Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
More of a menagerie than a palace to be honest. It's a very ambitious book and reads more like a popular history than fiction. While Ghosh's narrative style is good, the telling of the story is very uneven - for example more time and detail is devoted to the tale of a cranky elephant than is spent on the final years of the main female character.
The characters are very one dimensional and none of them has a distinctive voice. The last 80 pages of the book is purely an exercise in historical instruction as he speeds through 50 years of post colonial Burma at breakneck speed and the main characters (Rajkumar and Dolly) disappear almost completely from the story. Having loved great Indian novels by Rohinton Mistry, Kiran Desai, Vikran Seth and others, I had hoped that this might have been another tale of the subcontinent to sit alongside these luminaries, but alas it wasn't to be.
The characters are very one dimensional and none of them has a distinctive voice. The last 80 pages of the book is purely an exercise in historical instruction as he speeds through 50 years of post colonial Burma at breakneck speed and the main characters (Rajkumar and Dolly) disappear almost completely from the story. Having loved great Indian novels by Rohinton Mistry, Kiran Desai, Vikran Seth and others, I had hoped that this might have been another tale of the subcontinent to sit alongside these luminaries, but alas it wasn't to be.
I really admire Amitav Ghosh's meticulous research and writing. In the afterword, he states that he spent 5 years compiling and talking to sources as well as travelling to the places in the novel: Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bengal, India, Malaysia (formerly Malaya) and Singapore. He also reveals that the background of his family gave the seeds to ideas in The Glass Palace. Spanning roughly 110 years from late 18th century to late 19th century, the reader is brought through a whirlwind of tumultuous events and places. Starting with the British invasion of Burma in 1885, we meet the last Burmese royal family who is being sent to exile and Rajkumar, one of the key protagonists, a Bengali boy who falls in love with Dolly then a young attendant working for the Burmese Queen.
The author does a fantastic job of setting the characters against a vibrant historical backdrop. At times, he may spend some time explaining to the reader an unfamiliar trade or practice, e.g. the intricacies of teak harvesting in those times in Burma using oo-sis and elephants and later rubber plantations in Malaya. Rajkumar becomes involved in the teak business under the guidance of Saya John, a Malayan businessman. Dolly and the Burmese royal family, in the meantime, are exiled to Ratnagiri, a remote port town in India. King Thebaw, the last king of Burma, spends the rest of his life there in living in dilapidated condition. In Ratnagiri is where Dolly meets and befriends Uma, wife of the Collector sent to monitor the royal family by the British government.
I was surprised to read reviews that found The Glass Palace to be anti-colonial. Nobody can dispute that the British colonized huge swaths of SE Asia to extend the British empire and exploit natural resources, wealth and labor found in those countries. Millions were killed in this venture. The British officials and representatives thought themselves as superior and often formed exclusive enclaves and lodgings like the officers' clubs where locals weren't allowed. However, one area where locals were allowed was the British army, to fight and die for a cause that wasn't their own. This is where Amitav Ghosh shines in illustrating the conflict loyalties that Indians serving in the British army faced mainly through his character Arjun, which apparently arose partly from the real personal ruminations his father had after being an official in the British army.
I will say that the author does not shy away from politics; in fact, politics shapes inexorably some of the characters' lives and outcomes. I love the character arc of Uma, for example, who refuses to become a shut-in widow in India and instead travels all over the world returning to become a famed political activist. Arjun, Uma's nephew, is an official in the British army and gets shipped to Singapore to defend British interests during the Japanese invasion of WWII. Dinu, who is Dolly's second child, lives under the strict authoritarian controls of the Burmese government in his later years. It is interesting too that the Burmese government at that time demanded cuts to the book before it could be released due to all the complimentary mentions of Aung San Suu Kyi.
From this first generation of characters arises a second generation and then a third. Does this make it a a sweeping family saga? The characterizations are all vividly done, so much so I can call up certain memorable traits of the characters such as Dinu and his unique way of speech. The only character whom I lost sight of and was momentarily confused by was Bela, of the third generation (Uma's niece). Because of inter-marrying too, racial lines are blurred. Matthew, son of Saya John, marries an American woman Elsa and brings her home to build Morningside (site of a rubber plantation) in Malaya. Their children (Allison and Timmy) are Eurasian. The offspring of Rajkumar and Dolly are a mix of Burmese and Bengali. Racial tensions such as between Hindus and Muslims in India, Burmese with Indian and Chinese on their land are explored.
