Title: The Glass PalaceAuthor: Amitav Ghosh
Publisher: Harpercollins
Pages: 552
Price: INR 295
Lucid narration at its best. That is what crossed my mind when I put down Glass Palace after reading. Amitav Ghosh’s splendid narrative grew on me during the process of reading the book and as the story unfurled, the characters become part of my life and I can’t help but feeling for them as if they were my acquaintances.
The story begins in the port town of Mandalay, Burma just before it was captured by the British and the King and the Queen were taken into custody. It revolves around the Indian coolie boy Rajkumar’s life for a while before embarking on a journey with the King and the Queen as they were being sent on exile to an Indian town called Ratnagiri.
But soon enough, the emperor’s life loses track and Rajkumar takes the center stage of the novel. The story details the life and times of people in Burma, India, and Malaya during the pre-colonist era and war times through the life of Rajkumar and his family.
On the downside, the plot is clichéd in places and a few dramatic events only decelerate the pace of the novel. Besides, as the novel reaches the final chapters one cannot help but notice Ghosh’s urgency in winding up the book that has already consumed enough pages.
Bottom line: You won’t regret reading it
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