The Glass Palace | The Glass Palace

At a glance:

Author: Amitav Ghosh
First Published: 2000
Type of Work: Novel
Time of Work: 1885-1996
Setting: Burma, India, and Malaya
Principal Characters: Rajkumar Raha, Dolly Sein, John Martins, Uma Dey
Genres: Long fiction, Postcolonial literature
Subjects: Colonialism, Love or romance, Twentieth century, Nineteenth century, Exile or expatriates, World War II, Asia or Asians, War, Kings, queens, or royalty, India or East Indian people, Servants, Orphans or orphanages, Southeast Asia, Himalayas, Pottery, porcelain, or glass
Locales: Burma, India, Malaya

This complex story weaves historical facts with a family saga spanning three generations, and examines the political and social issues of Burma, Malaya, and India during a tumultuous century.

The fourth novel by Amitav Ghosh opens on the eve of war in Mandalay, as the British prepare to capture the Burmese throne. An eleven-year-old Indian orphan named Rajkumar informs a crowd at a food stall that the booming sound they hear is a British cannon. The year is 1885, and a dispute between a British timber company and King Thebaw of Burma leads to battle. The Burmese army, defeated...

The Glass Palace | The Glass Palace

At a glance:

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