The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida cover art

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

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The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

By: Shehan Karunatilaka
Narrated by: Shivantha Wijesinha
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About this listen

Winner of the Booker Prize, 2022

Colombo, 1990. Maali Almeida, war photographer, gambler and closet queen, has woken up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. At a time when scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts who cluster around him can attest.

But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. He has seven moons to try and contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to a hidden cache of photos that will rock Sri Lanka.

2022, Booker Prize, Winner

2023, British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year, Short-listed

©2022 Shehan Karunatilaka (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Magical Realism Fantasy Magic Thought-Provoking War Royalty

Critic Reviews

"Karunatilaka has a real lightness of touch." (The Observer)

"Celebrate the arrival of the Great Sri Lankan Novel." (The Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
great performance
kept me hooked the whole way
make this one of your books this year

binge listened

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Truly blown away by this magnificent book. My expectations were high and it delivered and more. The narrator is incredible. The best I’ve heard!

Brilliant!

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nothing slow about this novel. the main character and supporting characters are great. I had no idea about the sri Lankin Civil war, it's one of those stories which needs to be told

what fun

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This is the best audiobook i have ever listened to. Shehan’s novel is spectacular and destructive, but Shivantha’s narration adds more depth to it than any narration i’ve heard before

Best Audiobook

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This is a magnificent novel, darkly humorous, politically pointed and wise. The coterie of the Dead are tragic and touching in the great Bureaucracy of the afterlife. Perhaps the best performance of an audio book I have had the pleasure to hear.

Worthy of the Booker Prize

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Just needed some pausing between sections to help with context. I often had to rewind once I had worked out what was happening. With such unusual subject matter that would help - post production edit??

Unique concept, beautifully written

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I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It tackles such a big question of what is the afterlife and what is a good person or a bad person and are all lives equal?

The characters and friendships are real. The questions they ask themselves resonated with me.

The narrator does an excellent job at the voices and the story itself is both curious and enlightening for a westerner learning about Sri Lanka, its history and culture.

Cant recommend highly enough!

Brilliant narrator & Fab story

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A book that can be read on many levels. I found it a little confusing at the beginning as so many different Sri Lankan names, along with some surprising scenarios and concepts - but absolutely worth the effort ! Superbly narrated. This book is definitely a conversation starter. I am quite old and have never read anything like it.

Wow

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This was an amazing experience. A difficult book in some ways, but one that makes us really think. It was the best reading of any audiobook I have ever heard. Congratulations to author and narrator. Thankyou.

Best reading of all

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Brutal, bold, brave and beautifully performed. Draw me in and loved every minute. A triumph

Marvellous

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