The Glass Palace: A Novel

THE GLASS PALACE REVIEW Indian writer Amitav Ghosh is uniquely qualified to take his readers on a historical journey through the exotic lands of India, Burma (now known as Myanmar), and Malaya. Ghosh, born in Calcutta, spent his childhood in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India and studied in Delhi, Oxford, and Alexandria. The cities of Calcutta, Mandalay, Rangoon, and Singapore that invoke flights of fancy in both literature and music play a major part in his remarkable novel, “The Glass Palace.” Ghosh is caught up in the politics and nationalism of India and its surrounding countries and it shows in his writing. He asserts that colonialism has had ruinous effects on underpopulated countries by removing natural resources. In Burma’s case it is the oil, timber, and ivory. In “Palace” he is particularly harsh on the presence of Great Britain. This disturbs some critics, although Ghosh is factual in his reporting and his complaints are well documented. Nevertheless, Ghosh writes with a beautiful and descriptive style that is captivating. His scenic sketches are mesmerizing. His characterizations are immaculate; there’s not a single character in “Palace” that doesn’t strike the right chord with the reader. The book is a lengthy read but I never lost interest in his story. The basic storyline involves a young Burmese orphan, Rajkumar, who, at eleven, possesses the acumen and drive to rise to be a wealthy rubber tree plantation owner, highly respected by both family and community. Some one hundred years of familial relationships and national turmoil are reported covering a vast geographical area. Wars are fought. There are complicated alliances across cultures and countries. Rebellions develop and are crushed. Personal relationships ebb and flow. Fortunes are earned and then slip away in the clutches of war and colonialism. Through it all, the reader is treated to thoughtful and accurate writing with historical detail being carefully drawn. The splendor of the Burmese kingdom is destroyed by the unceremonial removal of the royal family, an astute move by the British to both humiliate and remove the King from public memory. Burma’s valuable natural resources were then easily plundered and the gentle life became chaotic. The invasion by Japan causes further disruption and war scenes containing both benevolence and cruelty are vividly depicted. When the war ends relationships are re-established and shattered families are reunited. Although the book is filled with tragedy, war, dislocation, and death, I never viewed it as a tragedy. It was an eventful look at the vagaries of life as experienced by this family. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Schuyler T Wallace Author of TIN LIZARD TALES

Don't be surprised to see Amitav Ghosh's epic, elegiac novel serialized on "Masterpiece Theater" next year. It has all the right elements: historical sweep, operatic drama, and deeply realized characters moving in prominent family constellations. But though the work would find a comfortable spot in Alistair Cook's revered collection, perhpaps right next to "The Flame Trees of Thikka," in the loving hands of its author it soars beyond any hint of cliche. It's a unique and memorable novel that transcends its genre to challenge not only the intellect, but the imagination as well. Beginning in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, "The Glass Palace" tells the story of many empires. The death of one gives rise to another throughout the book, always with life-altering results for the main characters and earth-shattering consequences for the world. At the outset we meet Rajkumar, an eleven year old ethnic Indian orphan caught up by sheer happenstance in the usurpation of the Burmese King Thebaw by his British "protectors". As the events unfold and sear themselves on Rajkumar's psyche, he gleans a sense of a world filled with danger for the ignorant and reward for the insightful. As the royal couple and their retinue, including Rajkumar's secret love Dolly, leave for exile in India, Rajkumar embarks on a journey filled with wild success, hidden passion, and a tragic finale made bearable only by the fact that he has survived and is not alone. It's Rajkumar's adventures that set the stage for the rest of the novel, though he fades out as a main character about half-way through the book. His progeny and those of his friends and colleagues take center stage after Rajkumar has put in place a multi-million dollar teak conglomerate and rendered his family independent. But his struggles,and those of everyone in his orbit, continue through all the wrenching and violent disturbances of the twentieth century, culminating in the devastating Japanese attack on Burma in December 1941. Empires rise up, consume, and recede over and over again in "The Glass Palace". For the most part this process spells death, displacement and heartache for those caught up in its vortex. But redemption here, as in many great works of fiction, comes through the bonds formed by people under the most hopeless of circumstances. It's then that real humanity shines through, and it's also then that "The Glass Palace" shows its true worth as a document of a tormented age.

