Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides o...
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Feb 09, 2012
Jeanette
rated it: 
Yes. This is why I read historical fiction.
Amitav Ghosh devoted five years of his life to the travel, research, and writing required to tell this story. It follows the mingled fates of three families and three countries--Burma, India, and Malaya, from 1885 through the mid-1990s. The story begins with the British takeover of the kingdom of Burma as its king and queen are exiled to a remote compound in India. Through the lives of the orphan Rajkumar, his mentor Saya John, the girl D More...
Amitav Ghosh devoted five years of his life to the travel, research, and writing required to tell this story. It follows the mingled fates of three families and three countries--Burma, India, and Malaya, from 1885 through the mid-1990s. The story begins with the British takeover of the kingdom of Burma as its king and queen are exiled to a remote compound in India. Through the lives of the orphan Rajkumar, his mentor Saya John, the girl D More...
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(10 people liked it)
May 19, 2011
Praj
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During my pre-vegetarian days, I used to find solace in a warm, juicy scrumptious steak n’ cheese sandwich washed down by a chilled Heineken. Especially, if the gooey cheese was a blend of Munster, Monterey jack and yellow cheddar; the bread not too soggy but aptly moisten by the beef gravy. It is pure bliss. On the other hand, a classier version for $150 is layered with buttered lobsters, black truffles and caviar. Now, why would someone mess up such a meticulous appetizing combination? Stop!
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5 comments
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(6 people liked it)
Aug 21, 2011
aswin
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Ghosh weaves the lives of his characters (three generations of them!) as they try to rearrange their personal lives around a world that is quite beyond their control. The novel is set mostly in 19th and 20th century Burma and India (US and other parts of South East Asia also play roles), but you could read through its characters the many conflicting tugs of the colonial condition in general. The novel starts out as a slow read but as the second generation of characters start to grow up and the p
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3 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 06, 2008
Mommalibrarian
rated it:
This book is epic in length and covers three generations of Indians in the countries of Malaya and Burma (Myanmar) from 1885 until the end of the twentieth century. This is a very large scope and it is covered by disconnected chapters that are almost standalone essays. A few are strongly written - the torn loyalties of the Indian soldier when faced with continuing to serve a British master as part of the empire or switching to the Japanese side to drive the British out. Some of the essay / ch
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(4 people liked it)
Dec 26, 2007
Lauren
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The first person I recommended this book to was an English professor, who said she was immediately "transfixed." Undoubtedly Amitav Ghosh's masterpiece (his other novels do not even compare), The Glass Palace is an epic that takes place over three generations of a multi-ethnic and multi-class families in Southeast Asia. Ghosh sets the novel in the Bengal region, which straddles modern-day borders of India, Bangladesh, Burma, and Malaysia, demonstrating how the porous nature of these
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 26, 2011
Laura
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Page 107:
May I remind Your Highness that while Alexander the GReat spent no more than a few months in the steppes of Central Asia, the satrapies he founded persisted for centuries afterward) Britain's Empire is, by contrast, already more than a century old, and you may be certain, Your Highness, that its influence will persist for centuries more to come.
Page 292
There were quotations from Mahatma Gandhi and a passage that said: "Why should India, in the name of freedo More...
May I remind Your Highness that while Alexander the GReat spent no more than a few months in the steppes of Central Asia, the satrapies he founded persisted for centuries afterward) Britain's Empire is, by contrast, already more than a century old, and you may be certain, Your Highness, that its influence will persist for centuries more to come.
Page 292
There were quotations from Mahatma Gandhi and a passage that said: "Why should India, in the name of freedo More...
