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nikkiacat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ben_miller's review against another edition
4.0
I began this trilogy without any real intention of finishing it, and there were several points along the way when I considered quitting—but something kept drawing me back until I finally did reach the end. (The same force, perhaps, that continuously entwines the fates of the various people who sailed on the ill-fated voyage of the Ibis.)
One thing to know is that these books are mis-marketed as high adventure historical dramas, but in reality Ghosh is a measured, cautious writer, and his books are engrossing but not particularly exciting. There are only a few moments of genuine suspense or thrill to be found in the entire 1,500 page sweep of the Ibis trilogy.
Another thing to know is that if the grand sweep of history and politics in India and China circa 1839-1841 isn't your thing, walk away slowly. You will learn a lot about: the opium trade; the perfidious and hypocritical tactics of British merchants; life in the Bengal native infantry; the peculiar existence of foreign traders in 19th century Canton; Chinese botany, botanical art, and portraiture; indentured servitude in Mauritius, and numerous other topics of pressing interest.
The sheer volume of historical information that Ghosh is trying to convey frequently overwhelms the more novelistic aspects of his work (you know, characters, plot, etc). Some plotlines just fade away. There are so many characters that even 1,500 pages isn't enough to give them all their due, and the emotional effect of their various tribulations gets diluted. All of the key characters get a kind of resolution at the end, but some are more satisfying than others.
On the other hand, because Ghosh is such a steady and confident skipper, it's easy to float along as a fascinated passenger on this vessel. If it resembles a history book at times, it's a very engaging one. His prose has elegance and clarity, and in the first two books in the series he has a wonderful time writing in a variety of accents and dialects—most notably the pidgin that foreigners and locals in Canton use to communicate with one another.
Taken all in all, the Ibis trilogy is a mightily impressive work, and pretty entertaining, too. It doesn't quite reach the heights of brilliance that its scope might suggest, but it's worth the journey.
One thing to know is that these books are mis-marketed as high adventure historical dramas, but in reality Ghosh is a measured, cautious writer, and his books are engrossing but not particularly exciting. There are only a few moments of genuine suspense or thrill to be found in the entire 1,500 page sweep of the Ibis trilogy.
Another thing to know is that if the grand sweep of history and politics in India and China circa 1839-1841 isn't your thing, walk away slowly. You will learn a lot about: the opium trade; the perfidious and hypocritical tactics of British merchants; life in the Bengal native infantry; the peculiar existence of foreign traders in 19th century Canton; Chinese botany, botanical art, and portraiture; indentured servitude in Mauritius, and numerous other topics of pressing interest.
The sheer volume of historical information that Ghosh is trying to convey frequently overwhelms the more novelistic aspects of his work (you know, characters, plot, etc). Some plotlines just fade away. There are so many characters that even 1,500 pages isn't enough to give them all their due, and the emotional effect of their various tribulations gets diluted. All of the key characters get a kind of resolution at the end, but some are more satisfying than others.
On the other hand, because Ghosh is such a steady and confident skipper, it's easy to float along as a fascinated passenger on this vessel. If it resembles a history book at times, it's a very engaging one. His prose has elegance and clarity, and in the first two books in the series he has a wonderful time writing in a variety of accents and dialects—most notably the pidgin that foreigners and locals in Canton use to communicate with one another.
Taken all in all, the Ibis trilogy is a mightily impressive work, and pretty entertaining, too. It doesn't quite reach the heights of brilliance that its scope might suggest, but it's worth the journey.
dvaruas's review
2.0
Finally, the journey that had started with the Ibis ends with the (almost) conclusion of the first Opium wars.. And it took me only 3 years to reach here. :)
Endings are always bittersweet; especially when it seems there was more to it than conveyed.
Having said that, I'm glad the series ended.
Things need to end; especially when it isn't going anywhere better (I'll explain what I mean in a minute, but before that .... )
Historical fictions are always praiseworthy. The amount of research that goes into the text is undoubtedly enormous, period texts even so, as they need careful recreation of the era (postcolonial India and China back then in this case) in which it is set. There are many interesting tidbits all over the novel - starting from how Hong Kong came under British rule to the origin story of 'Graham crackers'. Amitav Ghosh has done this brilliantly - hats off to him for that.
--- Rant mode activated ---
I personally felt that the series as a whole didn't have a consistent tone in it. Looking at it as a whole, the
- `Sea of Poppies` was definitely the best of the lot with a nice balance between events and character development (something which is an incredibly difficult feat).
- `River of Smoke` was more character-driven with Bahram taking the center stage. An interesting read, although somehow disconnected from the rest of the series (conscious choice? What the hell happened there?). And then,
- `Flood of Fire`.
It has all of my beloved characters back in the scene along with some new ones. But the whole thing feels very plot-driven and very rushed. I was honestly expecting the magic from part one - the correct balance between the two aspects of storytelling, but unfortunately, that did not happen. Some of the events felt very predictable. There was an attempt to have a whole character arc with Zachary, but that was not well fleshed out. Kesri seemed like the only interesting character in this novel, while all others seemed to have lost all of their previous dimensionality and fallen flat on the pages. Sad!