What exactly can one say about "The Glass Palace?" Amitav Ghosh, with his lyrical prose, intricate characters, and extraordinary gift for research, never ceases to amaze. How many other writers could offer a work of such sweep -- following an extended family's triumphs and travails through 115 years of Burmese history - enwrapping the reader in each moment and personality so completely that you find yourself holding your breath? If you consider yourself reasonably well educated and have only thought about Burma in so much as is ruled by a murderous junta with an endless appetite for superstition and poor taste in names for their country, Ghosh has a lot to tell you. As with all of his novels, this is no small part of the pleasure that comes with reading "The Glass Palace," receiving a fascinating education folded so delicately into a great story that you often fail to realize how much you are learning. Who knew that Burma was considered the most valuable province in the British Empire for much of the 20th century, worth more than all of India? I didn't. Likewise, I was as ever mesmerized by Ghosh's treatment of the complex social dynamics of colonial India. Yet more than an education, this novel shines for its perfectly constructed characters and their wonderful, complex relationships. The love stories which thread through the story come as touching, warm, and as often as not, heart rending. At times I found myself almost weeping for their failures, even as I cheered their successes. At times, one feels an almost Tolstoy like intricacy in these characters' relationships. For those unfamiliar with Ghosh, "The Glass Palace" is a great place to begin a journey with one of the world's great living novelists. Once you take this one step with him, you really won't want to stop, and will run to read another of his novels. Yes, he's that good.

Starting through the eyes of a young boy who spies a beautiful young girl serving in the Palace of the royal family of Burma, setting a course that begins a dynastic family and traces the downfall of the Burmese royal family and the rise of the young boy’s fortunes. It mixes in the development of industries of teak and rubber, the rise and fall of governments, the end of the British Raj and takes us through World War II and its impact on South East Asia. All this is told in a compelling and fascinating detailed way.

The Glass Palace is recommended reading on most lists of books about Burma. I started it before my first trip to Myanmar and have finished it now while planning a second trip. The history span of a hundred years is told through generations of several families. Characters are brought to life and then abruptly dropped only to reappear unexpectedly later (and briefly) in the historical novel. They brought life to the history even when it was hard to remember who was who. I learned a lot, but don't know how soon I'll open another of the author's books already sitting on my bookshelf. I might have given the book 3 1/2 stars.

An incredible story that talks about history, romance and the reality of life, its extremely real. It’s beautifully well written. Gives you a real perspective of how everyday life was for people though this time period between 1890-1980 period. It’s a great read, gets interested past page 80, slow start but really good book overall

Starts out well in a far off time and place. As the story progresses and we meet new generations, we get more and more drawn in, not just to their stories, but to the story of Burma and SE Asia into modern day. Now I need to read more of that history. Loved this book.

A really good read, and particularly fascinating because I had relatives and friends living and dying in Burma at the time of the novel. There was so much detail it felt like an autobiography which it probably was, in part. I'd recommend a notepad to jot down the names of the characters unless your memory is eidetic. Mine isn't. I'd recommend this novel at two levels : the twists and turns of the plot and the freshness of some of the descriptions are full of surprises, and the general history of colonial Burma and India interpreted in the lives of major characters give the novel a really firm structure. A little short on humour perhaps, but then so is "King Lear"

I found it a captivating and enchanting story. There are some great twists in the plot that I found amusing