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 06, 2011
Eliseh
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This was a long but very good book. It spans the time from 1885 through the mid-1990's, and takes place in Burma, Malaysia, and India. Though it's definitely a novel, there are some historical figures that are treated as characters in the book, and historical events told by Ghosh but learned by his research and access to journals and face-to-face first-person accounts. It met my requirements for a good book: very well written, beautiful prose, well-defined characters who's inner thoughts we're
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(1 person liked it)
Apr 20, 2010
Joyce
rated it:
Covering the period of time between the mid-19th century to the present, set mostly in Burma, The Glass Palace is a story of two Indian/Burmese families over a period of generations during times of vast political and social changes in Burma. It is a fascinating account of the large Indian migration to Burma in the 19th and early 20th centuries, first to harvest teak, then to work the rubber plantations. The Indians imported into Burma--and imported is a euphemism for economic slavery--were
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(1 person liked it)
Aug 13, 2011
Cheryl
rated it:
My awareness of the conflict in Burma could not prepare me for this book, it was very powerful. It is about Burma and India, war and coming of age, politics, love, royalty, exile, jungles, the teak business, love: an epic of a place and time. I work with Burmese refugees who have been displaced in Thai and Malyasian refugee camps for their whole lives, whose parents were expelled from their countey in the 80's. I also work with Karen Burmese refugees which are ethnically different than the Bu
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Aug 02, 2011
This book by Amitav Ghosh addresses a wide variety of issues, ranging from emotional turmoil to the impact of the British Raj on India, and particularly on the Indian soldiers. The book is mainly based in Burma. Rajkumar and Dolly are the main characters, who are present from start to end. But, the focus shifts to their children towards the end of the book.
Arjun's story is very beautifully carved. The conflicting ideologies, and the resulting stress is explained with ease. Dinu and Rajkumar's ch More...
Arjun's story is very beautifully carved. The conflicting ideologies, and the resulting stress is explained with ease. Dinu and Rajkumar's ch More...
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(1 person liked it)
May 13, 2011
Dilip
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A young boy catches a glimpse of a young girl as he witnesses the looting of the King of Burma’s palace after he was defeated by the British. The girl Dolly is a maid to the royal princess, and the image remains to haunt the boy. After the enforced abdication, Dolly accompanies the royal family into exile in India. As the other servants leave the royal family’s service, Dolly stays more out of a sense of survival than loyalty. While living in Ratnagiri, in the capacity of a de facto housekeeper,
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Feb 05, 2011
Carol
rated it:
I loved "Sea of Poppies," which I found on the paperback picks shelf at the library. It's always so exciting to read a novel by a new author and really enjoy it. Then you're on the lookout for more of this author's work and it's like a treasure hunt (aided a great deal by the "reserve" function of my library's website...). Anyway, I was in a bookstore recently and was seriously considering buying my own copy of "Sea of Poppies" but decided to buy "The Glass Pal
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Nov 30, 2010
Appu
rated it:
The Glass Palace is indeed history masqueraded as finely crafted fiction, and politics discussed is ever relevant. At its core, the Glass Palace is the story of ordinary people's life being taken over by politics and drowning them into insignificance.
What I found mostly remarkable is how the build-up of each character is paced, with often illustrious and heavy detailing during the first and middle part of their stories, however their exit from the book is mostly tapered, and seems some More...
What I found mostly remarkable is how the build-up of each character is paced, with often illustrious and heavy detailing during the first and middle part of their stories, however their exit from the book is mostly tapered, and seems some More...
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 10, 2009
jordan
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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 More...
If you consider yourself reasonably well educated and More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jul 02, 2009
Helynne
rated it:
I lived in Burma and traveled to Thailand as a young child, so I picked up this novel, hoping it would bring back some nostalgic memories of Burma (now Myanmar), its people and culture. It certainly did. This book is rich with ethnic and cultural descriptions such as the teak forests where elephants work along with humans to fell and transport the beautiful wood that will be made into furniture and artifacts. The story begins during the British colonial period in 1885, and follows several
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 19, 2009
Pamela
rated it:
The Glass Palace moved quickly at the beginning, slowed in the middle, and moved quickly again at the end. It was not a bad read.
It was a good read in that some of the characters were really interesting and moving. Also in that it told some history very well. It went from the British colonization to WWII, and with the last three characters, even beyond to modern times. Ghosh explained events and dealings well and they were mostly things I was not aware of before.
I could More...
It was a good read in that some of the characters were really interesting and moving. Also in that it told some history very well. It went from the British colonization to WWII, and with the last three characters, even beyond to modern times. Ghosh explained events and dealings well and they were mostly things I was not aware of before.
