Amitav Ghosh?

[ish mailian]

Thanks again for providing such a wonderful list of suggested works. I will
certainly dig in to The Troubles soon and others on the list as time
permits.

Thanks again,
I




On Wed, Dec 30, 2015 at 10:07 PM, Becky Lindroos <bekker2 at icloud.com> wrote:

> Try this?  Re Ghosh’s  The Shadow Lines:
>
> https://sites.google.com/site/jeltals/home/4-july-december-2013/2-a-postcolonial-reading-of-amitav-ghosh-s-the-shadow-lines-sumathy
> I haven’t read The Shadow Lines -
>
> If you’re really interested in Ghosh try his book The Glass Palace
> (2000).  The story spans the time from the fall of Malay's royalty in 1880s
> to their part in WWII.  Lots of changes in society, some soldiering stuff
> but not a lot.  The most military action is probably in Flood of Fire and
> the actual sea-battles of the Opium War.
>
> But! Re British colonialism in general -   J.G. Farrell’s  "Empire Trilogy
> is about the downfall of the British Empire in three very separate places
> around the world.   “Troubles” (1970) takes place in Ireland,  "Siege of
> Krishnapur” (1973) takes place in India, and "The Singapore Grip” (1978) is
> set in Southeast Asia/China.  Only the "Siege of Krishnapur" is really much
> about the military.  The series does have one ex-major who is in the last
> two books but mostly in “Troubles,”   Siege takes place awhile earlier.
>  Read in any order you want.  These are excellent books, btw.
>
> The House of Blue Mangoes by David Davidar is about 3 generations of a
> family tea plantation in Indian -  this book is so-so but it does give a
> good picture of the changes in that section of India, standing up for the
> Revolution or not - who benefits.
>
> George Orwell - Shooting an Elephant - really short - very, very
> insightful -
>
> More contemporary -  The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee - graphic -
> covers time between WWI (backstory) and contemporary with the communist
> “peasant revolution”  south of the Naxalbari area in North Bengal  north of
> Calcutta. More about economics interconnections between middle class
> Indians and English.  Family structure equals colonialism?   Booker nominee
> last year.
>
> There is one book which has a chunk about Indian soldiers in WWII who
> wanted to go home -  ???? -  of course the Irish military wanted to go home
> and fight their own war in WWI, too.   Can’t remember now -
>
> And of course there’s A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) and A Suitable Boy
> (Vikram Seth) but … not really what you’re after I don’t think.
>
> I’ve read all of the above and recommend them - the last two mentioned
> somewhat less than the others.  Farrell’s books highest.
>
> Bek
>
>
> > On Dec 30, 2015, at 5:10 AM, ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Thanks very much. I am interested in all genres, to answer a question
> posed, but in this query I was merely hoping for direction, suggestions. I
> do hope to read about Indian soldiers in the British Army, and also see how
> this experience is akin to the Irish.
> >
> > Reading Ireland and Postcolonial Theory with Afterword by Edward Said,
> Edited by Carroll and Patricia King. Many parallels of the Irish and
> Indians are presented in the essays and Ghosh is cited several times.
> >
> > I've been reading a bit more from India and Indians in in the Americas
> and how the Irish, Irish in the Americas experience may be compared and/or
> contrasted. I am also interested in Latin American Literature, especially,
> of course, Literature from Brasil.
> >
> > On Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 12:02 PM, Becky Lindroos <bekker2 at icloud.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > > On Dec 29, 2015, at 6:33 AM, ish mailian <ishmailian at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > want to read one novel. any suggestions?
> >
> > Amitov Ghosh has written several goodies of historical fiction,  but The
> Ibis Trilogy, is far and away the best.  I’d say go ahead and read book 1,
> Sea of Poppies, and see what you think.  It’s  "about” the set-up for the
> 1st Opium War in the Calcutta- River Ganges and there’s a chunk which takes
> place on an island in the Indian Ocean.  This one was short-listed for the
> Booker Prize.  Book 2, River of Smoke - keeps the story going into the
> Opium War,  is almost as good - but I kind of fell down on book 3,  Flood
> of Fire, which develops the war itself,  because a several years had passed
> between readings and the story continues.  But all three have won their own
> awards and lots and lots of excellent reviews.
> >
> > Bek
> >
>
>
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