Amitav Ghosh

A motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts is sailing down the Hooghly aboard the Ibis on its way to Mauritius. As they journey across the Indian Ocean old family ties are washed away, and they begin to view themselves as jahaj-bhais or ship brothers who will build new lives for themselves in the remote islands where they are being taken. A stunningly vibrant and intensely human work, Sea of Poppies, the first book in the Ibis trilogy, confirms Amitav Ghosh’s reputation as a master storyteller.

Sea of Poppies

Kendall McClain

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

Riah Forbes 

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.

The first in an epic trilogy, Sea of Poppies is "a remarkably rich saga . . . which has plenty of action and adventure à la Dumas, but moments also of Tolstoyan penetration--and a drop or two of Dickensian sentiment" (The Observer [London]). At the heart of this vibrant saga is a vast ship, the Ibis. Her destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China. In a time of colonial upheaval, fate has thrown together a diverse cast of Indians and Westerners on board, from a bankrupt raja to a widowed tribeswoman, from a mulatto American freedman to a free-spirited French orphan. As their old family ties are washed away, they, like their historical counterparts, come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais, or ship-brothers. The vast sweep of this historical adventure spans the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, and the exotic backstreets of Canton. With a panorama of characters whose diaspora encapsulates the vexed colonial history of the East itself, Sea of Poppies is "a storm-tossed adventure worthy of Sir Walter Scott" (Vogue).

A Novel

Jennifer A.

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.

Trevor Berrett

For my full review, go here:

http://mookse.wordpress.com/2008/09/0...

Tessa

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.

Anirudh r

Nora 

Utkarsh

haifa

Clare B

Arianna M

At the heart of this epic saga, set just before the Opium Wars, is an old slave ship The Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean; its crew a motley array of sailors, stowaways, and convicts. In a time of colonial upheaval, the ship boasts a diverse cast of Indians, coolies, and Westerners, from a bankrupt raja to a widowed village woman, from a mulatto American to an evangelical opium trader. As their family ties wash away, they come to view themselves as jahaj-bhais, or ship-brothers, and an unlikely dynasty is born. The vast sweep of this historical adventure spans the lush poppy fields of the Ganges, the rolling high seas, and the back streets of China. But it is the panorama of sharply drawn characters that brings Sea of Poppies so breathtakingly alive. The first in a trilogy, this is a masterpiece by a world-class novelist.

Sea of Poppies

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