The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery (Paperback)

~ (Author) "If the system hadn't stalled Antar would never have guessed that the scrap of paper on his screen was the remnant of an ID card..." (more)
Key Phrases: malaria bug, calcutta chromosome, lower circular road, Ronald Ross, Mme Salminen, Robinson Street (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 23, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380813947
• ISBN-13: 978-0380813940
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #231,974 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very interesting book, September 27, 2000

By	Saurabh Chatterjee (Calcutta, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Calcutta Chromosome (Mass Market Paperback)

This is one of the most fascinating books that I have read. Although the plot is sometimes abstruse, the story is almost always taut. There is a constant feel of suspense and mystery that surrounds the characters. The concept itself, that personalities can be transferred and, in effect, immortality gained through the malaria parasite is nothing short of spellbinding. When I finished the book, the first word that came to my mind was: wierd. But as I glossed over what I had just read and the emotions I had experienced while reading it, I realised that it was nothing short of a gem of modern science fiction. The story is vast in it's scope. Ghosh simultaneously handles three points in time, but keeps the reader equally engrossed in all three. The characters are real (one in fact is based on an Indian film maker) and totally believable. Having lived in Calcutta all my life, I can tell you that the situations depicted are absolutely authentic and real. Nothing is wasted in the book. Every syllable, every event, however insignificant it may seem, will come back later. The ending is incredible, dealing you a sledgehammer blow in the last couple of lines. All in all, a must read for SF fans, and indeed for fans of good, albeit populist, literature.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Is Amitav Ghosh too brilliant for me?, April 21, 2005

By	A. Smith "geniusreviewer1" (Almaty, Kazakhstan) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wanted to like this book, I really did. In the end I was left confused and frustrated. This had the makings of a classic, but ultimately it didn't coalesce in my feeble brain.

The book has its ups and downs, and ultimately sucks you in the last 100 pages, and cruelly leaves you staring face to face with a brick wall. A main character keeps on saying "Don't you see?" and "Can't you see it?" to another character. I felt like the author was patronizing me, because I could not make the connections. I went back and reread a bit, and it turns out that seemingly trivial information stated at the beginning of the book is key to understanding the end. I agree with other reviewers about the scene at the railway station...breathtaking. Rarely have I had such a vivid picture painted in my head while reading...but frustratingly, this act does not seem to tie in to the rest of the story at all...or does it? Maybe I'm just not smart enough to make the connections. I'm not the type to go back and read entire novels again just to understand what the heck the point of the book was. If you aren't either (and if you are any less than a genius), than you may want to skip this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too opaque for my tastes, March 25, 2004

By	abt1950 "abt1950" (usa) - See all my reviews

This appears to be a book you either love or hate. It has all the ingredients of a fine novel and a fun read--intriguing plot, exotic (to the Western eye) locales, some history, some mysticism, a little bit of science blended with some speculation--and a juicy conspiracy to tie it all together. Ghosh is a good writer, there's no doubt about that.

Nonetheless, I found this book difficult to like. It had its moments--the ghost train scene among them--but overall the plot was too opaque for me to follow consistently. The twists and turns were fun at the beginning, but by the second half of the book I was totally lost. This book has gotten great reviews, but I just didn't enjoy it.