Sea Of Poppies by Amitav GhoshMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Like all great books, this one left me speechless.
My deep pleasure in this book was the pleasure of a well-told tale. No matter the subject or the setting, a tale told well is a delight in and of itself.
Isn't that what we're all about here, anyway? Riding the waves of a good book, following its currents blindly and weathering its storms? Washing up on its unexpected beaches?
Yes! I would happily sail anywhere with Ghosh and his Ibis, and its multi-faceted, many-tongued crew.
Sea of Poppies is a magnificent voyage of transformation, for us as for those aboard the Ibis. Nothing and no one remains the same once their paths cross with this mysterious ship's.
Deeti, the opium farmer becomes a 'ghost' of her former self -- and emerges into a new identity.
Zachary, 'son of a Maryland freedwoman', becomes a ship's officer, passes as a (white) 'sahib', and navigates the treacherous waters of loyalty and betrayal.
Neel Rattan Halder, the Raja of Raskhali (also known as Rascally Roger), is utterly transformed and transported (literally) into an entirely different life where friendship has a whole new meaning.
Baboo Nob Kissin swells with maternal feelings of love and devotion as he is possessed by the spirit of his dead guru, leading him to seek Krishna's incarnation on the ship...
Transformation. Disguise. Bearing witness. Naming and being named.
Bonds, debts, and obligations. Slavery, race, indenture and war.
And language. Ghosh doesn't just love words, he is a glutton for them. This book is a feast of language. Wallow in the words and swallow them whole; read them aloud and laugh at how silly they sound.
Don't be put off when you encounter whole pages of unfamiliar sailors' slang. It became obvious fairly soon that the characters don't always understand each other -- and there is quite a bit of miscommunication.
As there are absurdities, pomposities, ridiculousnesses, several daring rescues, secret loves and colonial exploits.
Sea of Poppies is a delight from cover to cover.
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I read this for the People of Color reading challenge.
