Scan barcode
jolynne's review against another edition
3.0
A multi-generational family drama dealing with colonialism, war, the exploitation of natural resources and history of Burma, Malaya and India.
meganaj's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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? No
5.0
thebooktrail88's review against another edition
5.0
Like a tapestry of colours and evocative settings, the sights and sounds of Burma bring the history of the country and its people to life.
From the rubber estates in Malaya, Burma, the colonies in India and the British Invasion of Burma -from 1870 to WW2 makes for an epic read and a historical lesson of a remarkable time period.
Heavily detailed and evocative, this is a read which teaches you a lot about the time and place of the countries involved. the danger and the tensions of all involved is remarkable to read and it paints a picture of a very turbulent and dramatic time in history.
Although Rajkumar’s story, this is also the story of Burma, Malaya, and India over the 150 years from the British raj to the present day. The settings are as much a character than any one else and we see how the history of a country and its past shapes far more than the present.
In the final days before the British arrive, we are given an honoured and sneak insight into how the Burmese saw this event and the spilt between rich and poor is astounding. The inclusion of Rajkumar and his family along with that of the Royal family is cleverly done as we see events and the chaos through their eyes giving it a personal and deeply evocative feel.
What stood out for us, and there was a lot believe us - were the scenes depicting the Japanese invasion of Malaya during WW2. The fear, danger and sheer panic was imbued in every word and even between them. Feel as if you have taken part in history by reading this book.
From the rubber estates in Malaya, Burma, the colonies in India and the British Invasion of Burma -from 1870 to WW2 makes for an epic read and a historical lesson of a remarkable time period.
Heavily detailed and evocative, this is a read which teaches you a lot about the time and place of the countries involved. the danger and the tensions of all involved is remarkable to read and it paints a picture of a very turbulent and dramatic time in history.
Although Rajkumar’s story, this is also the story of Burma, Malaya, and India over the 150 years from the British raj to the present day. The settings are as much a character than any one else and we see how the history of a country and its past shapes far more than the present.
In the final days before the British arrive, we are given an honoured and sneak insight into how the Burmese saw this event and the spilt between rich and poor is astounding. The inclusion of Rajkumar and his family along with that of the Royal family is cleverly done as we see events and the chaos through their eyes giving it a personal and deeply evocative feel.
What stood out for us, and there was a lot believe us - were the scenes depicting the Japanese invasion of Malaya during WW2. The fear, danger and sheer panic was imbued in every word and even between them. Feel as if you have taken part in history by reading this book.
jmiae's review against another edition
5.0
To use a tired old phrasing, this is historical fiction at its best.
Sometimes those cliches just really say it all.
I do wonder why Amitav Ghosh is not more widely read. Perhaps he has a larger following in the UK; after all, I had the good fortune of first coming across him because his book Sea of Poppies was on the shelf at my local library in London. But in any case, after reading a second book by him I'm only more convinced that he is a master of historical fiction.
I knew very little about the history of Burma, the presence of an Indian population in the country during the British Empire, or about the teak industry in the 19th century. All of these are topics that I might have had to learn about if I'd taken a course on British Imperialism in Asia or something similar at university. Perhaps I might have gotten an inkling if I watched The Railway Man starring silver fox Colin Firth. But Ghosh's novel not only offers a thorough and thoroughly enjoyable education on all those topics, it also brings to life characters that you somehow actually care about and empathise with, despite the fact that this epic spans across over 150 years and introduces you to three different generations of characters whose relationships are intricately intwined. And the cherry on top is his characters' perspectives (Arjun in particular) offer a sharp analysis of the deeper-rooted issues in the British strain of (post-) colonialism, such as the identity crises that plague the subjected nations of the British Empire as a result of centuries of colonialism followed by quickly formed independence movements.
This is one of those novels that I almost didn't want to end (despite it being over 500 pages). The kind that you experience withdrawal after it's over because you miss the characters and the places they inhabited.
Sometimes those cliches just really say it all.
I do wonder why Amitav Ghosh is not more widely read. Perhaps he has a larger following in the UK; after all, I had the good fortune of first coming across him because his book Sea of Poppies was on the shelf at my local library in London. But in any case, after reading a second book by him I'm only more convinced that he is a master of historical fiction.
I knew very little about the history of Burma, the presence of an Indian population in the country during the British Empire, or about the teak industry in the 19th century. All of these are topics that I might have had to learn about if I'd taken a course on British Imperialism in Asia or something similar at university. Perhaps I might have gotten an inkling if I watched The Railway Man starring silver fox Colin Firth. But Ghosh's novel not only offers a thorough and thoroughly enjoyable education on all those topics, it also brings to life characters that you somehow actually care about and empathise with, despite the fact that this epic spans across over 150 years and introduces you to three different generations of characters whose relationships are intricately intwined. And the cherry on top is his characters' perspectives (Arjun in particular) offer a sharp analysis of the deeper-rooted issues in the British strain of (post-) colonialism, such as the identity crises that plague the subjected nations of the British Empire as a result of centuries of colonialism followed by quickly formed independence movements.
This is one of those novels that I almost didn't want to end (despite it being over 500 pages). The kind that you experience withdrawal after it's over because you miss the characters and the places they inhabited.
gowtham_a_r's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
sssnoo's review against another edition
5.0
This is why I read. After reading this book I felt like I had traveled to Burma and history. I new little about Burma before this book; just the little that hits our news. This epic family saga is told through the eyes of an ethnic Indian who settlesin Mandalay at the time of the defeat and ouster of the Burmese royal family. It takes the reader through multiple generations up to the 1990’s. I was completely absorbed the entire time I was reading this book. It was extremely interesting to read this novel as it was writted by an Indian author and thus gives a a different perspective on the British Empire specifically and colonialism more generally. I don’t remember how this bookended upon my to-read list but am so glad it did. Any historical fiction fan should love this award winning novel. I also recommend it for book clubs as the content provides much to discuss.
amydavid's review against another edition
5.0
I just wanted to read a book about Burma and this was perfect. I love multi-generational immigrant epics and post-colonial lit; learned a lot about the region and the ways in which the British empire pitted different colonized groups against one another.
wrh121's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book and didn't want to immediately read anything after I finished so I could hold onto the characters a little longer. Definitely a long book, and some parts are less compelling than others, but I found myself speeding through the end. Beautiful descriptions of people and places and a historical period I didn't know much about.
skyreader's review against another edition
3.0
Long tale with huge parts where story stands still, immovable. Too many characters to be able to form a reader's bond with any of them.