Galloping through an entertaining and sometimes sinister read
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I expect many Sri Lankan writers (both manqué and passé) eager to comment will snap at the bait of this latest novel to bob to the surface of the island’s literary wash by the pseudonymous author, Ashok Ferrey. Perhaps because Ferrey is an author in the modern mode who relentlessly promotes his books, he seems to inspire disparagement as well as admiration. That he has the well-honed physique of a busy beach boy coupled with devastating charm as well as his extraordinary talent as a writer of fiction, is too much for the envious to accept. That’s the problem when an author is a public figure and a fixture of society’s receptions and magazines; Ferrey may be his pseudonym but he is not anonymous.A decade after the Beatles wrote their hit song about me (“Paperback Writer”) I was writing international best-sellers, like Ferrey, under a pseudonym. I hid behind a false name and my novels were judged (and sold) on content and impact, not on my public performances. Ferrey has chosen both avenues to success: a pseudonym that gives a clue to his exotic style and a public personality that incites comment – and encourages sales.
Reading his early works of fiction (outrageous and hilarious short stories created with affection), we scoured the pages to see who had been the target of Ferrey’s barbs. The author’s maturing from being an amusing raconteur to an author of stature continues as a work in progress. We saw some of this in evidence at the public reading he gave at the Cricket Club Café in December 2016 to launch his latest novel “The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons”. There was humour and insight that stilled the braying of guests enjoying the wine and canapés.
After the launch – and having recovered from the generous hospitality – I turned with eagerness to the book. I was happy to see it is dedicated to the author’s two enormously gifted children, a film-maker son and spare-time jazz singer daughter. The acknowledgement to experts on the Kandyan Kingdom and sorcery give a clue about the book’s novel concept: the traditions and darkness of devilry.
Although the blurb refers ominously to demons who “speak of larger horrors with able grace” I was relieved to find myself in familiar Ashok Ferrey territory from the book’s beginning. We see our hero “Sonny” in Sri Lanka and Oxford with trademark pithy comments such as his description of Tuesdays as “the worst days” much feared by Sri Lankans. Ferrey’s technique is intriguing as he features an outcome and then recaps (in the voice of the protagonist as well as in the third person) events that brought about the situation.
A suspicion of the horrors to come seeps in by the end of Part One, by which time we have not only Sonny’s character well defined but also that of Clarice, his mother, whom the blurb calls “a wonderfully maleficent anti-heroine.” There is typical Ferrey insight and wit, such as when he describes the relationship of his talkative mother with her servants: “Like psychiatrists, they were trained not to talk back.”
Part Two continues in the same rollicking manner with alternate chapters given over to Sonny and the events unfolding in Kandy. I did wonder whether such a batty old dame as Clarice in 2004 would know and use the term “LGBT.” But it’s a delight anyway with her confusion about a character twirling a cape. I was worried that on page 156 Sonny is an accomplished cook when 79 pages before he had confessed to being unable to cook, even a curry. But, being a conscientious writer, Ferrey quickly comes up with an amusingly plausible explanation of his protagonist’s new skill.
By the time we get into Parts Three and Four of the novel, the tone has subtly changed from one of innocence to looming disaster. Characters become more complex but there is still Ferrey’s irrepressible sense of humour, for instance in making a delightful farce of a serious exorcism. We understand a dreadful conundrum is unfolding and wonder how the devil it will end. Ferrey wraps up the story neatly, with no loose endings but with a totally unexpected development the reader won’t see coming. Perfect!
Ferrey’s writing is effervescent. He uses words that might not be familiar (I had to look up “monstrances,” “macularly” and “masque”), not to impress but because they fit the circumstances. I raced through the book, driven by the urge to find out the ending, as well as being captivated by Ashok Ferrey’s invigorating style. As an author, he still lingers within his comfort zone of known experiences and places while stepping boldly into new realms of the imagination, giving not just Sri Lankans but also a worldwide audience a worthwhile and entertaining, if sometimes jolly sinister read.
| Book factsThe Ceaseless Chatter of Demons by Ashok Ferrey (Penguin Books India). Reviewed by Royston Ellis |
Ashok Ferrey and guests at the launch of his new book. Pix by Indika Handuwala