--- Rant mode deactivated ---
Maybe I am being a bit too harsh. With the amount of expectation I had from the finale of the series, it was probably destined to fail already. :D
It's not a bad read definitely. Not an awesome one either.
`OKayish` would be my final verdict... Worth the read if someone has already started out on the journey. :)
Endings are always bittersweet; especially when it seems there was more to it than conveyed.
Having said that, I'm glad the series ended.
Things need to end; especially when it isn't going anywhere better (I'll explain what I mean in a minute, but before that .... )
Historical fictions are always praiseworthy. The amount of research that goes into the text is undoubtedly enormous, period texts even so, as they need careful recreation of the era (postcolonial India and China back then in this case) in which it is set. There are many interesting tidbits all over the novel - starting from how Hong Kong came under British rule to the origin story of 'Graham crackers'. Amitav Ghosh has done this brilliantly - hats off to him for that.
--- Rant mode activated ---
I personally felt that the series as a whole didn't have a consistent tone in it. Looking at it as a whole, the
- `Sea of Poppies` was definitely the best of the lot with a nice balance between events and character development (something which is an incredibly difficult feat).
- `River of Smoke` was more character-driven with Bahram taking the center stage. An interesting read, although somehow disconnected from the rest of the series (conscious choice? What the hell happened there?). And then,
- `Flood of Fire`.
It has all of my beloved characters back in the scene along with some new ones. But the whole thing feels very plot-driven and very rushed. I was honestly expecting the magic from part one - the correct balance between the two aspects of storytelling, but unfortunately, that did not happen. Some of the events felt very predictable. There was an attempt to have a whole character arc with Zachary, but that was not well fleshed out. Kesri seemed like the only interesting character in this novel, while all others seemed to have lost all of their previous dimensionality and fallen flat on the pages. Sad!
--- Rant mode deactivated ---
Maybe I am being a bit too harsh. With the amount of expectation I had from the finale of the series, it was probably destined to fail already. :D
It's not a bad read definitely. Not an awesome one either.
`OKayish` would be my final verdict... Worth the read if someone has already started out on the journey. :)
bloodyfool0's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this trilogy. Read the first a few years ago and the last two within a year. Wonderful storytelling and great historical piece.
menfrommarrs's review
4.0
Interesting and sometimes shameful history lesson throughout the series, masked as fiction.
Not a quick read, but very enjoyable.
p.s. Beautiful covers!
Not a quick read, but very enjoyable.
p.s. Beautiful covers!
books_n_pickles's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
clarkness's review
3.0
"You wanted me to be a man of the times, did you not? I am a man who wants more and more and more. A man who does not know the meaning of enough. Anyone who tries to thwart my desires is the enemy of my liberty and must expect to be treated as such."
Love this quote as a searing indictment of both the Opium Wars and our current times. It feels like a deeply American statement.
I really enjoyed the turn of Zachary Reid in this novel and his arc throughout the trilogy. Otherwise, I found this final chapter to be kind of a letdown. For all of the setup of the first two novels, I felt like this book failed to bring the disparate threads of the story together. So many characters had journeys that led to nowhere or petered out and disappeared into the ether. I can't tell if it was a lack of planning from the outset or whether Ghosh got lost in the details of his research and failed to let the characters dictate the outcomes of the story rather than the historical circumstances. Like others here on Goodreads, I found the battle scenes to be overwritten and underwhelming and wished that the same energy had been spent on characters I grew to love in the first part of the trilogy.
Love this quote as a searing indictment of both the Opium Wars and our current times. It feels like a deeply American statement.
I really enjoyed the turn of Zachary Reid in this novel and his arc throughout the trilogy. Otherwise, I found this final chapter to be kind of a letdown. For all of the setup of the first two novels, I felt like this book failed to bring the disparate threads of the story together. So many characters had journeys that led to nowhere or petered out and disappeared into the ether. I can't tell if it was a lack of planning from the outset or whether Ghosh got lost in the details of his research and failed to let the characters dictate the outcomes of the story rather than the historical circumstances. Like others here on Goodreads, I found the battle scenes to be overwritten and underwhelming and wished that the same energy had been spent on characters I grew to love in the first part of the trilogy.
mbondlamberty's review
4.0
It was enjoyable as all of Ghosh's reads are.
As I was familiar with the events of the Opium Wars perhaps it wasn't as gripping as others of his tales but it still was very good.
As I was familiar with the events of the Opium Wars perhaps it wasn't as gripping as others of his tales but it still was very good.
milenabates's review against another edition
4.0
I love the trilogy and what it teaches about distant places and distant times, and the lessons that still endure. I like a lot of the characters, even though I hate one of the character arcs.
sophiepmeeks's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0