撪陡喾� 喽呧洞喾氞稓喾娻穪喾忇穩喽洁窉喽编穵 喽亨窋喽穵 喽痘喾斷侗喽亨窂 喾€喾掄穩喾忇穭喽亨窚喽⑧侗喾忇穩喽氞穵 喽夃动喾掄痘喾掄洞喽穵 喽氞窉喽秽窊喽膏窓喽编穵 喽编窉喽溹穵鈥嵿痘喾勦逗喽� 喽洁稓喾娻穩喾斷逗喾氞逗.

喽氞逗喾掄穬喾忇痘喾斷穩喽穵喽窔 喾冟穭 喽多窉喽秽窉喽赤锭 (喽膏窂喽痘 喾勦窂喽膏窉喽编窔) 喽班侗喾€喽穵 喽夃订喽膏穵 喾勦窉喽膏窉喽亨侗喾娻穩喾� 喽编陡喾斷董喾� 喽陡 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘 喾冟窂喽秽穵喽稓喾€ 喽脆穩喽穵喾€喾忇稖喾戉侗喾撪陡喽� 喾勦窇喽氞窉喽亨窂喾€ 喽编窚喽窉喽多窋喽编窔喽�. 喽斷穩喾斷侗喾� 喽陡 喾冟陡喾忇盯 喽董喾娻穩喽� 喽脆窓喽编穵喾€喾撪陡喽� 喽窇喽秽窉喽� 喽编窚喾勦窇喽氞窉 喽洁窓喾� 喽膏窋喽督喾� 喾€喾戉逗 喽氞督喾澿逗. 喽斷穩喾斷侗喾娻稖喾� 喽脆穩喾斷督喾� 喽脆穬喾斷抖喾掄陡喽� 喽溹窇喽洁洞喾權侗 喽编侗喾娻动喾忇稖喾� 喾冟穵喾€喾忇陡喾掄逗喾� 喽洁窓喾� 喽窛喽秽窂喽溹董喾� 喽⑧窉喽编动喾忇穬 喽秽窇喽氞窉喽亨窂喾€喽氞穵 喽编窚喽膏窇喽窉 喽窔喽脆督 喾€喽� 喽嗋动喾忇逗喽膏窉喽编穵 喽亨窇喽脆窓喽� 喽膏窇喽穩喽亨穬喾� 喽脆窋喽穵喽溹督喽亨稓喾� 喾€喾斷逗喾氞逗.

喽氞逗喾掄穬喾忇痘喾斷穩喽穵喽� 喽脆穩喾斷督 喽班侗喽亨窓喽编穵 喽脆窉喽秽窉喾勦窓喽膏窉喽编穵 喽氞穵鈥嵿痘喽膏逗喾權侗喾� 喽窉喽洁窉喽赤窋 喽董喾娻穩喽亨锭 喽脆董喾娻穩喾斷逗喾氞逗, 喽编侗喾娻动喾忇稖喾� 喾冟窚喾勦窚喽亨窋喽秽窉喽� 喽呧侗喾斷督喾� 喾冟穵喾€喾忇陡喾掄逗喽氞窋 喽编窇喽窉喾€ 喽溹窓喽痘喽� 喽编窂喽氞窉喾€喾斷穩喾忇逗, 喾冟窚喾勦窚喽亨窋喽秽窂 喽窉喾冟穵喾冟稖喾� 喽呧动喾娻逗喾忇洞喽编逗 喽氞订喾忇稓喽脆穵喽脆督喾� 喾€喾斷逗喾氞逗, 喽秽窇喽氞窉喽亨窂喾€喽氞穵 喾冟窚喽亨窂 喽窋喾佮穵喽氞痘 喽脆督喾忇董喽氞锭 喽溹窉喽� 喽⑧窉喽编动喾忇穬 喽膏窇喽秽窋喽� 喽多穩喽� 喽嗋痘喽编穵喽犩窉喾€喾斷逗喾氞逗.

喽脆窉喽亨督喾� 喽氞窚喾呧豆喽� 喽溹窚喾冟穵 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘 喽氞痘喽膏窉喽编穵 喽窉喽亨窋喽编窋喾€喾� 喽脆窚喾勦窚喾冟董喽氞窋喾€喾� 喽编侗喾娻动喾� 喾勦窉喽膏窉喽氞痘喽溹窇喽编窊喽膏窔 喽呧穩喾冟穵喽窂喾€ 喽洁抖喾忇稖喽穵喽窔喽�.

