“Success exposes a man’s true nature while adversity encourages dissimulation. Nevertheless Sam was unprepared for the generosity with which Nagel played down his own part in bringing the Hamilton case to a conclusion. The superintendent made it plain – to his superiors in the force, to the reporters who besieged him – that crucial tip-off had come from Sam Obeysekere. He himself could claim no credit for solving the mystery, said Nagel, in a much-quoted interview. He was no more than the instrument of another man’s brilliance.”

As I was reading The Hamilton Case, I had a weird feeling about something that I could not pinpoint at the beginning; it was not the narrative or the plot, it was something uncomfortable hidden between sentences. The story follows the life of Sam Obeysekere, a man born, raised and unfolded as a person and lawyer in Colombo, Ceylon. It’s the story of his family’s roots, of the St. Edwards boarding school, of his sister’s tragic life, of the coolies and the ruling classes’ feelings towards Britain. Nevertheless, there is a moment in the novel that detonates the town’s interpersonal relations – the Hamilton Case, a murder case-. Sam is not part of the team assigned to solve the case, but his deep interest in detective novels and his ability to speak up in bars makes him a key player in the verdict. And, when the night ends he has an epiphany and the “truth” of what happened is revealed to him.

After the murder case, I started to feel uncomfortable. Although the book is called The Hamilton Case, the case itself is just a moment that subtlety detonates a different Sam, or maybe the same Sam that was hidden in a young adult phase. Even the narrator changes. The readers are transported back and forth to the life of Sam, his sister, and his mother, who I think is one of the most interesting characters. She is introduced in the first paragraph and is present, at least remotely, throughout the entire novel. To me, she represents the European decadent side of the novel. Slowly, the jungle becomes her. Her insanity is reflected in a house taken over by nature, plants and animals endemic to Ceylon. And yet, all throughout her life, she torments Sam and his life decisions.

Finally, after reading the last page, I realized what the feeling was: I felt absolutely no empathy or warm feeling towards Sam. His treatment of all the women in his life is terrible and Kretser puts it in such a matter-of-fact way that it becomes inconspicuous. The narrative itself kept me going and, of course, the need to know what really happened. Lucking, Kretser treats the readers and, in my opinion, ends the novel in the best way possible – with a feeling that it was worth reading and that the concept of “truth” is, indeed, relative.

About Michelle de Kretser

Michelle de Kretser was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Australia when she was 14 years old. She has lived in three different continents and frequently writes about travel in her novels, including “Questions of Travel,” that received the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2013, and “The Life to Come” that takes place in France, Australia and Sri Lanka.

Other works by Sri Lankan authors we recommend

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Sri Lankan initiatives and projects that support and empower girls and women

Cenwor

Cenwor was created in 1984 by a group of women from different disciplines that wanted to address women’s disadvantageous position in Sri Lanka. Its four programs include: Policy and Action Oriented Research, Gender Sensitization Advocacy, Information Dissemination on Areas of Critical Concern to Women and other advocacy and lobbying initiatives. Their advocacy efforts are backed up by research. Check out their monographs to learn about different issues of Sri Lankan women.

The Women’s Development Center (WDC)

The center’s mission is to promote a world where women and people with disabilities have the same opportunities to thrive in life. They facilitate women entrepreneurship activities for them to excel in the work life and achieve economic stability. They offer different programs such as Community Development, women’s networks, community-based rehabilitation, crisis intervention, legal services and family counseling. Additionally, they have policy initiatives based on research regarding gender equality, democracy and child protection.