culture of that period. It is presented as a narrative by Upali Giniwella, and views the adults' treatment of the children and the inability to understand them, in a sarcastic and humorous way. Madol Doova is presented in simple language, Upali and Jinna are the two main characters of the story. Upali is boy who likes to be independent and is the leader of a boy gang in his village. He likes heroism and adventure. Although mischievous at first, he learns to be responsible later on. Upali's devoted friend and helper, Jinna, is an enthusiastic and courageous boy and Upali admits that he could not have managed without Jinna. Other characters include Podigamarala, a helpful farmer who allows the boys to work for him and teaches them farming and handling firearms and later helps them when they go to Madol Doova, and Punchi Mahattaya, a lazy and idle man who arrives at the island and starts to live there with Upali and Jinna. Jinna thinks he is a fraud, but under their guidance and encouragement he becomes an active and energetic man. Reception and adaptations Madol Doova was first published in 1947 in Sinhala, as a children's novel. It soon became very popular, and was translated into English. It was later translated into several other languages as well, including Tamil, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Dutch, Romanian and Bulgarian. Although some critics have doubted if the book sets an example to children because of the mischief done by Upali and his friends, it is seen as a depiction of the reforming and courage of a child who was once a "notorious imp". Madol Doova is one of Martin Wickramasinghe's best known books. The novel was later adapted into a film as Madol Duwa (Enchanted Island) in 1976 by Sri Lankan film maker Lester James Peries. It was also made into a teledrama. See also Madol Duwa Martin Wickramasinghe Koggala Lagoon References External links Sample reading from martinwickramasinghe.info 1947 novels Sri Lankan novels Novels set in Sri Lanka Fiction set in the 1890s Sri Lankan novels adapted into films Novels by Martin Wickramasinghe