The Circle of Reason (Abacus Books) [Import] [Paperback]

Amitav Ghosh (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Abacus Books (Sphere); New Ed edition (June 18, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0349114285
• ISBN-13: 978-0349114286
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Amitav Ghosh was born in Calcutta in 1956 and raised and educated in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt, India, and the United Kingdom, where he received his Ph.D. in social anthropology from Oxford. Acclaimed for fiction, travel writing, and journalism, his books include The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, In an Antique Land, and Dancing in Cambodia. His previous novel, The Glass Palace, was an international bestseller that sold more than a half-million copies in Britain. Recently published there, The Hungry Tide has been sold for translation in twelve foreign countries and is also a bestseller abroad. Ghosh has won France's Prix Medici Etranger, India's prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and the Pushcart Prize. He now divides his time between Harvard University, where he is a visiting professor, and his homes in India and Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well woven story., July 7, 2009

By 

Dick Johnson (Oklahoma USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Circle of Reason (Paperback)

I became a fan of Ghosh after reading "Sea of Poppies." That was his most recent novel and "Circle of Reason" was his first. The two books cannot be directly compared - they're about different times and places.

This book, though a little rough, is very well written for a first novel. Typically Indian, the book has tons of detail and takes a while to make any point. What is untypical, though, is that you don't have to have a glossary at hand. There are a few words from Hindi, but compared with most books by Indian authors, this is amazingly "English" throughout.

The book is about the people. They wander from India to the Middle East and on to Africa. Their lives and relationships move the story along. Well developed, there is quite a mix brought together by the events.

I kept turning pages from start to finish. I don't think you should pass on this one just because it's not as polished as his later books. It's well worth your time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me Cry...Up There With the Best Book Ive Read, March 31, 2011

By 

Aaron J - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Circle of Reason (Paperback)

Yes, it is long, and for many, including myself, in largely a different language. However, the story is told to perfection. Ghosh displays his talents in this novel, Ive read some of his other books but the way he writes this one is just magnificent. The notion of the germ and how it realtes to humanity and post colonialism and all the other aspects is fascinating, but above all its the story of these people - Alu, Zinda, Balaram etc.. - that really make it. In the end I did in fact cry when I finished it, for the mere fact that it is a beautiful story. I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys reading, it will really take you to your own place and youll find yourself not putting it down. Great book, very well written, absolutley worth your time and effort. Beautiful book.

5 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Keep Google handy, April 18, 2009

By 

R. Coderre (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Circle of Reason (Paperback)

After hearing the author, Amitav Ghosh, in a National Public Radio interview, I was eager to read one of his books. I chose to start with 'The Circle of Reason'. The phrase which best describes the experience for me is "could have been". The story could have been compelling for non-asian readers (I'm American), except for the regional vocabulary. The book is littered with clothing, descriptions, places, holidays, and foods that a native of India would probably recognize, but I was totally at sea. For example, in the book, a man pulls up his lunghi in front of a woman and shocks her. Was it his socks? His shirt? A body part? Whatever it was, is it considered rude to pull it up in front of a woman? I had to Google the term to find out it was a kind of skirt worn by men and women in India. I Googled dozens of terms during the reading of the book.

The plot could have been more exciting, but there wasn't enough drama. The book had the potential to be a kind of Indian 'Les Miserable', but instead meandered, concentrating on this inconsequential character and then that one. Meanwhile, the pursuer seemed to be perfunctory in his chase and the pursued didn't seem to be trying that hard to escape.

Perhaps in his later works Mr. Ghosh did, or will, consider his international readers by including some unobtrusive descriptions that explain the regional terms. For example, if I were to write that my grandmother enjoyed cooking in a spider, knowing that's a New England term, I'd mention that a spider is a large frying pan.

So, in summary, if you are very familiar with Indian culture, 'The Circle of Reason' may easily hold your interest. For other readers, see the title of this review.