All this makes it a complex multi-layered piece of art. I found myself swept along with the story and writing, caught in the winds of time and history. The scope of this work is definitely wider than the other equally impressive The Hungry Tide by the same author. Highly highly recommend. I am going to look for the acclaimed Sea Of Poppies next, which is apparently his best work yet.
The author does a fantastic job of setting the characters against a vibrant historical backdrop. At times, he may spend some time explaining to the reader an unfamiliar trade or practice, e.g. the intricacies of teak harvesting in those times in Burma using oo-sis and elephants and later rubber plantations in Malaya. Rajkumar becomes involved in the teak business under the guidance of Saya John, a Malayan businessman. Dolly and the Burmese royal family, in the meantime, are exiled to Ratnagiri, a remote port town in India. King Thebaw, the last king of Burma, spends the rest of his life there in living in dilapidated condition. In Ratnagiri is where Dolly meets and befriends Uma, wife of the Collector sent to monitor the royal family by the British government.
I was surprised to read reviews that found The Glass Palace to be anti-colonial. Nobody can dispute that the British colonized huge swaths of SE Asia to extend the British empire and exploit natural resources, wealth and labor found in those countries. Millions were killed in this venture. The British officials and representatives thought themselves as superior and often formed exclusive enclaves and lodgings like the officers' clubs where locals weren't allowed. However, one area where locals were allowed was the British army, to fight and die for a cause that wasn't their own. This is where Amitav Ghosh shines in illustrating the conflict loyalties that Indians serving in the British army faced mainly through his character Arjun, which apparently arose partly from the real personal ruminations his father had after being an official in the British army.
I will say that the author does not shy away from politics; in fact, politics shapes inexorably some of the characters' lives and outcomes. I love the character arc of Uma, for example, who refuses to become a shut-in widow in India and instead travels all over the world returning to become a famed political activist. Arjun, Uma's nephew, is an official in the British army and gets shipped to Singapore to defend British interests during the Japanese invasion of WWII. Dinu, who is Dolly's second child, lives under the strict authoritarian controls of the Burmese government in his later years. It is interesting too that the Burmese government at that time demanded cuts to the book before it could be released due to all the complimentary mentions of Aung San Suu Kyi.
From this first generation of characters arises a second generation and then a third. Does this make it a a sweeping family saga? The characterizations are all vividly done, so much so I can call up certain memorable traits of the characters such as Dinu and his unique way of speech. The only character whom I lost sight of and was momentarily confused by was Bela, of the third generation (Uma's niece). Because of inter-marrying too, racial lines are blurred. Matthew, son of Saya John, marries an American woman Elsa and brings her home to build Morningside (site of a rubber plantation) in Malaya. Their children (Allison and Timmy) are Eurasian. The offspring of Rajkumar and Dolly are a mix of Burmese and Bengali. Racial tensions such as between Hindus and Muslims in India, Burmese with Indian and Chinese on their land are explored.
All this makes it a complex multi-layered piece of art. I found myself swept along with the story and writing, caught in the winds of time and history. The scope of this work is definitely wider than the other equally impressive The Hungry Tide by the same author. Highly highly recommend. I am going to look for the acclaimed Sea Of Poppies next, which is apparently his best work yet.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loved it, bought it, still have the hard copy on my shelf.
I did get through this but it wasn't a smooth read. I almost stopped reading halfway through but I kept going because I was interested to read about a part of the world I know little about. The book was researched over five years and attention to detail is present. I found the plot to be secondary to the historical context and I don't feel I got to know any of the characters well. There are too many coincidental meetings for my liking. Sure, fate does intervene at key points in our lives but not to the degree found in the book. Love and marriage doesn't come as easily as it came in the book.
There is some analysis of the colonial legacy tied to this part of the world, but again I didn't feel the analysis was particularly deep.
There is some analysis of the colonial legacy tied to this part of the world, but again I didn't feel the analysis was particularly deep.
