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Panther
by
'I see you. Legs like toothpicks, body and face all ribs and cheekbones. And that hair. Come on, what is it? Like friggin' barbed wire. I see you with a hand-me-down cracked bat creaming a leather ball, in a sock, hanging from the branch of a mango tree.'
Being accepted into an elite international school on a cricket scholarship doesn't mean your life is going to change. E ...more
Being accepted into an elite international school on a cricket scholarship doesn't mean your life is going to change. E ...more
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Paperback, 272 pages
Published
November 24th 2015
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published July 1st 2015)
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Start your review of Panther

First I curse the traffic. Why can't it be more congested?
Then I curse Chhimi Tenduf-La. Why couldn't he have released his new book on Kindle?
Then I curse myself. Why the hell am I writing like him? In short punchy sentences.
I have started reading Panther. The second novel by Chhimi Tenduf-La. Of The amazing racist fame. As usual I can't put it down. Sadly I have to. I have three free hours ahead of me. Three hours I could have spent immersed in this great story. But you can't be seen reading ...more
Then I curse Chhimi Tenduf-La. Why couldn't he have released his new book on Kindle?
Then I curse myself. Why the hell am I writing like him? In short punchy sentences.
I have started reading Panther. The second novel by Chhimi Tenduf-La. Of The amazing racist fame. As usual I can't put it down. Sadly I have to. I have three free hours ahead of me. Three hours I could have spent immersed in this great story. But you can't be seen reading ...more

Chhimi Tenduf-La’s latest novel, ‘Panther’, is a gripping tale set in a hostile environment where communal tensions, bloodlust and vengeance rules. He has set it in Sri Lanka…but honestly speaking, it could be any country: from the war-ravaged East to the civilized West, where they don’t speak of it. In the end, it’s a tale about human nature and the fight of humanity against evil forces that often may exist in your own mind. It reads like a poem, and reminded me of these lines from ‘The Second
...more

Chhimi Tenduf-La, in the Author’s Note to ‘Panther’, clarifies that the Sri Lanka of his latest novel is highly invented. He says that in reality the students are disciplined, the educational standards are good, the people are peace-loving and most importantly his depiction of war in this otherwise culturally rich country totally ‘fictitious’. He insists that ‘there are some bad people in this book. Very bad. This is fiction.’ We can’t question him. But we can ask ourselves…
Why then has he plac ...more
Why then has he plac ...more

Hook, Line & Sinker.
Once again I have the good luck to receive Chhimi Tenduf-La's latest book as a gift. I turned the first page and I am taken aback. This is a totally different story from The Amazing Racist; his first book...but then I start to read and there it is - the easy style of fluid words that seem to pour forth with ease from this author. Chhimi has a way with words that one could say hooks you and holds you captive to his tale.
‘Now I see you sitting in the corner of Grade Three, knee ...more
Once again I have the good luck to receive Chhimi Tenduf-La's latest book as a gift. I turned the first page and I am taken aback. This is a totally different story from The Amazing Racist; his first book...but then I start to read and there it is - the easy style of fluid words that seem to pour forth with ease from this author. Chhimi has a way with words that one could say hooks you and holds you captive to his tale.
‘Now I see you sitting in the corner of Grade Three, knee ...more

"Panther"..is a must read(don't judge it by the cover)and do you know why..
because you have not seen war,because you have not seen minorities tortured under baseless claims,because you have not experienced that feel of being good a midst all odds.Chimmi's book is an eye opener starting from its concept,language to the structure of the novel.Panther is not an ordinary story with normal human beings.Panther is a great second novel. Far more powerful than the first,it is dark,complex and mixed with ...more
because you have not seen war,because you have not seen minorities tortured under baseless claims,because you have not experienced that feel of being good a midst all odds.Chimmi's book is an eye opener starting from its concept,language to the structure of the novel.Panther is not an ordinary story with normal human beings.Panther is a great second novel. Far more powerful than the first,it is dark,complex and mixed with ...more

