Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh

Release date: 2008 / 468 pages

Synopsis (from back cover): “At the heart of this vibrant saga is an old slave ship, the Ibis. Its destiny is a tumultuous voyage across the Indian Ocean, its purpose to fight in China’s vicious nineteenth-century Opium Wars. As for the crew, they are a motley array of sailors and stowaways, coolies and convicts.”

First line: “The vision of a tall-masted ship, at sail on the ocean, came to Deeti on an otherwise ordinary day, but she knew instantly that the apparition was a sign of destiny, for she had never seen such a vessel before, not even in a dream: how could she have, living as she did in northern Bihar, four hundred miles from the coast?”

Review: Deja Vu?  Nope!  Just the conclusion of last week’s review of Sea of Poppies…  I decided to format this week’s review like I normally would, in case someone happens by today for the first time.

Well, after I wrote last week that this novel felt like a shining beacon behind a veil of language…  the veil parted and I devoured the second half!  The language did get easier — and the character who was most difficult to understand (Ali Serang) was less involved in the second half.  Plus, once the characters board the ship it was nearly impossible to put the novel down.

Now I can whole-heartedly recommend this beautiful work — and I am already anxious for the second part of the trilogy to be written!  Not surprisingly, the novel ends with a cliff-hanger — and what suspense to be left in!

A quick thank you to Shannon for her comment last week.  She suggested that instead of getting bogged down deciphering every word, I should allow the context to provide meaning.  So, to all future readers of Poppies — I recommend that you follow suit.  And trust that Ghosh knows what he’s doing — you will be in good hands, even at the beginning when first getting to know the characters and language.  In fact, check out this recent quote I found on Omnivoracious:

Ghosh commented that portions of the novel – bits of dialogue – are written in a kind of pidgin English. He comments that “as writers, language is the equivalent of a mise-en-scene.” It serves many purposes, one of them being as “white noise,” rather than to communicate information. Consequently, there’s no need to understand every word, no need to decode the pidgin English.

And Ghosh also commented that there are few narratives of departure among immigrant writers. Most tend to write about the life of arrival, rather than the life of leaving.

I would love to hear others’ reviews of this novel, too!  And if you have some time, check out this interview of Ghosh.

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Sunday Salon: Sea of Poppies, pt. 2

Well, another month has flown by…  Time for another Tiny Tale!

As I wrote last week, this month’s selection is a little different, because I have chosen the first chapter of a novel — Sweet Smoke. 

 I would like to try to use the wiki space again, but feel free to simply leave a comment, too!     So, here is the link to the chapter: Sweet Smoke  

And here is the link to the discussion: WikiSpace

And here are the questions:

1. Did this chapter make you want to read the entire novel (why/not)?
2. What do you assume will happen next?
3. Which character(s) did you find most intriguing?
4. Any questions for the author?

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Tiny Tales: September

photo by jurvetson

Hello and Happy Tuesday…  Believe it or not, August is drawing to a close…  which means another installment of Tiny Tales will soon be upon us!  In addition, I have two other exciting events occuring in early September, both of which involve free give-aways: the paperback release of Matrimony and a TLC Book Tour stop.

First, I read and reviewed (and thoroughly enjoyed) Matrimony by Joshua Henkin a few months ago, and he offered to give-away a free copy to celebrate the paperback release of his novel.  This will occur on September 2nd, so stay tuned and check back!

Second, I have been asked to be a stop on TLC’s Book Tour on September 9th.  The first novel is Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan, and I will be offering a free copy so be sure to visit! 

Last but not least, last month I tried to improve the Tiny Tale discussion by creating a wikispace, but didn’t realize that I would need to personally approve comments — which wouldn’t normally be an issue if I had been in town — sorry!  I have rectified this and hope that September’s discussion will flow seamlessly.

I am also mixing things up a bit by choosing the first chapter of a new novel, Sweet Smoke, due out on August 27th.  So, instead of reading a beginning, middle and end, we will only be reading the beginning, and then guessing what we think will happen next!

I love first lines, first paragraphs and first chapters because, as the old saw goes, “you only get one chance to make a first impression”!  So, my questions for discussion this month will be little different than the past two months… and I will be particularly interested in whether you are hooked enough to read the entire novel.

So, check out Sweet Smoke and on September 1st I’ll ask a few questions to get the discussion rolling… 

And if you haven’t read our first two Tiny Tales yet, please do (Say Yes  and The Ethical Dilemma of a Sandwich Down the Pants)  The discussion is on-going!!

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Tuesday Update… Free Giveaways!!

photo credit: j.fisher

Welcome to our second meeting of Tiny Tales!  Here is our story for August: The Ethical Dilemma of a Sandwich Down the Pants  by Kelly Shriver.

I found this story at storySouth which recently posted the Top Ten Stories of 2007.  I chose this particular story for a few reasons:  The Title!  The Length!  The Possibility of a Great Discussion!

Now, this month we are shaking things up a bit — I have set up a WikiSpace at  http://kgalles.wikispaces.com/.  So, feel free to head over there and join the discussion… or simply leave a comment below!  Either way is fine with me this month.  If the WikiSpace works, then next month I’ll move the discussion there permanently.

Any questions?  Leave me a comment!  Otherwise, enjoy the story and get ready for a great discussion!

Preliminary Discussion Questions:

• Why does the entire line want the Harvard students to eat the sandwich?
• Did you judge their decision?
• What was their “moral duty” to the students?  Why?
• Did you enjoy this Tiny Tale?

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Tiny Tales: August 2008

photo credit: Unhindered by Talent

Hello everyone!  Thank you so much for your interest in this new endeavor!  I hope everyone found Say Yes thought-provoking and discussion-worthy

Here are my initial questions to get the discussion started:

Normally when we read a story, we tend to feel closest to and empathize with the narrator (since we witness the events as the narrator does). 

In what ways DID you empathize with the husband? 

In what respects did you find yourself aligning with the wife? 

Who do you think Wolff wanted us to like the most and why?

I’ll add another question in a bit…  And feel free to ask your own questions!

Simply leave a comment below with your thoughts, and please do not feel constrained by my questions –Share any impressions!

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Short Story Book Club: Say Yes