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goldencages 's review for:
The Hungry Tide
by Amitav Ghosh
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I have been meaning to read a book by Amitav Ghosh for a while, and I was not disappointed with my first choice here (even though I heard in advance that it's not one of his best works).
The Hungry Tide takes us to the Sundarbans, and explore the landscapes and the peoples – and how social and environmental change is befalling the region – mainly through the eyes of two "outsiders": a young Indian-American cetologist coming to study the local dolphins, and a polyglot translator and entrepreneur on a visit to appraise a mysterious set of writings his uncle has left him. Kept isolated for most of the first third of the book, their missions slowly converge to peak in an expedition down the rivers of the Ganges delta.
During their time in the Sundarbans, both characters – Piya and Kanai – interact with a big cast of local figures. These precious interactions are the heart of The Hungry Tide as they give us a glimpse into the life realities of the people of the "tide country". They guide us through a variety of informative, nuanced and complex messages that Ghosh sets up:
The Hungry Tide takes us to the Sundarbans, and explore the landscapes and the peoples – and how social and environmental change is befalling the region – mainly through the eyes of two "outsiders": a young Indian-American cetologist coming to study the local dolphins, and a polyglot translator and entrepreneur on a visit to appraise a mysterious set of writings his uncle has left him. Kept isolated for most of the first third of the book, their missions slowly converge to peak in an expedition down the rivers of the Ganges delta.
During their time in the Sundarbans, both characters – Piya and Kanai – interact with a big cast of local figures. These precious interactions are the heart of The Hungry Tide as they give us a glimpse into the life realities of the people of the "tide country". They guide us through a variety of informative, nuanced and complex messages that Ghosh sets up:
- the ecological importance of the landscape
- the danger of change and looming extinction for many native species
- the meteorological occurrences that shape people's lives
- the cultural and linguistic importance of the tides
- the various ways the land provides for livelihood
- the political entanglement of the region to the rest of the country
- the governmental neglect of the local people
- the controversial conservation efforts across the land
- the conflicts between humans and animals
and probably more that I forgot. This rich tapestry of a social commentary is what I appreciate and readily soaked up while reading The Hungry Tide. They give rise to contrasting viewpoints and I respect the various ways Ghosh lets his characters clash with each other over differences in opinion.
While I am aware that he is a very environmentally aware writer, his understanding for the complexities of nature-human relationships reflect that he doesn't disregard any which opinion, but rather invites us to acknowledge that there are more sides to every story and to keep in mind that the problems at play are not of individual but systemic nature. For example: tigers need to be conserved, but it's not easy to find local support when that same animal kills community members time and time again.
Apart from these overarching messages, The Hungry Tide also addresses Piya and Kanai's character growth. I wish I liked this side of the book better, but to be honest, I found Piya's naiveté (she's worked in other environmentally fragile landscapes before, where there should be quite similar social dynamics at play!) unbelievable, and equally so Kanai's infatuation with her. For a good while, his POV is reduced to translations of his uncle's texts, and I felt like I wasn't able to witness the emotional changes he went through. I also wish we had more time to examine the underlying classism in Moyna's behaviour who resents her husband for his lack of educational ambition without ever explicitly realising the wealth of information he carries around with him since young (but apparently loves him a great deal anyway).
Lacking character work aside, however, I found The Hungry Tide to be a really informative, compelling read, and enjoyed Ghosh's smooth prose. Safe to say, I'll seek out more of his works!
While I am aware that he is a very environmentally aware writer, his understanding for the complexities of nature-human relationships reflect that he doesn't disregard any which opinion, but rather invites us to acknowledge that there are more sides to every story and to keep in mind that the problems at play are not of individual but systemic nature. For example: tigers need to be conserved, but it's not easy to find local support when that same animal kills community members time and time again.
Apart from these overarching messages, The Hungry Tide also addresses Piya and Kanai's character growth. I wish I liked this side of the book better, but to be honest, I found Piya's naiveté (she's worked in other environmentally fragile landscapes before, where there should be quite similar social dynamics at play!) unbelievable, and equally so Kanai's infatuation with her. For a good while, his POV is reduced to translations of his uncle's texts, and I felt like I wasn't able to witness the emotional changes he went through. I also wish we had more time to examine the underlying classism in Moyna's behaviour who resents her husband for his lack of educational ambition without ever explicitly realising the wealth of information he carries around with him since young (but apparently loves him a great deal anyway).
Lacking character work aside, however, I found The Hungry Tide to be a really informative, compelling read, and enjoyed Ghosh's smooth prose. Safe to say, I'll seek out more of his works!