Chhimi's first book, The Amazing Racist was (excuse the pun) amazing! He managed to do something quite magical - he rekindled my love for reading. It takes a special author to have you so hooked that you can't put a book down until it's finished. Chhimi did that, but he also made me want to pick up another book after that, and another and another.
With Panther, I was expecting more of the same - laughter, anger, eye-rolling, embarrassment, and I got all of that, but I also got so much more. Like ...more
With Panther, I was expecting more of the same - laughter, anger, eye-rolling, embarrassment, and I got all of that, but I also got so much more. Like ...more

I jumped into bed thinking I'll read a little now.. two hours later, almost midnight on a Sunday I am staring up from a book feeling like I just lived another life. Takes a form of real life and it is easy to be taken into the book. What I enjoyed the most was the feeling of being taken into a different life in a different place back in time. It was a one hell of a journey.
...more

Very few authors have the ability to make readers not only sympathize but also empathize with the predicament of their protagonists. Chhimi Tenduf La does this beautifully well in this lovely little 'coming of age' book.
Detailed review put up at https://mahabore.wordpress.com/catego... ...more
Detailed review put up at https://mahabore.wordpress.com/catego... ...more

This is an extraordinary book. I started reading it, admittedly, because I know and like the author, and because I loved his last book. However, I was sceptical as I lived in Sri Lanka during this time, and it's really difficult subject matter and not for the fainthearted author or reader, for that matter. When I started, I really could not stop. Luckily I had the flu, so I just tore through the book in a day. It's really, really good.
Chhimi has a wonderful writing style - it's my favorite kind ...more
Chhimi has a wonderful writing style - it's my favorite kind ...more

This is a stunning book. Loved it from start to finish. It makes you laugh out loud and get teary eyed all at once. The characters are so real... You want to befriend them (well, except maybe Coach Silva :)) The war scenes- though fictional- are chilling and very beautifully juxtaposed with scenes of regular teenage life in a Sri Lankan high school. I won't give away the story in my review. But rest assured you will grow to love Indika - the most desirable teenager in Colombo, and Prabhu the Pan ...more

Maybe my opinion is one not popular with typical fans of this novel, but to be blunt this was not one of my favorite books to read. I did really like the writing style and the split narrators of the book, but I could not look past reading all the horrible horrible things that happened to these characters. Maybe I simply need more backbone to read a more depressing book, but I was disappointed when I won the novel assuming the topic would generate around a coming-of-age, pauper meets prince kind
...more

Beautiful. Touching. Sad. Funny. Thought provoking.
This is definitely an emotional read. It teaches you many things - feelings, love, friendship, racism, war and reality. This book says everything that many Sri Lankans have been trying to say for years - despite our color or culture, we are Sri Lankans. Not all Sinhalese are bad. Not all Tamils are bad either. But why this hatred?
Loved it!
This is definitely an emotional read. It teaches you many things - feelings, love, friendship, racism, war and reality. This book says everything that many Sri Lankans have been trying to say for years - despite our color or culture, we are Sri Lankans. Not all Sinhalese are bad. Not all Tamils are bad either. But why this hatred?
Loved it!

My thoughts on this life story of a thin toothpick liked legged, ‘Panther’ is that once you start reading, you unknowingly get involved with the story of Prabu. Finally, the success of the protagonist in his ever challenging life leaves a reader, like me with a reassured belief in oneself and optimism to receive life with open arms. Full review on http://wp.me/p1FJBJ-yJ
...more

I really loved Panther, I thought it was brilliant. It had a very different style to The Amazing Racist which leaves me eager to see what Chhimi Tenduf-La's next book is going to be like. The insight into a version of Sri Lankan life is fascinating and the characters are so well described that you feel you really get to know them. Desperate for book three!
...more

