There is always a problem with historical inaccuracies in fiction. When certain historical events are part of the story (especially when these events are controversial), it is important to understand what they mean in the author's conception of history and reality in general. It is much more important to understand their place in this conception when we see that the author's description of the facts is unusual and that what he does does not seem to be the reflection of an existing reality but the deconstruction of 'a different reality. Terrorism, civil war, separatism – it is difficult to remember which themes would be more complex and more controversial in the modern world, because such questions never have a certain answer. Anil's Ghost by Michael Ondaatje is a good example of a novel that addresses the most important issues in contemporary history. Anil's Ghost, first published in 2000, is dedicated to the events of the Sri Lankan civil war. Michael Ondaatje has asserted in interviews that his book is not “just about Sri Lanka; it could be Guatemala, Bosnia or Ireland” (Scanlan 302) – it can therefore be suggested that the author is trying to describe not this particular conflict, but the situation in general. In another interview, Ondaatje said: “Anil's Ghost is a more faithful or more non-fictional version. It's a fiction. It’s a novel, and it’s also a point of view” (Coughlan). Sri Lanka is mentioned as one of the places where war “always seems to be there, and no one goes there anymore” (Champeon). The ongoing conflict pits the government against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a separatist group. Different numbers indicate that at present the number of victims is around 80,000 people. The action takes place at the end of...... middle of paper ...... every country with similar circumstances and not just Sri Lanka. The experience of the civil war is recreated in the fates of the main characters – each of them has their personal tragedy and deals with it as best they can. And when neither the executioner nor the victim can be identified, it becomes important to provide the identity of at least one of the murdered. It must be named, and the problem too. Through the historical situation, the author tries to show us the necessity of personal choice in a time when there is no choice for the nation or the entire country. Anil's ghost is made up of many different ghosts – ghost of innocent people, missing or dead, ghost of the past, which must be dealt with; ghost of Sarath, who ultimately becomes a martyr. And these ghosts don't seem to be the only ones in Anil. For some reason they belong to each other.