The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had read Hungry Tide before and wondered if this book would be good enough. The Glass Palace went beyond my expectations. I simply loved the detailed descriptions of the book, the way the characters blossom just around the time when their presence seemed to have abruptly come to an end. Being born and lived in West Bengal, India, I had heard so much about the wars, the British Raj, the Indian National Army, the pain of hundreds of thousands of people crossing borders to take refuge in warm arms of the Indian subcontinent. And yet still, there was so much more I didn’t know or understand. I did not know much about the plight of the Burmese Royal Family.
This book was a revelation, of knowing the development and dwindling of many industries, the shaping of present day India, Malaysia & above all Myanmar and the sacrifice of thousands of Indians away from India … fighting for the freedom of a country that was, till then, only a belief in their hearts. The story is dotted with quite a few beautiful moments. Each of the characters spring to life, the surroundings unfolding with every turn of events through the centuries. The Glass Palace transformed my views of the history of my land, Myanmar and South East Asia and my views on life itself.
Suggestion: The book is not for all to read. Only those with interest in history and historical fiction and does not mind reading pages of minute descriptions of a space and time in history, would find it all the more interesting and appealing.
debispeaks 