Amitav Ghosh

A rollicking adventure with a wide ensemble of characters, set in the mid-19th century. The main theme is the production and distribution of opium, and how it affects the different stratas of society in India. The underlying theme is the evil of mercantile collonialism. Lots of the story takes place in and around one of the ships that will transport the opium, so there is lots of ship-lore and salty language.

In fact language is one of the predominant features of the book - particularly how it crosses different cultures (there is an extensive semi-fictionalised glossary devoted just to that). At first, I found the extremely stylised dialogue a little self-conscious and off-putting - even annoying. But eventually I decided that I should just enjoy the fun of it, much as I assume Ghosh was having fun writing it.

When the ending arrives it all feels very sudden, leaving a slight dissatisfaction. But it's a transporting adventure story - not exactly life-changing, but illuminating and enjoyable.

Update - just saw that this is part of a trilogy, making the sudden ending more understandable (though still a bit unfulfilling). May probably read the sequel at some point.… (mer)