喽氞督喾抡逗喾断稖喽�

喽脆窉喽亨督喾� 喾冟穭 喽编侗喾娻动喾� 喽氞窚喾呧豆 喽脆动喾掄侗喾娻稜喾掄穩喾� 喽班侗喽� 喽秽窇喾冟穵喽氞痘喽膏窉喽编穵 喽嬥穬喾冟穵 喾冟陡喾忇盯喽亨锭 喽呧侗喾斷稖喽穩喾撪陡喽� 喽嬥董喾娻穬喾忇穭喽窇喽秽窋喾�. 喽痘喾斷穩喽编穵喾€喾� 喽堗督喽编穵, 喽编窂喽洁窉喽氞窂 喾冟穭 喽犩侗喾娻动喾娾€嵿痘喾冟窛喽� 喾勦锭 喽嬥穬喾冟穵 喽脆窂喾冟窇喽洁穵 喽呧动喾娻逗喾忇洞喽编逗 喽洁窇喽多窊喽膏锭 喾冟窇喽洁窇喾冟穵喾€喾斷穭.

喽窓喽膏窂喽脆窉喽亨侗喾� 喽氞窂喽秽穵喽� 喽多穭喾斷督 喽编窉喾冟窂 喽痘喾斷穩喽编穵 喾冟窓喽编窓喾勦穬 喽洁抖喾忇稖喽穵喽窔 喽编窇喽编穵喽侗喾掄逗喾€喾� 喽呧侗喾斷督喾忇稖喾權侗喾�. 喽秽窛喽溹窂喽窋喽秽穩喾撪陡 喽编窉喾冟窂 喽呧侗喾斷督喾� 喽氞窚喽溹穵喽溹督 喽膏穭 喽溹窓喽痘 喽脆动喾掄侗喾娻稜喾掄逗喽� 喽溹窉喽亨窂喽�. 喽窓喽膏窂喽脆窉喽亨侗喾娻稖喾� 喾€喾掄痘喾澿动喽� 喽膏窇喽� 喽堗督喽编穵 喽洁侗喾娻穬喾� 喽痘喾斷侗喾掄逗喽氞穵 喾€喾掄穩喾忇穭 喽氞痘喽溹窓喽� 喽戉侗喾娻稖喽洁侗喾娻董喽亨窔 喽脆动喾掄侗喾娻稜喾掄穩喾斷逗喾氞逗. 喽犩侗喾娻动喾娾€嵿痘喾冟窛喽� 喾勦窉喽窋喾€喽氞穵喽氞窂喽秽逗喾權稓喾� 喾€喾斷逗喾氞逗. 喽编窂喽洁窉喽氞窂 喽陡 喾冟陡喾忇盯 喽董喾娻穩喽亨锭喾€喽┼窂 喽脆穭喽穵 喾冟窋喽洁窋 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘喾掄稓喽亨稓喾斷穩喾� 喽氞抖喽洁窂喽� 喾冟陡喽� 喽脆穵鈥嵿痘喾氞陡 喾冟陡喾娻抖喽编穵喽董喾忇穩喽亨稓喾� 喽溹窚喽┼侗喽溹窂喽溹董喾娻董喾忇逗.

喾冟窂喽秽穵喽稓 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘喾掄稓喽亨稓喾斷穩喾� 喽脆窉喽亨督喾娻稖喾� 喽⑧窊喾€喾掄董喽亨窔 喽呧穩喾冟窂喽� 喽氞窂喽洁逗 喽窐喽脆穵喽窉喽膏董喾� 喽编窚喾€喾斷逗喾氞逗, 喽氞督喽氞窉喽秽窊喽膏窓喽编穵 喽溹董喽氞痘 喽秽窛喽溹窂喽窋喽秽穩喾� 喽膏窉喽亨稖喾掄逗喾氞逗.

喽亨窋喽溹窂喽编穵喽逗

喾冟穩喾掄陡喽编穵 喽氞抖喽洁窂喽� 喾冟穭 喽编窂喽洁窉喽氞窂 喾€喾掄穩喾忇穭喾€喾� 喾冟窂喽秽穵喽稓 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘喾掄稓 喽脆穩喾斷督喽氞穵 喽多穩喽� 喽氞穵鈥嵿痘喽膏逗喾權侗喾� 喽脆董喾娻穩喾� 喽夃穭喽� 喾冟陡喽⑧逗喾� 喾€喾戉盯喽灌窉喽膏锭 喾€喾權痘喽痘喽编穵喽编侗喾� 喾€喾斷穭. 喽膏窂喽洁窉喽编穵 喾冟穭 喽犩陡喽秽窉 喽斷穩喾斷侗喾娻稖喾� 喽痘喾斷穩喽编穵喾€喾斷穭.