I could More...
Mar 31, 2010
Amber
rated it:
I read this on a recommendation from someone because the author is bangladeshi. It gives some of the history of India/Britain/burma/malaysia over the course of 3 generations of families. It follows the british ousting of the Burmese royalty and forced exile in India and also a young boy who works on the rivers in southeast asia doing odd jobs. Their families become intertwined and are involved in teak harvesting, rubber plantations and the indian separatist movements.
Very interesting, More...
Very interesting, More...
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(2 people liked it)
Nov 17, 2010
Bunga Mawar
rated it:
Salah satu buku yang datang dalam kehidupan saya di saat yang tepat.
Buku terbitan tahun 2008 ini sudah saya miliki awal Oktober, setelah membelinya dari kotak obralan Mizan di Indonesia Book Fair, namun masih terbungkus plastik rapi. Hingga tanggal 9 lalu, saya di kamar kos bengong nggak punya bacaan baru. Walhasil, bungkus plastik buku ini pun terobek, dan isinya terbaca sedikit demi sedikit. Dan saya sempat terpana sesaat (ga lama2, kalo kelamaan jadi ketiduran).
Pas ba More...
Buku terbitan tahun 2008 ini sudah saya miliki awal Oktober, setelah membelinya dari kotak obralan Mizan di Indonesia Book Fair, namun masih terbungkus plastik rapi. Hingga tanggal 9 lalu, saya di kamar kos bengong nggak punya bacaan baru. Walhasil, bungkus plastik buku ini pun terobek, dan isinya terbaca sedikit demi sedikit. Dan saya sempat terpana sesaat (ga lama2, kalo kelamaan jadi ketiduran).
Pas ba More...
Feb 28, 2010
Khaya
rated it: 
Most of the historical fiction books I've read have tried to do three things -- evoke a sense of time and place, depict historical events through the eyes of their characters, and last (and often least, unfortunately, even though this is ostensibly the reason to read a novel in the first place), create multifaceted characters who are experiencing their own growth, development, and plot. The best historical fiction books I've read integrated all three of these goals into a smooth and readable na
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12 comments
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(2 people liked it)
May 26, 2009
Petra X
rated it:
If you like sagas, this was a good one, but in common with a lot of sagas is the large cast of characters. Although I do rate Amitav Ghosh as a writer with great ability to draw characters, this time by the end of the book I couldn't keep straight who was who and what relationship they had to each other. Often the people I was most interested in, just featured in a small bit of the book and after that heard from only in passing.
After a long gap of years, I have only recently resume More...
After a long gap of years, I have only recently resume More...
7 comments
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(4 people liked it)
Jun 08, 2009
indri
rated it:
Sudah lama saya tertarik dengan buku ini. Saya pikir buku ini hanya bersetting India. Namun ternyata setting Asia tengah dan Tenggara ini, lebih dari yang saya harapkan.
Kisah dengan rentang waktu yang sangat panjang ini menceritakan beberapa keluarga dengan kaitan cinta. Diceritakan sejak Burma masih berupa kerajaan dengan istananya yang berhias kaca di tepi sungai Irawadi.
Rajkumar, seorang India miskin yang datang ke tanah Burma dan jatuh cinta pada :
Dolly, pelayan Raja More...
Kisah dengan rentang waktu yang sangat panjang ini menceritakan beberapa keluarga dengan kaitan cinta. Diceritakan sejak Burma masih berupa kerajaan dengan istananya yang berhias kaca di tepi sungai Irawadi.
Rajkumar, seorang India miskin yang datang ke tanah Burma dan jatuh cinta pada :
Dolly, pelayan Raja More...
