Cascoly - Amazon BooksAmitav Ghosh |
The Glass PalaceLike his previous book, In an Antique Land, The Glass Palace is about Indians living in other countries. It starts with the British invasion of Burma in the 1880's and follows a young Indian boy, Rajkumar and his rise from poverty to wealth. Set in Malaysia, Burma and India, the first part of the book concentrates on a small set of characters over a relatively short period of time. The second half of the book moves faster, across most of the 20th century, and moves the novel from an adventure story to thoughts on imperialism, nationalism and family. I've traveled in both India and Burma, and Ghosh's descriptions vividly recall these countries. Some sections echo The Jewel in the Crown, with the important difference that this story concentrates on the views of the Indians and Burmese, with few British characters, and no named Japanese ones. The book is not without its set pieces, though, and the section on elephant teak logging is fascinating on its own. A great book, well written, hard to put down.
The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & DiscoveryWhen a patient has syphilis, cure them by infecting them with malaria. This amazing piece of medical trivia drives the plot of one of Ghosh's first books. While not as tight as the later books, it's an interesting look at a writer's development. Intriguing to see how the author has changed over time, which also mirrors the meta-levels and subtexts he builds into each book. Two Nobel prizes [ 1902, 1927] were awarded for the discovery of the transmission of malaria, and the use of malaria to cure syphilis [before the discovery of penicillin]. The researchers are barely known today, giving Ghosh a springboard for invention. As usual, Ghosh's protagonist is an outsider in strange world who discovers another complex of relations in a past world that helps make sense of his current world. Levels within levels and jump cuts thru time, but Ghosh makes it seem natural and compelling. The hero this time is an Indian man working in a near future NY for a vaguely described world aid organization who gets involved in researching the disappearance of an aid worker who himself was researching the life of Ross, the discoverer of the malarial transmission process. What follows is a mix of medical mystery and soft sci-fi layered with the subtext of culture clashes - British imperialism, and western science, and artificial intelligence, ranged against ancient cultures and a Lamarckian twist that jumpstarts evolution. It all works, and is made more interesting reading it after Ghosh's later works, since you can see the genesis of his style. It's not a book for everyone --
like much good science fiction, you some basic biology
to follow the plot, yet open minded so that you'll allow the author some license
with the basic concepts of molecular biology. |
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