喽戉侗喾娻稖喽洁侗喾娻董喽亨窔 喽呧动喾娻逗喾忇洞喽编逗 喽编窉喽膏稓喽� 喽洁侗喾娻稓喾忇穩喽� 喽脆窇喽膏窉喽编窉 喽膏窂喽洁窉喽编穵 喽窓喽膏窂喽脆窉喽亨侗喾娻稖喾� 喾冟陡喾忇盯 喽⑧窊喾€喾掄董喽亨动, 喽脆窉喽亨窂喽溹窔 喾€喾掄逗喾忇洞喾忇痘喾€喽� 喾冟窉喽窋喾€喽� 喾冟窔喾€喽� 喽呧稓喽о逗喾斷董喾斷稓喽膏穵 喽溹窇喽� 喽氞督喽氞窉喽秽窊 喽脆穩喾斷督喾權侗喾� 喾€喾權侗喾娻穩喾� 喾冟陡喾忇盯喾€喾忇动喾� 喽窔喾佮洞喾忇督喽� 喽氞穵鈥嵿痘喾掄逗喾忇稓喾忇痘喾掄稓喽亨稓喾斷穩喾栢逗喾氞逗.

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Profile Image for Charvi Janathri.
37 reviews13 followers
October 17, 2020
Gamperaliya is a beautiful story unfolding in a village in the southern province of Sri Lanka.

It starts with a picturesque illustration of the village setting, and introduces you to the Maha Gedera where Muhandiram and his family lives. This family presides in the upper class of the village and well respected by the village people.

This Maha Gedara shows signs of falling away, or getting old and barren, in spite of the rising ego of the members of the house, who holds themselves with pride due to their place in society.

The story evolves from the life of a high class businessman family with two daughter and a son, who is well respected in their village but slowly and steadily looses their income due to negligence on the part of their father.
The main characters in this book are Piyal, Nanda,Tissa, Anula, Matara Haminne and Muhandiram. There are many fascinating side characters as well such as Laissa, Katrinna, Baladasa.

Piyal is a non traditional man, who thinks far ahead of his time, and has true traits of a good businessman. He is well spoken in English, and comes to tutor Nanda and eventually develops feelings for her.
Nanda is a proud woman with an egoistical mind, I think she turned out to be such a person due to the restricted way of thinking influenced by her parents, having no freedom to think for herself and her high regard and respect for her family's caste and place in society.

This book beautifully explains the village life, the activities they do during Awurudu, their unshaken blind faith towards rocks and sprits and believes that sickness can be chased away with the help of spiritual activities.

This book looks at how Piyal despite his place in society through sheer hard work and talent , combined with his English knowledge becomes rich, rises up the ranks to a better life, while the residents of the Maha gedara sees their downfall due to their own carelessness.

In the end , Piyal marries Nanda and saves her family from going into utter poverty and this book purely describes the transformation of village life that used to be bounded upon caste, holding onto traditions that has no purpose for anyone using the symbol of the Maha gedara that almost gets demolished by the end of the book.

It also highlights the rising of Piyal who finds his place in the world not by his family heritage or his caste but by his own business acumen and his wise decisions to make money.
Profile Image for Thisuri Perera.
25 reviews
April 14, 2025
My parents bought me this series back from Sri Lanka and this was the first volume.
A very traditional, classic, and old SL story, books that my parents read when they were teenagers.