Like a tapestry of colours and evocative settings, the sights and sounds of Burma bring the history of the country and its people to life. From the rubber estates in Malaya, Burma, the colonies in India and the British Invasion of Burma -from 1870 to WW2 makes for an epic read and a historical lesson of a remarkable time period. Heavily detailed and evocative, this is a read which teaches you a lot about the time and place of the countries involved. the danger and the tensions of all involved is remarkable to read and it paints a picture of a very turbulent and dramatic time in history. Although Rajkumar’s story, this is also the story of Burma, Malaya, and India over the 150 years from the British raj to the present day. The settings are as much a character than any one else and we see how the history of a country and its past shapes far more than the present. In the final days before the British arrive, we are given an honoured and sneak insight into how the Burmese saw this event and the spilt between rich and poor is astounding. The inclusion of Rajkumar and his family along with that of the Royal family is cleverly done as we see events and the chaos through their eyes giving it a personal and deeply evocative feel. What stood out for us, and there was a lot believe us - were the scenes depicting the Japanese invasion of Malaya during WW2. The fear, danger and sheer panic was imbued in every word and even between them. Feel as if you have taken part in history by reading this book.

Misturando história e realidade, traz uma visão surpreendente sobre um região pouco conhecida no Brasil Destaque para a crua exposição do imperialismo britânico e sua pretensiosa perfeição. A narrativa é leve e convida para se continuar lendo!

Mon livre préféré que j'ai racheté et que je ne prêterai plus jamais ! Merveilleuse histoire plein d'amour, d'amitié, d'aventure et on apprend plein de choses. Si vous aimez les voyages exotiques, l'histoire, les belles histoires - ce livre est pour vous.

ーパーバック: 560ページ HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; New版 (2001/6/18) ISBN-10: 000651409X のレビュー。 圧倒的な事実の力でぐいぐい読者を引っ張る。どうだ！ わたしには、これほど書くべきこと・書きたいことがあるのだ。なに？ ちょっと偶然が多すぎる？ 歴史事実の奇妙さに比べたら、わたしの小説の偶然性なんざ、とるに足らない些事でありましょう。というような、作者の自信がみなぎっている。 100年に及ぶ時空を駆ける物語が、この長さなので、あらすじを追っただけのような雑な構成ではなかろうかと不安になったが、それは杞憂であった。各人物・各地域のイメージが鮮やかに切り取られている。作為もないし、大袈裟な表現もないが、読者をあっと言わせる描写にあふれている。あと、物語の時代ですが、1985年から1940年代まで、およそ60年間の物語であって、最終の第7部は、後日譚とちょっとしたヒネリ。 実は本書の前に読んだインド出身作家がVikram Seth で、あのようなゆったりすぎる展開だとたいへんだな、と思ったが、どんどん話が進み読みやすかった。ビルマのコンバウン朝陥落から始まるのであるが、登場人物はビルマ人、ベンガル人や華人、西洋化したインド人など、さまざまな文化的（当時の概念でいえば人種的）背景を持っている。それでも、やはり、主人公は孤児のDollyでしょう。ほかの登場人物がなんらかの意味で西洋化あるいは近代的な精神を持つ者であるのに対し、Dollyだけは異質な感性と生き方を変えない人物である。 日本人としては、日本がどう描かれているか気になるところだが、（登場人物の死に関係するものの）個人としての描写は皆無に近い。まるで、流行性の熱病かサイクロンのような扱いである。日本軍の敗走も、インド・パキスタンの分離独立も、ビルマの独立も、マラヤ連邦の成立もざっと説明されるだけで、物語の中心ではない。中心となるのは、British Raj 体制におけるさまざまな人間の運命と軋轢、悩みと日常生活である。 王女が馬丁とできちゃった婚になってしまうと、慌てる植民地官吏（Britisherではなくインド人）に対して、幽閉されたSupayalat女王が応えるセリフがみごとだ。(p.150) 'your highness, I beg you to reflect. Is it appropriate that a Princess of Burma should link herself to a household employee, a servant?" A tiny, trilling laugh escaped the Queen's lips. 'Collector-sahib, Sawant (their coachman) is less a servant than you. At least he has no delusions about his place in the world.'