The other important ingredient in Chinaman is alcoholism and its effects. 'Ms Second Generation', which I infer is Chandrika Kumaratunga). He generally refers to key political figures by nicknames (e.g. For those unfamiliar with this latter subject (including me), be warned that the author is oblique in his references. The historical context is Sri Lankan's travails in the late twentieth century. The major theme of the book is the mutability of the past – personal as well as sporting and political. A shared obsession between the principal characters, 'cricket' could just as well have been 'snooker' or 'stamp collecting'. Although it would be difficult to understand Chinaman without a good knowledge of cricket, the game is a device rather than the substance of the book. It isn't, though entries in this category are few (Selincourt's The Cricket Match is probably the front-runner). I was given this book as a gift because the giver had heard it described as the best novel written about cricket.
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