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 19, 2010
Dad
rated it:
This is a good, old fashioned novel - a huge multi-generational tale of love and war, poverty and fortune, empire, bigotry, and loyalty. It starts in 1885 and ends in the 1990's. It takes place in India, Burma, and Malaysia. It starts in Rangoon with an eleven year old watching the English invade and conquer Burma. It ends with his Indian granddaughter putting the final pieces of her family history together in Mayamar. Through it all is the theme of the end of the British Empire with a
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Jun 21, 2011
Victoria
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Feb 16, 2011
A curious cross between a sprawling, family saga, beach read and serious novel. The story spans several generations of 3 families starting with the Brittish invasion of Burma in 1885 and continuing to the present day. The families are Burmese and Indian and Chinese and are scattered throughout India and Southeast Asia. Each of the stories were interesting but it felt like a headlong rush to get to certain points. First there was the evacuation of the Burmese royal family to exile in India that s
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Jun 03, 2010
Yulibean
rated it:
(review is in Indonesian language)
Istana Kaca (diterjemahkan dari The Glass Palace)
Oleh: Amitav Ghosh
621 halaman
Penerjemah: Reni Indarini
Penyunting: Suhindrati A. Shinta
Penerbit: Hikmah (PT Mizan Publika)
Dari 10 buku yang sudah dibaca 2 bulan belakangan ini, saya tersentuh dengan karya-karya penulis kelahiran India seperti Vikas Swarup dan Amitav Ghosh. Selama ini saya terintimidasi dengan penulis kelahiran India karena mempunyai sedikit peng More...
Istana Kaca (diterjemahkan dari The Glass Palace)
Oleh: Amitav Ghosh
621 halaman
Penerjemah: Reni Indarini
Penyunting: Suhindrati A. Shinta
Penerbit: Hikmah (PT Mizan Publika)
Dari 10 buku yang sudah dibaca 2 bulan belakangan ini, saya tersentuh dengan karya-karya penulis kelahiran India seperti Vikas Swarup dan Amitav Ghosh. Selama ini saya terintimidasi dengan penulis kelahiran India karena mempunyai sedikit peng More...
Nov 13, 2011
Ryan
rated it:
What a fantastic book, and a fantastic surprise. I had never heard of this book before a recommendation, and it carried me away with everything I love about great books: a historical backdrop; beautiful, flowing prose; examination of lesser known (at least to myself) cultures; focus on life, love, death, struggle, defeat, and overcoming defeat; and a wide-sweeping scope, spanning 100 years and three generations of family members, friends, relatives, all connecting the huge themes of the macro wi
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 26, 2011
Elizabeth
rated it:
I'm about to give up on this novel halfway through, an act of abandonment that as a fellow writer, I don't do lightly. In the beginning, I was drawn in and involved in the lives of his characters, the Indian boy living in Burma, his mentor, the Burmese King and Queen sent into exile by the British, the servants in their house. But as these characters became woven into each others' lives, I felt more and more the hand of the author manipulating them like chess pieces in order to serve his drama
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May 02, 2011
Oria
rated it:
I got The Glass Palace from a colleague at work and I had no idea what to expect.
In the beginning, the book has the feel of a memoir, a personal story put together with historical facts, starting with the British invasion of Burma at the end of 1885, then going through the Second World War and ending almost in the present day. It spans across generations and several countries, and it begins with introducing Rajkumar, an Indian boy orphaned from an early age who uses his ambition and More...
In the beginning, the book has the feel of a memoir, a personal story put together with historical facts, starting with the British invasion of Burma at the end of 1885, then going through the Second World War and ending almost in the present day. It spans across generations and several countries, and it begins with introducing Rajkumar, an Indian boy orphaned from an early age who uses his ambition and More...
Sep 11, 2011
Pat
rated it:
A fascinating view of Burma, India and Malaya from pre- to post-WWII. The author's particular focus was on Indians who spent their lives not in India but in the other 2 countries, working and/or fighting for the British empire. As the novel progresses many of these people begin to question their allegiances. Those who elected to mutiny, to fight for Indian independence by joining the Japanese forces in the war, brought to mind the main character in 'The Gift of Rain'. They often gave their lives
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Jul 30, 2011
Rachel
rated it:
Oh dear, I was really looking forward to this book but feel the research overtook the story (and this feeling was before I read about the author's five years of writing and research.) The plot seemed crammed in, at times, to fit with the history and the characters became mere brushstrokes. We followed several for huge sections of the book then they were brusquely killed off in a sentence, never to be mentioned again.On a postive note; if you are interested to read about Burma's past and consider
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