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The Glass Palace
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Check link for latest rating. ( 27,723 ratings, 2,160 reviews)
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The Glass Palace
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Rajkumar is helping on a market stall outside the palace, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen and all the Court into exile. He is rescued by the Chinese merchant, and with him builds up a logging business in upper Burma. But haunted by his vision of the Royal Family, he journeys to India where they have been exiled.
from the Booker Prize-shortlisted author
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Description
Rajkumar is only another boy, helping on a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen, and all the Court into exile! He is rescued by a farsighted Chinese merchant, and with him, builds up a logging business in upper Burma.
Haunted by his vision of the Royal Family, he journeys to the obscure town in India where they have been exiled. The picture of the tension between the Burmese, the Indian, and the British is excellent. Among the great range of characters is one of the court ladies, Miss Dolly, whom he marries, and the redoubtable Jonakin, part of the British-educated Indian colony, who with her husband has been put in charge of the Burmese exiled court.
The story follows the fortunesβrubber estates in Malaya, businesses in Singapore, estates in Burmaβwhich Rajkumar, with his Chinese, British, and Burmese relations, friends, and associates, builds upβfrom 1870 through the Second World War to the scattering of the extended family to New York and Thailand, London and Hong Kong in the post-war years.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh is praised for its distinctive and profound narrative style. Critics compare it to a 19th-century Russian novel, noting its ambitious and multilayered storytelling. The book is recognised for vividly portraying a world in transition, brought to life through deeply engaging characters, earning it comparisons to classic epics like Doctor Zhivago.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780006514091
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 18 June 2001
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: The Borough Press
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 36.0mm
Width: 129.0mm
Height: 198.0mm
Weight: 380g
Pages: 560
About the Author
The author was born in Calcutta and grew up in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and northern India. Educated in India and Britain, he now lives in New York.
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