Tab Article

ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Genre: Sri Lankan Fiction, Literary Fiction, Political Fiction

Book Review:
Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake's ''There is Something I Have to Tell You'' is a powerful and nuanced novel that richly deserves its 2011 Gratiaen Prize. It is a masterfully crafted work that weaves together the personal and the political, offering a critical and deeply felt chronicle of contemporary Sri Lanka's complex socio-political landscape.

The novel centers on a cast of interconnected young people from sharply contrasting social and cultural backgrounds. Despite being divided by class, they are united in their idealism and their shared desire to reimagine their country. Ratnayake skillfully traces their lives, their relationships, and their political awakening, creating characters who are both emotionally compelling and morally complex.

As the narrative unfolds, it becomes a poignant critique of the failures of these political dreams. The judges for the 2011 Gratiaen Prize—Gill Westaway, Harshana Rambukwella, and Delon Weerasinghe—aptly described it as a ''considered and critical chronicling'' that focuses on ''the eventual failure of their politics.'' The novel critiques the turn of the upper middle class towards a puritanical Sinhala Buddhist nationalism, while also depicting a leftist movement overwhelmed by its own violence and ethno-nationalism. The characters are placed in ''exigent circumstances,'' forced to confront the chasm between their ideals and a harsh reality.

Ratnayake's prose is elegant and assured, and she handles the novel's intricate structure with confidence. ''There is Something I Have to Tell You'' is not just a story about individuals; it is a novel about a nation grappling with its identity, its divisions, and its unfulfilled promises. It is an essential read for anyone interested in contemporary Sri Lankan literature and the powerful role fiction can play in illuminating social and political truths. This book announces the arrival of a significant new voice in Sri Lankan writing.