The novel sprawls across more than a century of burmas history, from the british invasion of northern. Set in burma during the british invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by amitav ghosh tells the story of rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and. He divides his time between kolkata and goa, india, and brooklyn, new york. He proves a writer of supreme skill and intelligence. This book is a giant amongst english language asian novels and must surely elevate amitav ghosh to the heady heights where rohinton mistry and vikram seth already sit. The glass palace by amitav ghosh, 9780006514091, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Originally published in 2000, the glass palace is amitav ghoshs fourth novel and tells the story of a family across three generations. Pdf the glass palace book by amitav ghosh free download. Spanning centuries and generations and straddling the space of three countries, india, burma and malaysia, this is a saga that could have. Coetzee there is no denying ghoshs command of culture and history. Amitav ghosh is the internationally bestselling author of many works of fiction and nonfiction, including the novel the glass palace, and the recipient of numerous prizes and awards.
The novel is presided over by the indianborn rajkumar, a poor orphan, who falls for dolly. The novel is set in burma, bengal, india, and malaya, spans a century from the british. The novel is set in burma, bengal, india, and malaya, spans a century from the british invasion of burma and the consequent fall of the konbaung dynasty in mandalay, through the second world war to late 20th century. Rajkumar is a young orphan helping out in a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace in mandalay, when. There is almost too much here for one book, as over the years the. The novel is set in burma, bengal, india, and malaya, spans a century from the fall of the konbaung dynasty in mandalay, through the second world war to modern times. Praise for the glass palace an absorbing story of a world in transition, brought to life through characters who love and suffer with equal intensity. Its the human dimension that grabs our attention as the book.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Born in calcutta in 1956, amitav ghosh attended school in india and england, conducted fieldwork in tunisia and egypt, and currently lives in new york city, where he teaches comparative. A novel by ghosh, amitav and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The glass palace is beautifully written, with wonderfullydrawn characters and many touching moments. Khambatta photographed dolly and rajkumars wedding, yet the actual ceremony takes place, elliptically, when ghosh writes, at the end of the civil ceremony, in the collectors camp office, dolly. The glass palace amitav ghosh, 2000 random house 486 pp. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 512 pages and is available in paperback format. His contemporaries at doon included author vikram seth and historian ram guha. Ghoshs epic novel of burma and malaya over a span of 115 years is the kind of sweep of history that readers can appreciatedeven loveddespite its demands. Amitav ghoshs the glass palace is a classic epic novel, spanning generations and countries as it casts a brilliant light on burmese, indian and malayan history, with burma its focal point.
In mandalay, burma, the british army begins to descend on the city and dethrone the royal family. It is set in burma, malaya, and india during a turbulent period in the regions history. Through the stories of a small number of privileged families, it illuminates the struggles that have. The novel is set in burma, bengal, india, and malaya, spans a century from the fall of the konbaung dynasty in mandalay, through the the glass palace, amitav. Free download or read online the glass palace pdf epub book. Amitav ghosh is a popular novelist, journalist, anthropologist and professor whose latest novel, the glass palace, addresses the relationship between india and burma during the british colonial period. Glass palace is a fiction that is so gripping that it could only have ben written by the master story teller amitav ghosh. Read glass palace by amitav ghosh available from rakuten kobo. Amitav ghosh was born in calcutta on 11 july 1956 and was educated at the allboys boarding school the doon school in dehradun. Ghosh was apparently not aware that his publishers had submitted his book, and he. The novel, published in 2000, charts the lives of rajkumar raha and his family, starting in mandalay, where he finds himself stranded when the sampan he. Another novel that brought amitav ghosh awards and recognition is the sea of poppies, which was shortlisted for the man booker prize in 2008. Such jarring noise was unfamiliar and bewildering to the people of the royal capital in.
With only few real characters who come to life every time they aw mentioned, the story takes you through from the golden land, richest country to the devastation and the rule if the junta. His books include the circle of reason, the shadow lines, in an antique land, dancing in cambodia, the calcutta chromosome, the glass palace, incendiary circumstances, the hungry tide. There was only one person in the foodstall who knew exactly what that sound was that was rolling in across the plain, along the silver curve of the irrawaddy, to the western wall of mandalays fort. The saga begins in 1885 with the british expulsion of the last king of burma from mandalay to permanent exile in ratnagiri on the west coast of india. Ghosh dedicates an entire paragraph to describing the camera with which mrs. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are rajkumar, dolly. The style of the glass palace is elliptical, and at times, uneven. The glass palace is a historical novel by indian writer amitav ghosh. The first edition of the novel was published in 2000, and was written by amitav ghosh. The glass palace amitav ghosh new york random house 2002 paper london harpercollins uk 2000 cloth b ooming sounds break into the lives of people at a food stall in mandalay. Coetzee there is no denying ghosh s command of culture and history. Today, most of the paint is peeling off, the floorboards are creaking under the weight.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the glass palace. Brilliant and impassioned, the glass palace is a masterly novel by amitav ghosh, the gifted novelist peter matthiessen has called an exceptional writer. In the glass palace amitav ghosh takes us on a journey across cultures and generations, navigating some significant milestones in history but never losing sight of the people who loved, laughed and cried through political upheaval, invasion and war. Beginning in 1885, with the british invasion of mandalay and the capture of the burmese king and queen, and encompassing over 100 years to modernday india and burma myanmar, amitav ghosh has created in the glass palace a monument to life in colonial central and southeast asia. This superb story of love and war begins with the shattering of the kingdom of burma and the igniting of a great and passionate love, and it goes on to tell the story of a people, a fortune. The glass palace by amitav ghosh is a family saga and a work of historical fiction. The glass palace was the eurasian regional winner in the best book category of the 2001 commonwealth writers prize, making the book a finalist for the prize itself. A novel amitav ghosh set in burma during the british invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by amitav ghosh tells the story of rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the burmese teak forest.
The glass palace is a 2000 historical novel by indian writer amitav ghosh. The hungry tide also won a major indian award, the crossword book prize in 2005. While at school, he regularly contributed fiction and poetry to the doon school weekly then edited by seth and founded the magazine history. The story follows three generations from three families, spreading its wings across the world, from malaya to new york. Amitav ghosh came to the attention of the literary world earlier this year when he refused the best book prize from the commonwealth. It tells the story of an orphan boy from indian named rajkumar who creates an empire in burma, the presentday. In 2001, ghosh was back in the limelight when his literature, the glass palace won the international ebook award in frankfurt. However, between part 1 and part 2 there was such a quantum leap in time and events that i went back to audible to make sure that i had downloaded all the parts. His books include the circle of reason, the shadow lines, in an antique land, dancing in cambodia, the calcutta chromosome, the glass palace, incendiary. Khambatta photographed dolly and rajkumars wedding, yet the actual ceremony takes place, elliptically, when ghosh writes, at the end of the civil ceremony, in the collectors camp office.
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