Very sweet read :)
Profile Image for Chamodi Waidyathilaka.
59 reviews7 followers
January 10, 2023
one of the famous novels written by Martin Wickramasinghe of Sri Lanka, the father of modern sinhala literature. Gamperaliya is knows as a historical sinhala literature novel, which beautiful describes about a traditional village in Koggala, Sri Lanka and the good and bad impact on it鈥檚 families due to modernisation. The book clearly explains about the mentality of village folks, myths and social structures. Also this book clearly shows how an aristocratic family loses their social status due to being obsessively sticking in to their social differences and despise the changes in the modernising society. 鈥斺€攕poiler notes: piyal is a well educated young man who came to teach English for Nanda and Anula. The two daughters of the aristocratic family of the village that i have mentioned above. Piyal falls in love with Nanda but Nanda鈥檚 parents were against for their relationship nothing because piyal鈥檚 great grandfather sold vegetables in the village. Nanda was forced to marry Jinadhasa, a middle age man who belonged to another aristocratic family but penniless. After series of events Nanda and Piyal was able to get back together.
..... but will they live happily ever after?
Gamperaliya is the first book of A trilogy. Recommend to read all three books. Then you will have a better understanding about how each generation faces the changes of the society and how their lives flow.
Profile Image for Malsha.
87 reviews23 followers
March 1, 2013
A beautiful book!A classic which will never ever get old!
Profile Image for Vi.
141 reviews5 followers
May 13, 2025
a must read
Profile Image for Haresh Eranga.
67 reviews2 followers
February 22, 2021
Two bad that I had read many reviews of the book before reading the book itself. A paragraph from it included in the grade 6 Sinhala text book and it completely summarized the book with added parts from the good teacher we had.

I've also seen many versions of it repeating till now in Sri Lankan culture. Seen the teledrama about 25-30 years ago and watched the movie again few months ago. So the story and the political text laying under was crystal clear to me.

But still it was wondrous to me. Though I haven't read many of the great Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe's work, when every time I do, I realize he's one of the best writers from Sri Lanka. He's unique style and storytelling never fails in drawing amazing pictures of the scene.

So now I'm in to the second book of the series.
Profile Image for Raisa.
170 reviews
February 5, 2022
Late last year I was tagged in a Twitter exchange and asked about Sinhala fiction in translation - it was then that I recalled Gamperaliya, which I had picked up years and years ago, and started, but never finished.

Being at home more has meant that I've made much more rapid progress with reading compared to the past few years, so I decided that this time I'd read it through to the end.

Every Sri Lankan knows or has heard of Martin Wickramasinghe and his efforts to preserve Sinhala folk culture and literature. Many have probably visited the Folk Culture Museum in Koggala (I must confess, what I remember most vividly was the open space where the museum was located, rather than the exhibits). Martin Wickramasinghe does have a way of capturing an old and fast-disappearing way of life in Southern Sri Lanka, and in fact this tension between old and new is a central theme in Gamperaliya.

The characters in Gamperaliya adhere strongly to tradition, from the games played in the lead up to Sinhala New Year to receiving visitors and even searching for a life partner. The story revolves around a family of some social standing, whose fortunes are beginning to change. It is in fact their strong adherence to tradition which ends up causing them trouble. Reading the women's stories in particular was frustrating; they were often stifled, suppressing their own desires and ambition in favour of providing for their family and loved ones, often at their own expense. And yet this is probably a true expression of what life must have been like for women at the time. It is similar to the frustration that I feel when I read Jane Austen (and the themes, for women, aren't dissimilar). It was also frustrating to read about the intense scrutiny women were placed under for the slightest impropriety - for smiling too freely, for exchanging letters with a suitor, for going places unaccompanied. The petty and malicious gossip was definitely familiar (would argue it is one of many traits that continues into present day. #sorrynotsorry).

This isn't to say that men didn't suffer from equally stifling pressures as providers. What is perhaps refreshing here is that the author implies that clinging to tradition as the family in Gamperaliya do can only lead to suffering - he is not overly sentimental about it, and suggests that changing with the times is necessary and even inevitable. And yet, it's hard not to feel a little nostalgia when reading about childhood games and long days spent outdoors, in the sunshine. It's also jarring to realise the impact of inflation - at one point, a much-needed roof repair is expected to cost Rs. 2000 or 3000 - now the cost of a meal at a midrange restaurant. Expenses of Rs. 500 in the book, can lead to financial ruin - now, this amount would be enough only to cover a single person's lunch. I did find that the writer's description of poverty and low income settlements seemed heavily influenced by his own prejudice (unsure if this was simply an effect of bad translation, though). This extended to some of the poorer characters, as well.

The language of the translation was simple - not hard to read, apart from the long descriptions of landscape (which to be fair, was a feature in English too). I finished it in a single day - it's an easy read, and you do get drawn into the story.

