Anil`s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje

[Carly Sanderson]

Anil`s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje tells the story of Anil Tissera, a forensic anthropologist, as she returns to her home country of Sri Lanka after 15 years of studying and working abroad. Set in the 1980`s during the civil war, Anil is chosen by the United Nations to travel to Sri Lanka as part of a human right investigation. While teamed up with local archaeologist Sarath Diyasena, Anil discovers a skeleton of a man who appears to have been recently murdered. Thinking that the murder might have been politically motivated, the pair investigate the story behind this skeleton, hoping to find out the identities of both the victim and the killer. Their investigation takes you across Sri Lanka, exposing you to beautiful landscapes and the incredible people who survive in the harsh environment of civil war. Their investigation also gets the pair into trouble with the government, who are trying to cover up the murders that are going on under its watch-and its help.

Initially, it is difficult to connect with the characters as not a lot of time is spent on defining each one. However, as the book moves on, they become clearer as the author offers more information on them. Chapter by chapter you begin to connect and build an understanding with the characters and why they behave as they do. Both of the main characters are complex, and as you continue to read the novel you begin to understand why. I found that this style of writing made me what to read the book so that I could find out more about the characters. I also enjoyed the fact that the novel bounces between the perspectives of different characters, so you get to see how each of them thinks. In this way, it is a compelling read.
However, the novel does move a bit slower than I would have liked. As I said, the jumbled up descriptions of the characters -while interesting- means that the first part of the book is a bit slow and can be confusing. However, the overall plot is good. The novel is divided between Anil`s wish to tell the truth about the skeleton and Sarath`s reluctance to bring it up in fear of the wrath of the government. These two contrasts make for an almost permanent sense of danger, which is great for those who like suspense novels.

Alongside the crime element of the novel, the book also deals with Anil and her identity. She struggles to reconcile her different identities- the one created in Sri Lanka and the one created in Britain and the United States. This is an interesting aspect in the novel as it creates a depth of character that would not have otherwise been there. Her inner struggle is one that I`m sure many people who have been victims of civil war can relate to. This is why I enjoyed the novel so much, as it had an interesting depth that other crime novels do not have.

The novel is well written and I would recommend it to anyone who likes crime, suspense or historical novels, as it covers all three very well. The way it is written means that the message can be applicable to any country that has been through a civil war and a corrupt government. I found the novel sad, enthralling and endearing at the same time and, based on this book, I would be more than happy to read some of Ondaatje`s other novels.