Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5)
Genre: Memoir, Autobiography, Sri Lankan History, Colonial Studies, Literary Non-Fiction.

Book Review:
''Those Long Afternoons'' is a gem of a memoir, a gentle and beautifully crafted journey back to a vanished world. Written by E.F.C. Ludowyk, one of Sri Lanka's most distinguished English scholars, in the twilight of his life, the book is an act of loving recollection. It transports the reader to the Galle of the early 20th century, seen through the keen, innocent eyes of a Burgher child.

Ludowyk's prose is the book's greatest triumph—measured, evocative, and tinged with a quiet melancholy. He paints vivid portraits of family members, colonial social rituals, the sights and sounds of Galle Fort, and the unique cultural mosaic of pre-independence Ceylon. This is not a grand historical narrative but an intimate, personal history that captures the essence of an era with stunning clarity.

More than just a nostalgic trip, it is a poignant meditation on memory, place, and the passage of time. For readers interested in Sri Lanka's social history, colonial life, or simply exquisite autobiographical writing, this book is a treasure. It stands as Ludowyk's final, affectionate tribute to the land of his birth, and a gift to readers who appreciate literature that is both profoundly moving and historically illuminating. A truly special book for a quiet, reflective afternoon.