It was truly a very good read! After reading Chhimi Tenduf-La's debut novel, 'The Amazing Racist', I couldn't imagine him topping that. For me personally, he took this book to a whole new level. I foresee more brilliant writing to look forward to.
...more

I remember reading "The Amazing Racist", the debut novel of Chhimi Tenduf-la, in the first half of this year. I enjoyed it so much that I still remember the story even when I am a victim of a very bad memory. Haha! I was amazed to know that he have already published his second book with HarperCollins in the second half of the year named "Panther". I was very skeptic about this book because I felt the writer does not have an idea of how to go in the industry which is making him release books in ...more

I recieved a free copy of this book from the author.
First off, the way this story was told was pretty weird. Half the time it's in second person and half the time it's in third person so it was confusing for a bit in the beginning but I got used to it. The story in itself was amazing. It takes place during the Sri Lankan civil war or the tamil sinhalese conflict. The war plays a pretty big role in the story. This book shows the life of people and kids stuck in the warzone. It also shows how dif ...more
First off, the way this story was told was pretty weird. Half the time it's in second person and half the time it's in third person so it was confusing for a bit in the beginning but I got used to it. The story in itself was amazing. It takes place during the Sri Lankan civil war or the tamil sinhalese conflict. The war plays a pretty big role in the story. This book shows the life of people and kids stuck in the warzone. It also shows how dif ...more

Source: I got the book for free for an honest review.
The book is about a Tamil boy in the war torned Sri Lanka. His journey from being trained to be a suicide bomber to become a cricket player and finally settled to help others like him.
The author nicely captured the essentials of the theme but I wish that the book was a little bigger to capture more about the life of the Tamils in the Jaffana peninsula.
The book starts slow but captured imagination after around 20th Chapter and picks pace.
The a ...more
The book is about a Tamil boy in the war torned Sri Lanka. His journey from being trained to be a suicide bomber to become a cricket player and finally settled to help others like him.
The author nicely captured the essentials of the theme but I wish that the book was a little bigger to capture more about the life of the Tamils in the Jaffana peninsula.
The book starts slow but captured imagination after around 20th Chapter and picks pace.
The a ...more

Received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways!!
Well written.! gave an idea about the civil war in Sri Lanka. All Characters, The Author insists that ‘there are some bad people in this book, which quite made me to read sooner : There is racism,there is dirty politics,bribery and corruption which I find are still a part of everyone's life.
The book is a story of a young Tamil rebel fighter in Sri Lanka who is undergoing the process of rehabilitation in a country by bitter, cruel and terrib ...more
Well written.! gave an idea about the civil war in Sri Lanka. All Characters, The Author insists that ‘there are some bad people in this book, which quite made me to read sooner : There is racism,there is dirty politics,bribery and corruption which I find are still a part of everyone's life.
The book is a story of a young Tamil rebel fighter in Sri Lanka who is undergoing the process of rehabilitation in a country by bitter, cruel and terrib ...more

Quotes from the book:
"No one even knows what they're fighting for any more. No one knows, It's just blind bloody hatred"
"Life wasn't all competition. For him it was survival"
"Prabhu knows that even if he could forgive he would never be able to forget"
"Whenever things seems to be going well in his life, something would go wrong"
...more
"No one even knows what they're fighting for any more. No one knows, It's just blind bloody hatred"
"Life wasn't all competition. For him it was survival"
"Prabhu knows that even if he could forgive he would never be able to forget"
"Whenever things seems to be going well in his life, something would go wrong"
...more

We bought Panther more than 1.5years ago on a random trip to Odel. Having read the author’s debut novel and enjoyed it, we did not think twice about buying this. Believe it or not, there were few autographed copies left at Odel. It felt as if Chhimi had left us an autographed copy. :)
My significant other read the book before me and didn’t enjoy it. Hence, I was not so eager to start. However, in the end, this turned out to be a book I really enjoyed.
Panther is a coming of age tale set in the mi ...more
My significant other read the book before me and didn’t enjoy it. Hence, I was not so eager to start. However, in the end, this turned out to be a book I really enjoyed.
Panther is a coming of age tale set in the mi ...more