Every artist has a work that can easily be called his masterpiece - be it Vincent Gogh's The Starry Night, Picasso's Guernica, Camille Claudel's The Waltz or Rushdie's Midnight's Children.
The Glass Palace, in parts and as a whole, is Amitav Ghosh's masterpiece. It is everything that defines Ghosh's narrative style, narration and literary pursuits. This is what an epic should be. This is how a historical fiction should be written. Spanning 5 generation starting from King Thebaw's (of Burma) exile to Aung Suu Kyi's endeavors - covering India's struggle for independence, fortunes earned and lost in Teak and Rubber businesses, sparkles of love and melancholy of loss, family bonds and borders, conflict between one's duties and responsibilities, rainbow of vibrant emotions - hope, despair, anger, jealousy, pity, fear - Ghosh completely imbibes the history and pours out a magnificent and honest narration of the same.
This book is as much a praise of everything that is human as it is an eulogy to the bygone era.
The Glass Palace, in parts and as a whole, is Amitav Ghosh's masterpiece. It is everything that defines Ghosh's narrative style, narration and literary pursuits. This is what an epic should be. This is how a historical fiction should be written. Spanning 5 generation starting from King Thebaw's (of Burma) exile to Aung Suu Kyi's endeavors - covering India's struggle for independence, fortunes earned and lost in Teak and Rubber businesses, sparkles of love and melancholy of loss, family bonds and borders, conflict between one's duties and responsibilities, rainbow of vibrant emotions - hope, despair, anger, jealousy, pity, fear - Ghosh completely imbibes the history and pours out a magnificent and honest narration of the same.
This book is as much a praise of everything that is human as it is an eulogy to the bygone era.
I am very nuetral about this book. On one hand this is a beautiful sweeping epic about the turn of the 19th century Burma. The historical settings from Royal Palace to timber yards are esquisite and expansive. But i failed to find that one character that you were supposed to identify with and root for. That made the book kind of hacking emotions for me.
adventurous
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yes. This is why I read historical fiction.
Amitav Ghosh devoted five years of his life to the travel, research, and writing required to tell this story. It follows the mingled fates of three families and three countries--Burma, India, and Malaya, from 1885 through the mid-1990s. The story begins with the British takeover of the kingdom of Burma as its king and queen are exiled to a remote compound in India. Through the lives of the orphan Rajkumar, his mentor Saya John, the girl Dolly, and her friend Uma, this sweeping tale explores the intricacies of colonialism, wars, divided loyalties, race relations, and the exploitation of subjugated peoples and their natural resources.
The complexity of this work is astounding. Ghosh displays a deep understanding of local cultures and sentiments as well as of world history and politics. It's a challenging read with a few dry patches in the early pages, becoming progressively more exciting and touching. I finished the last 135 pages all in one go. I love the way Ghosh allows the family histories to cycle back around as Jaya searches for connections with her relatives and traces their legacy of courage and love, successes and sacrifices. I cried and cried.
Amitav Ghosh devoted five years of his life to the travel, research, and writing required to tell this story. It follows the mingled fates of three families and three countries--Burma, India, and Malaya, from 1885 through the mid-1990s. The story begins with the British takeover of the kingdom of Burma as its king and queen are exiled to a remote compound in India. Through the lives of the orphan Rajkumar, his mentor Saya John, the girl Dolly, and her friend Uma, this sweeping tale explores the intricacies of colonialism, wars, divided loyalties, race relations, and the exploitation of subjugated peoples and their natural resources.
The complexity of this work is astounding. Ghosh displays a deep understanding of local cultures and sentiments as well as of world history and politics. It's a challenging read with a few dry patches in the early pages, becoming progressively more exciting and touching. I finished the last 135 pages all in one go. I love the way Ghosh allows the family histories to cycle back around as Jaya searches for connections with her relatives and traces their legacy of courage and love, successes and sacrifices. I cried and cried.
Although this book took me awhile to get in to I really came to love it. I enjoyed how it flicked between characters and places and how all the generations connected. I also liked the setting of India and surrounds, it gave a different perspective on the usual historical novels I read.
Great for lovers of Ken Follet!
Great for lovers of Ken Follet!