In reading the story of this family, their struggles and triumphs, their secret hopes and pleasures and fears, we get a glimpse into what life must have been like in 1944, on the cusp of independence. Wickramasinghe reveals a society heavily influenced by tradition, with fairly rigid social structure, where class and family background played a central role. In a way, some of what is described lingers today, but just as much has all but disappeared.
Profile Image for Lanil Marasinghe.
28 reviews16 followers
October 17, 2020
Gamperaliya is not just a love novel or an exemplary story about Piyal's progress. Gamperaliya is based on a traditional wealthy family in the Koggala area and several members of their family. Gam + Peraliya or the Revolution of the Village subtly highlights the decline of the Sri Lankan traditional environment, economic, social levels and traditions. Muhandiram of Kaisaruwatte is a traditional wealthy man who owns a lands and businesses. His daughter Nanda is a beautiful young woman. In this story, Piyal is first introduced as a handsome young man from a traditionally low caste family who comes to teach Nanda English. I think Martin Wickramasinghe symbolizes the English language as a tool. Nanda鈥檚 family are not educated people no matter how rich they are. Piyal secretly falls in love with Nanda. Nanda's family is unhappy about this because of the caste issue. Then Nanda gets two marriage proposals. One is from Piyal. The other is from a young man named Jinadasa who does not even have a job in a high family. Nanda's mother says that Piyal's grandfather was a vegetable seller and that Nanda was unfit for such a family. But the talented Piyal is still much improved in his ability. Here Martin Wickramasinghe points out that caste or his family are the most unnecessary factors for development. However, in time, Muhandiram dies and Nanda marries Jinadasa. After that, the family is in a very bad situation as they lost their income with the death of Muhandiram. Their mansion is crumbling and they are living very hard. But they are not revealing this to protect their family reputation. Jinadasa leaves the village to start a business. Meanwhile, Piyal never stops loving Nanda. Nanda is his dream princess. Knowing this, Nanda's mother somehow plans to remarry Nanda to Piyal. That is, showing that everything is subject to Piyal's money, which is now thriving. Jinadasa falls ill with a fever and dies helpless. This makes Nanda's mother and Piyal happy but Nanda is really sad. Nanda marries Piyal. In the end, it was Piyal who paid for Jinadasa's funeral. The deaths of Jinadasa and Muhandiram mark the end of two traditional families. By now, Piyal has reached the peak. Piyal also repairs the dilapidated house. I like Piyal's character. He was never hindered by his birth caste or family level. Also, Nanda's family was proud of their caste and never tried to improve. Martin Wickramasinghe teaches a valuable lesson from this. The traditional Sinhalese person is a lazy person. They do not want to make a difference unless they accept what they have. This is what we need to change. And in the modern world, your traditions can be worthless.
Profile Image for David Kimber.
22 reviews
March 5, 2020
The 20th century author often called the father of modern literature in Sri Lanka. He wrote prolifically from the 1920s to 1970s, on Sri Lankan history, society, philosophy and religion, culture and rural life - essays, criticism, novels, poetry and short stories. Many of his books written in Sinhala have been translated into other languages. They are most easily found in a bookstore just beside the folk museum centered around his house in Kogalle, between Galle and Matara.

In particular one should work through his three volume 鈥淕amperaliya/Uprooted鈥� trilogy - a four generation saga looking at the lives of families through the 20th century - initially those from a southern district village, then their children gaining an education and moving to Colombo, then the later generations, those who travel overseas for education returning as the political and social influencers - society elite or rebels.

Wickramasighe as a deep nationalist, writes his novels in Sinhala. which have been translated. Thus it reflects the tone and style of Sinhala analysis often wordy, repetitive, and circular, but often singularly perceptive and poetic. It is unfamiliar to those used to novelists writing in English. However his observations and style are deeply informative - helping an outsider understand the mindset, concerns and prejudices of different Sri Lankan communities.
Profile Image for Iqbal Safirul Barqi.
48 reviews
December 5, 2024
I found this book unintentionally at local Sri Lankan bookstore. Written by legendary Sri Lankan author in the colonial era.

It carry the themes relatable in his era: tradition meet with modernization.

The story itself is not that fascinating, however, it gives good insight of Sri Lankan village culture and lifes at that period of time.
Profile Image for Lukshitha Godakumbura.
15 reviews23 followers
April 7, 2020
One of the greatest books in Sinhala literature. It takes us back to the post colonial era, a typical Sri lankan village in Southern province. It looks into the concept of class domination in sinahlese culture and how lives are constructed around it.
1 review
April 15, 2020
Need to read
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1 review
Want to read
May 16, 2020
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