River of smoke by Amitav Ghosh

"River of smoke" by Amitav Ghosh. This book is published by Penguin India in 2012 and has 568 pages. This is Book 2 of Ibis trilogy.

The story starts with a time leap where Deeti is an old woman and matriarch of her clan in Mauritius and her shrine. Then it goes in flashback where the Book 1 ended.

Almost all of the story takes place in China - Canton. It's the story of opium trade in China and story of Parsi merchant Behram (Barry) Modi. The life of traders in Canton is shown in detail and is interesting. Remaining part is dedicated to Paulette's search of golden Camellia through Robin, who is looking for it in Canton.

The tiff between the traders and Chinese authorities about opium trade and British intervention that eventually lead to the opium war is the real story of the book. Author has explained in detail the modus operandi of the trade in China in 1839. It was a unique system unlike any other in the world.

The British arrogance about their superiority in view of Chinese sanctions on opium trade is astonishing. British duplicity of banning opium in their own country and resisting ban in China is abhorrent. Their definition or redefinition of free trade to suit their situation is callous.

Although the politics and history of opium trade, it's ban and impact on lives is interesting, it occupies most of the book (and this book is not small). Thus the book becomes a bit monotonous.

The story is slow. Readers hope that now the story will go back to the characters of Book1, but it doesn't happen. Behram steals the show. It's a sad end to Behram's story.

Although the book is good, it's not as good as 'Sea of poppies'

Read this book, if you intend to read Book 3, otherwise give it a miss.

Sea of poppies by Amitav Ghosh

"Sea of poppies" by Amitav Ghosh. This book is published by Penguin India in 2009 and has 528 pages. This is Book 1 of Ibis trilogy.

The story is set in mid nineteenth century India under British rule. It's an elaborate plot with a number of characters ranging from a Bihari widow (Deeti), a lower cast youth (Kalua), a french lady born and brought up in India (Paulette), a Bengali Muslim youth (Jodu), an American mariner (Zachary), a bankrupt and convict Raja (Raja Neel Rattan), a gumasta who is a Krishna devotee (Nobkisin babu), an opium addict (Ah Fatt), a Rohingya mariner (Serang Ali) etc. By the stroke of fate all these characters congregate on a ship called Ibis destined for Marich (Mauritius).

What are their stories? Why are they heading for Mauritius? What's special about Ibis? What happens?

Each of the unrelated character, with diverse background, has it's own story. They all have a specific reason to board Ibis for Mauritius. Although their reasons differ, they have same goal: Mauritius. These individual stories are intricately woven together to create a mosaic of a fabric that becomes an exotic epic.

The book says that Indian economy was supported and sustained by the opium trade in those days. East India company had monopolized the opium business. Farmers were compelled to grow opium and sell it to East India Company.

Author has weaved an epic with rich description of India of old days in vivid colours. He has covered social issues, economic issues, disparity, piety, drug issues etc in this story. The story also contains love, longing, rivalry, deception etc. to add to the appeal of the story.

Author toggles between the stories continuously, thus keeping reader interested in this long book. Narration is apt. Author has given detailed description of a number of things like opium factory and its functioning, ship's functioning and slang, plight of Raja turned convict, sea sickness of first travelers etc. This attention to details is appreciable.

The book ends with a climax at high sea that will entice the readers to read Book 2.

A good book. A must read.

The Calcutta chromosome by Amitav Ghosh

"The Calcutta chromosome" by Amitav Ghosh. This edition of the book is published by Harper Perennial in 2001 and has 320 pages.

The book starts in some undetermined time in the future. Antar's computer stumbles across a half burned identity card. It belongs to Murugan, an employee who disappeared in 1990s in Calcutta. Murugan was self proclaimed expert on Ronald Ross, who discovered how malaria is transferred from mosquito to humans, in India, during British Raj.

Murugan has a conspiracy theory that a secret group in India nudged Ross in a particular direction very intelligently. This group was headed by two people, Mangala and Laakhan. Wagner-Jauregg had showed that artificially induced malaria often cured, or already mitigated, syphilitic paresis. Mangala used this property of malaria for something else. Something much more advanced for any scientist of the time or much more advanced for any scientist, even today. She exploited it for cross over of personality traits from malaria donor to recipient. The personality trait will be in an item that is different, non standard & unique; dubbed as Calcutta chromosome. This chromosome is not symmetrically paired and not transmitted from generation to generation because it only exists in brain. This process can allow person to change bodies and gain virtual immortality.

Is Murugan right or is he hallucinating? Is he a meticulous person with monumental self belief or is he a crack pot? Does Calcutta chromosome exist? What does Antar do? Are Mangala and Laakhan real or are they figment of Murugan's imagination?

The story takes place in USA and India. It's a science fiction set in history and in future, however most of the story happens in 1990s.

Murugan is the central character. He is a typical genius who is not recognized by his contemporaries because he is ahead of his time. Urmila, Sonali, Romen all play their part in helping or guiding Murugan towards the discovery.

Author has been able to create the mystique atmosphere. The book is very interesting in the beginning but the same level of interest is not maintained till the end. The end, which should take the story to crescendo, seems abrupt. I thought that author could have made the last section of the book more interesting. Sometimes author has chosen to keep things complicated rather than simplifying them for the readers.

You have to read the book carefully and with attention so as not to miss important tid-bit. At the end it remains unclear why Antar, who is nearing retirement, is chosen as torch bearer rather than another young man.

An OK book. Read if you have time.