Warlight

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Author: Michael Ondaatje
Acquired in: December 2019


Booker Prize winner The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje was on my reading list for a long time. When I couldn't find a copy, I decided to try out Warlight, another of Ondaatje’s books to get a taste of his writing. Note to self: never try it again. The espionage-themed book is so vague and obscure that I frequently lost track of what is happening. I don't think I would buy The English Patient after this.

In post-World War II London, Nathaniel and Rachel's parents set sail to Singapore to attend to some business, leaving them in the care of 'the Moth', a man shrouded in mystery. Several of the Moth's friends drop by their house over the years, each one shadier than the last. Amidst this medley, the children grow up and gradually realise that their parents had left for good. Years later, Rachel wants nothing to do with their parents who she feels had abandoned them, but Nathaniel digs deeper and deeper to uncover his mother's life as a spy.

The book aims to immerse the reader in a dark and shady plot with curious characters and delves deep into the dark and twisty annals of war espionage. However, reading Warlight felt like being in thick fog. Perhaps, if it were not so ambiguous, I might have enjoyed it on a good day. But since it isn't, I'm gladly putting it aside to get to more interesting books. 

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