I am totally in love with Chhimi Tenduf-la's style of writing. Short sweet and to the point. Totally hillarious choice of names that actually make sense in more than one way.
I'm really glad he mentioned that the the incidents of the story is fiction, and apologizing for fictionalizing the war for the story. Had it not been said, I know I wouldn't have read the book with an open mind. ( We Sri Lankans generally don't accept that any wrong can be done by the country, every misdeed that falls on t ...more
I'm really glad he mentioned that the the incidents of the story is fiction, and apologizing for fictionalizing the war for the story. Had it not been said, I know I wouldn't have read the book with an open mind. ( We Sri Lankans generally don't accept that any wrong can be done by the country, every misdeed that falls on t ...more

Such a compelling read. It is one of those books that grabs you and won't release you until you have reached that last page. And on that last page - so many possibilities. So many questions. I absolutely loved it!
...more

Very readable- keeps you engrossed. There are sensitive moments and empathy with suffering. The two main characters didn't seem very convincing.
...more

I've read all of Chhimi's books and this one is my favourite. It's beautifully written, gut-wrenching and heartwarming at the same time. This was one hell of a coming of age story. Wow.
...more

Read the whole book within 24 hours. Can't wait for the next one!
...more

**********This book was won on Goodreads giveaway **********
Thank you Chhimi for sending across the copy!
*** Spoiler Alert ***
This is one of the coolest reads in the recent times, not for just the depiction of the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils fighting a survival battle or the socially advanced sinhalese family life but also for bringing the cricket element , the fun school life and also the funny antics of Prabhu as a hero/anti hero/hero in that order.
Chhimi has a written a racially disruptive, ...more
Thank you Chhimi for sending across the copy!
*** Spoiler Alert ***
This is one of the coolest reads in the recent times, not for just the depiction of the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils fighting a survival battle or the socially advanced sinhalese family life but also for bringing the cricket element , the fun school life and also the funny antics of Prabhu as a hero/anti hero/hero in that order.
Chhimi has a written a racially disruptive, ...more

I won this book in a giveaway organized by the author.
This book is a take on Prabhu’s life, the situations he encounters, the people that enter his life at different points, the role that they and the sport cricket plays in his life. The author has used different narrators for different situations, yet somehow it doesn’t feel disconnected, the storyline runs smooth.
Prabhu is a normal teenager when his life takes a turn and he is snatched away into the world of war by Panthers. Although Prabhu ha ...more
This book is a take on Prabhu’s life, the situations he encounters, the people that enter his life at different points, the role that they and the sport cricket plays in his life. The author has used different narrators for different situations, yet somehow it doesn’t feel disconnected, the storyline runs smooth.
Prabhu is a normal teenager when his life takes a turn and he is snatched away into the world of war by Panthers. Although Prabhu ha ...more

Having read two of the outstanding books on somewhat related subject one by Samanth Subramanian and the other by Rohini Mohan,I was skeptical when I picked this one to read.For the caliber of these two writers is unparalleled.
Against such literary yardstick,this is an outstanding book.I rate books on three counts;readability,story-line and linguistic excellence.On all three counts the book comes out a winner.Writing style is chic and pertinent.it is a racy read with twists in the tail.
Disclaimer ...more
Against such literary yardstick,this is an outstanding book.I rate books on three counts;readability,story-line and linguistic excellence.On all three counts the book comes out a winner.Writing style is chic and pertinent.it is a racy read with twists in the tail.
Disclaimer ...more
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Chhimi Tenduf-La grew up in Hong Kong, London, Delhi and Colombo, where he now lives with his wife and three kids.
'a fresh and promising new voice on the literary landscape.' New India Express ...more
'a fresh and promising new voice on the literary landscape.' New India Express ...more
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