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A review by thebooktrail88
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
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.