Praise for The Circle of Reason * - - *
More accessible than Salmon Rushdie, more Dickensian, full of sound and fury, and with a strong narrative * Lesley McDowell, Independent on Sunday *
PRAISE FOR SEA OF POPPIES * ****** *
'Sea of Poppies Boasts a varied collection of characters to love and hate, and provides wonderfully detailed descriptions of opium production ... utterly involving and piles on tension until the very last page' * Peter Parker, Sunday Times *
'A glorious babel of a novel ... marvellously inventive ... utterly involving ... The next volume cannot come too soon' * Sunday Times *
'An utterly involving book' * Sunday Times *
'This is a panoramic adventure story, with a Dickensian energy and scope' * Sunday Telegraph *
'Ghosh's narrative is enriched with a wealth of historical detail ... as well as intricate characterisation that makes interaction among the diverse group truly absorbing' * The Times *
'There can be fewer more exciting settings for a novel than a sea-tossed sailing ship ... Ghosh piles detail upon detail in a rumbustical adventure' * The Times *
'Ripping post-colonial yarn ... Ghosh spins a fine story with a quite irresistible flow, breathing exuberant life ... an absorbing vision' * Guardian *
'A remarkably rich saga' * Observer *
'Each scene is boldly drawn, but it is the sheer energy and verve of Amitav Ghosh's storytelling that binds this ambitious medley' * Daily Mail *
This is a corker * Spectator *
Ghosh turns the ship into something robustly, bawdily and indelibly real . . . a plot of Dickensian intricacy * New York Times *
'A master of fiction' * Economist *
'A richly drawn cast of characters ... gilded with expertly-mined historical detail' * Sunday Business Post *
'The fantastic Anglo-Asian language they speak is infectious, and the sombre yet uncertain conclusion leaves one eager for the second novel in the trilogy' * Daily Telegraph *
'A captivating cast ... Ghosh's saga is enriched with a blizzard of Laskari- and Hindi-derived words that add irrepressible energy to the narrative' * Metro *
'Beautifully written, this totally absorbing novel will leave you eagerly awaiting a second instalment' * She Magazine *
'...this first volume in a promise trilogy is a gem.' * Guardian *