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Love in the Tsunami
Love in the Tsunami brings together a selection of Ashok Ferreys short fiction with four brand new stories. Enormously wide- ranging and endlessly inventive, Ashoks pen is rib- ticklingly funny and, occasionally, scathingly acerbic. He accurately portrays Sri Lanka in all its diversity.
The title story, set against the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 describes Veena Patels all- too- brief encounter with forbidden love. 'But Did I Tell You I Can't Dance?'is a hilarious fable about old age, its occasional humiliations and its many heartwarming victories. And in 'Maleeshya'Ashok himself makes a cameo appearance as a dead author who has embarrassingly come back to life.
The title story, set against the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 describes Veena Patels all- too- brief encounter with forbidden love. 'But Did I Tell You I Can't Dance?'is a hilarious fable about old age, its occasional humiliations and its many heartwarming victories. And in 'Maleeshya'Ashok himself makes a cameo appearance as a dead author who has embarrassingly come back to life.
241 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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71 people want to read
About the author
Ashok Ferrey
9 books87 followersAshok Ferrey - Sri Lanka Born in Colombo, raised in East Africa, educated at a Benedictine monastery in the wilds of Sussex, Ferrey read Pure Maths at Christ Church Oxford, ending up (naturally) in Brixton, converting Victorian houses during the Thatcher Years.
He describes himself as a failed builder, indifferent mathematician, barman and personal trainer to the rich and infamous. Ferrey's Colpetty People was short-listed for the Gratiaen Prize in 2003.
His second book The Good Little Ceylonese Girl was published in December 2006. Today Ferrey continues to design houses, and is a guest lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Architecture.
He describes himself as a failed builder, indifferent mathematician, barman and personal trainer to the rich and infamous. Ferrey's Colpetty People was short-listed for the Gratiaen Prize in 2003.
His second book The Good Little Ceylonese Girl was published in December 2006. Today Ferrey continues to design houses, and is a guest lecturer at the Sri Lanka Institute of Architecture.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 5, 2013
I was in Sri Lanka in November 2013 and this book by Ashok Ferrey was bought during the trip. There are 24 short stories involving Sri Lankans with settings in Sri Lanka or in other countries. Ashok brings places of interests, famous venues and typical lives of Sri Lankans to the readers. I felt a connection with Sri Lanka as I read his very interesting stories. Some stories have unexpected endings. It was unusual and I am amazed at author's imaginations. This book cannot be rushed. You have to read it slowly to fully appreciate the story deeply or to understand the intentions of the author. After the trip to Sri Lanka, this book was the dessert to cap a wonderful trip to a historically- and culturally-rich country.
December 18, 2024
Ashok Ferrey is a 67-year-old Sri Lankan writer of literary fiction. He has previously won Sri Lanka’s prestigious Gratiaen Award and has also been shortlisted for the State Literary Award and India’s DSC Prize, which recognizes South Asian literature.
Ferrey’s compatriot and fellow author Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the UK’s prestigious Man Booker Prize, describes Ferrey as “both the court jester and the crown prince of modern Sri Lankan writing”—and rightly so. Ferrey’s “Love in the Tsunami” is a short story collection that offers a rich and insightful glimpse not only into Sri Lankan society but also into the human condition.
The title story, “Love in the Tsunami”, is particularly poignant, exploring the complexities of human relationships and the fragility of life in the face of a natural disaster. It deals with the profound subject of the 2004 tsunami that devastated southern Sri Lanka. One of my close Maldivian friends, who actively participated in recovery efforts in Sri Lanka, shared with me the heartbreaking scenes of death and destruction he witnessed during that time.
As the title suggests, love is a central theme, but it is explored in multifaceted ways—romantic, familial, platonic, and even self-love. Ferrey also weaves subtle yet sharp social and political commentary into his stories, addressing issues such as class, caste, and gender inequality within Sri Lankan society, which evoke the complexities of human relationships.
Many of the stories are infused with a dry, witty humor that counterbalances the more serious themes. The dialogue feels natural and authentic, capturing the rhythms and nuances of everyday speech. Ferrey’s prose is vivid and evocative, bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of Sri Lanka to life for the reader. This combination of elements creates a distinctive voice that is both engaging and insightful. The diverse range of stories showcases Ferrey’s versatility as a writer, encompassing various themes, tones, and styles.
Ferrey’s compatriot and multiple award-winning author Shyam Selvadurai praises Ferrey’s “hallmark” ability to “write convincingly from other cultural points of view.” Selvadurai describes him as “cosmopolitan and diasporic—at home in other lands as much as in his own,” and notes how Ferrey takes readers “into the world of the English-speaking elite of Sri Lanka, a rapidly dying breed.” I couldn’t agree more.
