Amitav Ghosh

Amitav

Opening in Calcutta in the 1960s, Amitav Ghosh's radiant second novel follows two families -- one English, one Bengali -- as their lives intertwine in tragic and comic ways. The narrator, Indian born and English educated, traces events back and forth in time, from the outbreak of World War II to the late twentieth century, through years of Bengali partition and violence, observing the ways in which political events invade private lives.

The Shadow Lines

Follows two families in Calcutta, one English and one Bengali, as their lives intertwine in ways both tragic and comic.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Ghosh's finest. It is the outcome of a patient, meticulous and ardent mind at work. Like a puzzle whose pieces are scattered across a thin strip of history, and it's up to you to read on, move in those pieces, until the Shadow Lines converge and there's a sad but beautiful picture at the end to look at. Ghosh often retreats to his leftist ideals, discusses the futility and the ugliness of war and borders, but it is when he plays with the power of memory that his writing reaches its peak. He glides through time, until he convinces you that the past holds a lot that can romanticize the present.

A wide-eyed boy growing up in suburban Calcutta in the 1960s experiences the world through the eyes of others - an intoxicating older cousin, a grandmother who weaves stories from the past and a family in London whose lives are intertwined with his. When a seemingly random act of violence threatens his vision of the world, he begins piecing together events for himself, and in the process unravels secrets with devastating consequences. Set in Calcutta and London and spanning generations from the outbreak of the Second World War to the late twentieth century, The Shadow Lines is a haunting novel from one of the world's greatest writers.

Lia 

Nia C

The first 45% is supremely boring, but the last 35-34% kinda redeems the novel. It's a complex web of timelines and characters - and not in a good way.

Raya 

A work of bisecting web of memories and literary poignancy, Amitav Ghosh's The Shadow Lines is a moving tale of love, hope and loss which leaves a permanent impact upon a patient reader. Winner of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, the narrative moves across people and places while weaving a tale rich and clear in its purpose. 
The book is divided into two sections ('Going Away' and 'Coming Home') and follows the journey of our young and unnamed narrator who is a boy growing up in Calcutta and later moves to Delhi and London. As a boy, he witnesses an apparently arbitrary act of violence which continues to haunt him till his adulthood. Years later, fragments of stories gather in his mind and lead him to a grim image of the world he calls home. 

The language is sensitive, lyrical and at times inflammatory. Ghosh builds a humorous and picturesque story which travels through time and memories. The tone gets oddly autobiographical at times which adds to the collective emotional impact. The novel deals with themes of migration, postcolonial experiences, communal and political violence, family ties, human relationships and religion. The bond shared by the narrator and Tridib, one of the central characters, is beautifully designed and one which influenced me immensely. By the time I reached the end, I couldn't help but agree with what Khushwant Singh said about the book, "This is how a novel should be written". 
These are the very books you cannot stop thinking about. The characters stay in your mind and call you back to them. 

Lastly, the book reminds us of a time period we need to know about, India after British rule. It shows us a time we left behind, of a time which is smeared by the blood of all the departed innocents and gives us a clear idea why it should never be forgotten.

The Shadow Lines

Reviews