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Fom the author of the glass palace, the widely-acclaimed bestseller the hungry tide is a rich, exotic saga set in calcutta and in the vast archipelago of islands in the bay of bengal an indian myth says that when the river ganges first descended from the heavens, the force of the cascade was so great that the earth would have been destroyed if it had not been for the god shiva, who tamed the torrent by catching it in his dreadlocks it is only when the ganges approaches the bay of bengal that it frees itself and separates into thousands of wandering strands the result is the sundarbans, an immense stretch of mangrove forest, a half-drowned land where the waters of the himalayas merge with the incoming tides of the sea it is this vast archipelago of islands that provides the setting for amitav ghosh’s new novel in the sundarbans the tides reach more than 100 miles inland and every day thousands of hectares of forest disappear only to re-emerge hours later dense as the mangrove forests
A chance encounter in the Sundarbans archipelago forces a marine biologist and a translator to confront the intersection of human history and the untamed natural world. Piya, a cetologist searching for rare river dolphins, and Kanai, a businessman visiting the region, find their objectives complicated by the volatile environment and the local inhabitants. The narrative weaves together their perspectives with the historical echoes of the Morichjhanpi massacre, highlighting the tension between conservation efforts and the survival of marginalized communities. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the shifting, half-drowned landscape of the Bay of Bengal, where the tides dictate the rhythm of life and death.
The novel is widely regarded for its evocative prose and its ability to balance scientific inquiry with deep historical resonance. Critics frequently highlight the author's skill in rendering the Sundarbans as a living, breathing character that shapes the destinies of those who enter it. Readers often note the intellectual depth of the dialogue, which navigates complex themes of post-colonial identity and environmental ethics without sacrificing narrative momentum. The work is recognized as a significant contribution to contemporary literature, praised for its meticulous research and its refusal to offer simple resolutions to the conflicts it presents.
Page Count:
403
Publication Date:
2011-02-01
Publisher:
HARPER COLLINS INDIA
ISBN-10:
0007432976
ISBN-13:
9780007432974
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