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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This book is set in Post WWI Calcutta with British Imperialism in India starting to fail. I know very little about this part of history, but think the book portrays this period well without sugar-coating the rampant racism but giving an insight into all of the people on both sides of the issue.
The mystery starts brilliantly - a British politician VIP murdered behind a brothel in a bad neighborhood and tons of suspects. However, it felt a bit like the mystery took a back seat to the political / racial turmoil. I also felt that while the who-dun-it part was a good surprise, the reason (why-they-dun-it) seemed fairly obvious to me about a third of the way in.
A Rising Man really shines with its main characters. The newly arrived Captain and his subordinate "Surrender Not" have great chemistry as well as realistic full personalities. It also creates a great window into the sights and sounds of Calcutta. It feels real. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
The mystery starts brilliantly - a British politician VIP murdered behind a brothel in a bad neighborhood and tons of suspects. However, it felt a bit like the mystery took a back seat to the political / racial turmoil. I also felt that while the who-dun-it part was a good surprise, the reason (why-they-dun-it) seemed fairly obvious to me about a third of the way in.
A Rising Man really shines with its main characters. The newly arrived Captain and his subordinate "Surrender Not" have great chemistry as well as realistic full personalities. It also creates a great window into the sights and sounds of Calcutta. It feels real. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.
This novel was solid. There weren’t any shocking or breathtaking moments — but I also found the story compelling and the commentary about power and privilege a welcome addition. I look forward to seeing if the characters continue to develop in promised future books.
A good mystery and interesting examination of colonialism.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One thing that would have helped this book is if it was shorter and faster paced. The writing was pretty boring, although it should have been exciting, given the topic. The writing really needed some seasoning. The characters were not interesting or memorable and neither was the mystery.
It’s been disconcerting and lovely to read Bengali words in a book. Thought it balanced the “white saviour” act versus “desi history” really well.
‘Moral superiority.’ He let the phrase sink in. ‘For such a small number to rule over so many, the rulers need to project an aura of superiority over the ruled. Not just physical or military superiority mind, but also moral superiority. More importantly, their subjects must in turn believe themselves to be inferior; that they need to be ruled for their own benefit. ‘
‘Moral superiority.’ He let the phrase sink in. ‘For such a small number to rule over so many, the rulers need to project an aura of superiority over the ruled. Not just physical or military superiority mind, but also moral superiority. More importantly, their subjects must in turn believe themselves to be inferior; that they need to be ruled for their own benefit. ‘
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wanted to like this but it’s going on the abandoned shelf.
A dandy start to the series. Set in 1919 India, a good mystery is interwoven with the politics of the time.