Mosquito v. Literary Bigotry

I always feel a little cheap finishing one book and picking up another only an hour later. Blithely turning the last page of one book, and, reaching for another, as if it were just another grape to pop in my mouth, and not the result of a writer’s lonely labor of a year or two or more.

If it makes Roma Tearne feel any better, I savored the last ten pages of her novel even though I had a good idea how it would end. Mosquito takes place in Sri Lanka some time in the ‘80s or early ‘90s. The lush landscape of the book is juxtaposed with heartache and, at times, graphic violence. I knew a little about the Sri Lankan Civil War. I had heard of the Tamil Tigers and knew that Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch had deemed parts of Sri Lanka dangerous. And in the way that good love stories give you just the right amount of background about the country and conflict raging around our lovers, Mosquito provided me with enough to whet my appetite but never got in the way of turning the pages. Indeed, I stumbled on a Sri Lankan restaurant in my neighborhood, and despite being a spicy foods wuss, ventured forth to Sigiri (www.sigirinyc.com), where the delicious food and simple lovely surroundings mirrored the setting and style of the book. I used my mom’s book group Web site (www.planetbookgroupie.com) as a shortcut to learn more about the author and the war. Considering my occasional bigotry against books with “exotic” a.k.a. unfamiliar settings, I attribute my newfound interest in Sri Lanka to the book’s compelling story, good writing, and occasional surprises. The only time I felt “taken out” was in the latter half when the author wrote about the heroine’s artwork. Ms. Tearne is an artist (you can find pictures of some of her paintings online) and all of a sudden, when before I had hardly taken note of her writer’s presence, she stepped into the room as a loud critic writing about art. But I’m being persnickety. Mosquito is a good literary read that is bound to be made into a blockbuster movie. Check it out before Hollywood gets its hands on it. And if you happen to be on the Lower East Side, buy a bottle of wine (no corking fee) and visit Sigiri.

Tomorrow: how picking up a new book isn’t that different from a first, nearly blind date.