THE IMPACT OF WRITING
A review of Pushpa Suriyaarachchi’s debut novel “Lost in Floral Rain”
James Humberstone, B.Ed., Dip.Teach.
Writing is a powerful art form that allows writers to compose stories which express their personal thoughts and ideas using imagination and the skilful employment of words. Good stories have original and engaging plots, interesting and connectable characters and poignant themes that provide insights and perspectives about many interesting subjects. With this in mind, skilled writers are able to expertly manipulate their words and aim them at audiences who will enjoy them, who will learn from them and, more importantly, who will be thoroughly enthralled by them. This for me is what the impact of writing means and after reading Pushpa Suriyaarachchi’s debut novel “Lost in Floral Rain” novel, it certainly had an impact on me.
At school you might remember that English teachers approached the study of the novel through five areas – plot, character, setting, theme and style. Applying this approach now, Pushpa’s novel can be deconstructed in the following ways: the plot of “Lost in Floral Rain” is the simply told story of a girl’s journey to becoming a doctor and the events that shaped her growing up. The main character is a young, innocent Kusum whom readers relate to fondly in the way she tells her story. The setting takes place in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka during the 1970’s, a troubled time for those living in the country because of political and economic changes. Despite there being a number of themes evident throughout the novel, the main one is the steps a young girl undertakes to survive in a world she is basically naïve about and to persist against odds that are both personal and social. The final area that was taught during English classes was style. In ‘Lost in Floral Rain’, the stories are narrated in first-person, with poetry and artwork used to enhance meaning. All three work together to chronicle a highly personal account of life and events that leaves readers with a sense of empathy and sympathy for Kusum.
But we are no longer in school, and although we never stop learning, as adults we specialise in what we learn, which usually concerns our jobs, hobbies and survival. Reading for some is time consuming and not conducive in our time-poor world, for others, it is a form of relaxation which pleasurable. For people who enjoy reading, the impact of what they read is immense. On a simple level, the written words broaden their experiences of other people and provide insights into their lifestyle, culture and identity. These insights allow them to connect with the action and develop a kind of attachment to the characters in the fiction. This is why writing leaves an impact on the reader and provides lasting impressions when something is written well.
Reading is an escapist activity that allows one to enter imaginary worlds and have characters share those worlds and their experiences in those worlds with readers. Good writing should stimulate the reader’s intellect and enhance their emotions. Even if one does not like reading, they should make the effort because they are missing out on a wonderful experience as that one gets when reading Pushpa’s novel.
Good stories allow readers to immerse themselves into the mindset of their characters. A good writer will position audiences to like or dislike, cheer or fear or to wonder and shun certain characters because of what they are like or what they do. This is why the written word is powerful and why good stories told well takes the reader on thrilling adventures into worlds they would never enter in real life. This is what Pushpa does well in this novel.
On another level, Pushpa’s novel allows readers to accompany Kusum on her journey. They are by her side throughout and ultimately experience her pains, fears, wonderment and delights. This is what stories must do - take people on thrilling adventures and provide profound insights into characters’ lives and the worlds they inhabit.
While reading ‘Lost in Floral Rain’, I was transported to a time and country whose culture and lifestyle I knew little about. Through Kusum’s eyes, I found myself developing a sympathetic relationship with this innocent young, naïve and vulnerable girl as she embarked on her journey. Pushpa’s use of first person narrative gave a personal voice to the novel. The chapters are so alive with Kusum’s verve that it is hard to believe we are here to celebrate a work of fiction and Pushpa is not describing her own life story through the persona of Kusum.
The author does not get too hung up with describing the complex events that underpin the novel. The stories are simply told in a tone that is non-confrontational, gentle and calming while Kusum’s voice is mostly relaxing and the events related relatively free from drama, violence and concern.
As I read the book I was able to understand Kusum’s innocence and connect with her. It was refreshing that she was ignorant of the political hotbed she and her family were living through, the politics behind her Amma’s transfer and the brutal treatment of University dissidents after their protests were crushed. Not providing extensive details of these traumatic events I felt was in keeping with Kusum’s characterisation. However, her mention of them whetted my appetite for more information which was only partially satisfied by the historical background notes found at the end of the novel.
Stylistically, the story-telling is concise and episodic. If one is from Sri Lanka then this feature of the novel is understood. This could be best explained by drawing a comparison to Australian audiences understand the subtleness behind events set in Australia during the 1970’s. However, as a Sudaah, (the Sinhala word for a white, non-Sri Lankan), I wanted more details about the country’s life, customs and culture. I wanted to become more immersed in Kusum’s world and learn more about the background to what was happening in the country and time in which she lived. Despite this, Australian audiences expect information woven into the plot that explains events and puts them into perspective.
The novel’s structural features have some interesting qualities. The artwork gives a visual introduction to the content of several chapters and provides a visual interpretation of content using simple line drawings in keeping with the simple telling of the narrative through Kusum’s voice. Each chapter is also titled and like the title of a poem, provides a springboard into what occurs in those pages. However, for me the most interesting feature of the novel’s structure was use of poetry to introduce each chapter. This feature added an extra layer of meaning to each chapter and enhanced their meaning in a unique way. At first, I thought this was a risky undertaking as poetry is a literary form which many readers find challenging and avoid if they can. This is because poetry condenses ideas into a few words and those words then have to be expanded by the reader in order to make sense of them. But in this novel, Pushpa’s use of poetry captures the heart and soul of each episode in Kusum’s life in a clever way. It was this feature that I enjoyed the most about her style.
The timing of the episodic events in Kusum’s live is unclear despite the novel being linear. I once told Pushpa that she should have written each chapter as diary entries because on first reading I was a bit lost as to when things were occurring. But I have since reconsidered this because firstly, I can clearly see that the poems and artwork chronicle the issue of time in their own way and secondly, Pushpa has adopted the Shakespearean attitude to time. Shakespeare believed that audiences would instinctively know that events endemic to the plot’s action would occur over days, months or even years so they should not be overly concerned with the issue of time. Pushpa seems to have instinctively understood this in her construction of the chapters. She also has understood that the reader’s brain will process all the possibilities contained in the plot and consciously fill in any gaps where necessary.
To finish, I want to say that Pushpa Suriyaarachchi novel ‘Lost in Floral Rain’ is a great read. For me, it was a page turner - I was drawn into the magic of the writer’s words and found it difficult to put it down even when the clock hit midnight. That is a testimony to the impact of Pushpa’s writing and how she was able to draw me into Kusum’s world.
So, read the book and enter into Kusum’s world yourself, and once there, you too can imagine getting lost in the floral rain of jacarandas and memories. It isn’t hard. Enjoy the spirit of her adventures because they will pulse through your veins long after finishing the novel, and once you return to the present you will be a new and better person for having gone on a journey through fiction.
-James Humberstone, B.Ed., Dip.Teach.
© June, 2019 by the author of this paper
Copies from the second print of the novel "Lost in Floral Rain" are available for sale in Australia. Those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location:
https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html
All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit:
https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html
For details contact:
pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.
