“Evil is not what we should fear. Creatures with power acting in their own interest: that is what should make us shudder.”

Zamislite da se probudite mrtvi. Ne u raju, ne u paklu, već u nekoj vrsti zagrobnog birokratskog limba, gdje imate točno sedam noći da razriješite vlastitu smrt, pomognete živima i odlučite kamo dalje. Upravo to se događa Maaliju Almeidi – fotografu, kockaru, ciniku i duhovima okruženom mrtvacu – u ovom neobičnom, mračnom i duboko metafizičkom trileru.

Karunatilaka nas vodi kroz zagrobni život, gdje se duhovi bore za pravdu, a živi za moć. Stil pripovijedanja je specifičan – fragmentiran, satiričan, ponekad zbunjujuć, ali uvijek pun značenja. Knjiga je istovremeno i politička kritika, i filozofska meditacija, i crnohumorna avantura.

Maali kao lik? Iskreno, nije mi bio simpatičan. Ali njegova priča – njegova potraga za istinom, iskupljenjem i smislom – držala mi je pažnju. Bilo je trenutaka kad sam se gubila u tekstu, ali i onih kad sam ga gutala bez daha.

Roman suptilno, ali moćno prikazuje stanje Šri Lanke – rat, korupciju, kaos – što je ujedno i meni osobno najdraži dio romana. Podsjetio me na 10 minuta i 38 sekundi u ovom čudnom svijetu Elif Shafak – po atmosferi, po unutarnjem monologu, po načinu na koji smrt postaje prostor za razmišljanje o životu.

Preporučujem ga svima koji vole magični realizam, povijesnu fikciju, političku satiru, crni humor i knjige koje vas tjeraju da zastanete i razmislite.

[english]

“Even on the sad days, when you have to process young children or those leaving lovers behind, you come to realise that every death is significant, even when every life appears not to be.”

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida – Shehan Karunatilaka

Imagine waking up dead. Not in heaven, not in hell, but in some kind of post-mortem bureaucratic limbo, where you have exactly seven moons (nights) to resolve your own death, help the living, and decide where to go next. That’s exactly what happens to Maali Almeida – a photographer, gambler, cynic, and ghost-surrounded dead man – in this unusual, dark, and deeply metaphysical thriller.

Karunatilaka takes us through the afterlife, where ghosts fight for justice and the living for power. The storytelling style is distinctive – fragmented, satirical, sometimes confusing, but always full of meaning. The book is at once a political critique, a philosophical meditation, and a darkly humorous adventure.

Maali as a character? Honestly, I didn’t like him. But his story – his search for truth, redemption, and meaning – kept my attention. There were moments when I got lost in the text, but also moments when I devoured it breathlessly.

The novel subtly but powerfully portrays the state of Sri Lanka – war, corruption, chaos – which was actually my favourite part. It reminded me of Elif Shafak’s 10 minutes and 38 seconds in this strange world – the atmosphere, the inner monologue, the way death becomes a space to reflect on life.

I recommend it to anyone who loves magical realism, historical fiction, political satire, dark humour, and books that make you stop and think.