Ferrey’s compatriot and fellow author Shehan Karunatilaka, winner of the UK’s prestigious Man Booker Prize, describes Ferrey as “both the court jester and the crown prince of modern Sri Lankan writing”—and rightly so. Ferrey’s “Love in the Tsunami” is a short story collection that offers a rich and insightful glimpse not only into Sri Lankan society but also into the human condition.
The title story, “Love in the Tsunami”, is particularly poignant, exploring the complexities of human relationships and the fragility of life in the face of a natural disaster. It deals with the profound subject of the 2004 tsunami that devastated southern Sri Lanka. One of my close Maldivian friends, who actively participated in recovery efforts in Sri Lanka, shared with me the heartbreaking scenes of death and destruction he witnessed during that time.
As the title suggests, love is a central theme, but it is explored in multifaceted ways—romantic, familial, platonic, and even self-love. Ferrey also weaves subtle yet sharp social and political commentary into his stories, addressing issues such as class, caste, and gender inequality within Sri Lankan society, which evoke the complexities of human relationships.
Many of the stories are infused with a dry, witty humor that counterbalances the more serious themes. The dialogue feels natural and authentic, capturing the rhythms and nuances of everyday speech. Ferrey’s prose is vivid and evocative, bringing the sights, sounds, and smells of Sri Lanka to life for the reader. This combination of elements creates a distinctive voice that is both engaging and insightful. The diverse range of stories showcases Ferrey’s versatility as a writer, encompassing various themes, tones, and styles.
Ferrey’s compatriot and multiple award-winning author Shyam Selvadurai praises Ferrey’s “hallmark” ability to “write convincingly from other cultural points of view.” Selvadurai describes him as “cosmopolitan and diasporic—at home in other lands as much as in his own,” and notes how Ferrey takes readers “into the world of the English-speaking elite of Sri Lanka, a rapidly dying breed.” I couldn’t agree more.
November 10, 2023
Being raised in Colombo and having come from a Kandyan family I found that I could relate with at least a few characters in this collection of short stories.
I found myself thinking the stories would have come from the author's personal experience as he found himself at the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time depending on how you choose to look at it). The fictionalization in the stories are thin and if you are someone who comes from the right parts of Sri Lanka you may be able to identify a few real people in the stories.
The most notable of the stories for me was 'Jiggy', a story of how some colonial communities in the country uses mistaken identity to correct behaviour it deems sinful. Though the author fails to truly capture the danger such a plot poses to the person of the one who assumes the identity of another. Or speak of how it is morally corrupt to use unwilling members of other communities for false witness or drive your communities agenda. The story does leave the reader asking is it so wrong for a man to ask from nature what a man was created for when he is unnaturally constrained by the rules of society or dogma? And is it right for us to try and correct mother nature's response for such a request just because it doesn't fit within our moral outlook?
Overall, the book was a nice break from the Sci-Fi and the fantasy I had my face buried into for the past month. Though the author's scandalous comment about Mahatma Gandhi in one of the stories is one I can't approve of!
I found myself thinking the stories would have come from the author's personal experience as he found himself at the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time depending on how you choose to look at it). The fictionalization in the stories are thin and if you are someone who comes from the right parts of Sri Lanka you may be able to identify a few real people in the stories.
The most notable of the stories for me was 'Jiggy', a story of how some colonial communities in the country uses mistaken identity to correct behaviour it deems sinful. Though the author fails to truly capture the danger such a plot poses to the person of the one who assumes the identity of another. Or speak of how it is morally corrupt to use unwilling members of other communities for false witness or drive your communities agenda. The story does leave the reader asking is it so wrong for a man to ask from nature what a man was created for when he is unnaturally constrained by the rules of society or dogma? And is it right for us to try and correct mother nature's response for such a request just because it doesn't fit within our moral outlook?
Overall, the book was a nice break from the Sci-Fi and the fantasy I had my face buried into for the past month. Though the author's scandalous comment about Mahatma Gandhi in one of the stories is one I can't approve of!
June 6, 2017
Decent read. Good for Vacationing.
December 10, 2024
A collection of not so interesting short stories.
August 30, 2013
It is not new material (except for 4 stories). The other stories are from A Good Little Ceylonese Girl and Colpetty People.
December 20, 2014
extremely funny book, with stories about Africa, Sri Lanka and the U.K. he has a real way og telling stores, and a lot of honesty. he pulls no punches
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews