jallands's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0
c3liaiswhoiam's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
I'm sorry. What?
Not sure I completely get what Antar's role is. Is he the new Laachan? Is he the Ronald Ross of his time? How on earth do these people not age? I just am so confused and I don't understand anything at all, but I had a good time being confused as all hell.
But what was up with that imagined moment between Urmila and Murrugan?? I was totally getting vibes between Urmila and Sonali, so it felt so out of place.
Not sure I completely get what Antar's role is. Is he the new Laachan? Is he the Ronald Ross of his time? How on earth do these people not age? I just am so confused and I don't understand anything at all, but I had a good time being confused as all hell.
But what was up with that imagined moment between Urmila and Murrugan?? I was totally getting vibes between Urmila and Sonali, so it felt so out of place.
apoo's review against another edition
1.0
The only good thing to come out of this was my conversation with Prof. C.
evvahoo's review against another edition
3.0
too obviously constructed and characters remain at the surface. could have been a hundred pages longer. but still interesting themes and plot.
noorh's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
mukhund's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jappun's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
nayles's review against another edition
3.0
A magical realistic syphilitic nightmare
A story engrained in dirt and disease which felt like a feverish nightmare Better towards the end but I may need to re-read
A story engrained in dirt and disease which felt like a feverish nightmare Better towards the end but I may need to re-read
soniek's review against another edition
2.0
I feel sad that I actually bought this book, because I had a vague recollection of really liking it when I had first read it almost a decade ago.
So this book is a sci-fi, which isn't really convincing. I mean anyone who reads an Amitav Ghosh would be educated enough to understand viruses and chromosomes, or maybe that's a wrong assumption. And then, this book is a page turner, it has its fair share of mysterious characters and delusions. But when the author is someone of Mr. Ghosh's caliber, a reader expects more than the cheap thrills which are ubiquitous in pulp fiction. And this is where the book disappointed me. It's OK, Average. And what's worse, the plot doesn't even have a proper ending, it's so hastened it feels like even the author got bored of writing the book and wanted to simply wrap it up.
Reading this book felt like not being able to eat the last cookie. It was unsatisfactory. Every reader deserves a book with a good ending and this book fails its readers in that aspect.
So this book is a sci-fi, which isn't really convincing. I mean anyone who reads an Amitav Ghosh would be educated enough to understand viruses and chromosomes, or maybe that's a wrong assumption. And then, this book is a page turner, it has its fair share of mysterious characters and delusions. But when the author is someone of Mr. Ghosh's caliber, a reader expects more than the cheap thrills which are ubiquitous in pulp fiction. And this is where the book disappointed me. It's OK, Average. And what's worse, the plot doesn't even have a proper ending, it's so hastened it feels like even the author got bored of writing the book and wanted to simply wrap it up.
Reading this book felt like not being able to eat the last cookie. It was unsatisfactory. Every reader deserves a book with a good ending and this book fails its readers in that aspect.