Reviews
This book is a lot- very meticulous storyline with LOTS of characters and each sentence is very important to the plot. 500 pages of very significant words is kinda headache at times, but I did enjoy it! This put my memory to work, Ghosh would often reference tiny conversations that happened early on like 400 pages later. He really makes you pay close attention! The amount of things I had to look up was unholy- If you didn’t know the history of various obscure pirates/ historical figures the meaning of passages gets lost. The dynamic between Ah Faat and Neel plus Paulette’s entire storyline were really well done and I loved that. On the flipside, certain characters were just painfully boring yet way too much at the same time somehow. Overall it’s a brilliant book but not necessarily an enjoyable read
I'm still digesting this book since I took my time over the first half and flew through the second half. Amitav Ghosh seems like a better anthropologist than a writer (though - let's be real - he's great at both and 14687436x better than I'll ever be at either) so I especially enjoyed the world he created through what must have been painstaking research. Each character opened my eyes to a different facet of the colonial experience and opium wars of late-19th-century South and East Asia, but one aspect that really sticks with me is how cripplingly limited most women's set of life choices were - regardless of whether they were Indian or British. So, of course, this makes it even more fun to read about women breaking out to live their lives in totally unconventional and socially unacceptable ways. The other thing I loved about this book is the language. Ghosh uses bits of Hindustani, Bhojpuri, and sailor-speak constantly. I loved the mish mash of Hindi and English words, and some Hindustani words reminded me of things my grandmother used to say. So excited to read the next two books in this trilogy.
I really wanted to like this book. It had all the earmarks of stories I normally enjoy: historical fiction set in colonial India, colorful characters and an interesting plot. However, I couldn't get past the true-to-the-era diction and language. Pages were filled with antiquated slang and nearly undecipherable pidgin. There is no doubt that Ghosh is a talented writer and much research went into creating a sensual environment. In between the labored exchanges between characters, Ghosh deftly intertwines several subplots and is able to show the era's class and caste hierarchy and its many customs and rituals.
For my full review, go here: http://mookse.wordpress.com/2008/09/0...
2.5 stars I really was hoping this book was going to be a 4/5 stars. I love historical fiction and like when the book follows a bunch of different characters that all meet up. However, I just didn’t like it. I listened to the audiobook and wouldn’t recommend. The author narrated very well but after learning more about the narrator I wouldn’t support him in the future. That being said, I don’t think I would have gotten through the book without the audiobook- I was unmotivated to pick up the book. I liked the premise but unfortunately I didn’t like it.
