"A Passage North," the second novel by Sri Lankan writer Anuk Arudpragasam, describes two journeys by its protagonist Krishan. One is a physical trip north from the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, into the killing fields of the former civil war between the government and the separatist Tamil Tigers in the island's northeast. The other is an internal voyage into Krishan's memories and musings on love, life, politics and conflict.
Readers who were gripped by the urgency and passion of Arudpragasam's first novel, "The Story of a Brief Marriage," which portrayed the massacre of civilians and defeat of the Tigers in the final weeks of the war, may find there is too much of Krishan's mind-journey here and not enough action or description in bringing the other characters to life.
