About authors and their writing styles - Amitav Ghosh

A popular book is identified vicariously with by the reader and a good book in addition evokes constructive cerebrations.

I have many friends, who love reading books but balks when asked to read Indian writers. When I asked one of those friends why he doesn’t like to read Indian writers, he replied me that Indian writers neither know how to write nor do they have a topic other than some bromides. I could enumerate a number of Indian authors which he should try to see that his presumption was nothing but a mere abyss. I didn't, however. One of such writer I am going to write about is Amitav Ghosh and the book I am referring to is "The Hungry tide".

The Hungry Tide

I was a little bit apprehensive towards reading this big fat book. I anyway started the book only to find that how enthralled I was by the engaging words of the authors. The Hungry Tide is a story of exotic mangroves of large archipelago in the Gangatic delta- Sundarban. It’s a story of Love, envy, aspiration, enthusiasm and adventure. The characters he has conjured up are mostly the commons nevertheless enthusiastic, zealous and wannabe.

The story embarks with an absolutely crowded railway station and very beautifully identifies the protagonists of the story. The author's selection of a diversified introductory-plot to conjure-up the protagonists and most of the characters to be seen in the consecutive sections is awesome. The story burgeons in remarkably spontaneous manner as the time moves. The story diverges then converges and then again diverges followed by a series of such events maintaining a wave of rhythm. The author very splendidly makes the story free of intricacies however he is not able to refrain from making the essence (in his story... it is 'Love') convoluted. Amitav Ghosh's love is full of co-incidences and presumptions. Interestingly his male protagonists (in the novel no distinct contrast has been made to define the protagonists. Though female protagonist is well defined...there is no single male protagonist) fell in love with same woman. And that twice. Yet, a remarkable delineation of LOVE in the story can be seen in the book. This portryal parallels with that of eminent bengali writer SHARATCHANDRA CHATTOPADHYAY. Unlike many of his contemporaries he believes in tacit talking. The love he imagines carry no word, carry no limit. That is the most impressive thing you can feel. His faculty in making two people get along and do good even when one doesn't understand other's language is applaudable -Fokir is illiterate and understand nothing but Bangla and Piya Roy only English. However they have not problem in dealing with each other...they understand each other...and get along.

The way the author introduces the character is also worthy praising. Unlike the characters in "The fountainhead", the author let his characters interact with the environment, he let his character grow, develop and change. Characters are not doctrinaire rather they are more realistic and acclimating. The other interesting thing about his character is they are effeminate-they are emotional, loving and caring...exemplification of Indian psyche. Let alone the female characters, be it Nirmal or Kanai or Fokir or whoever...everybody shows the same sense of loving persona.

Amitav Ghosh is also very wise to establish a brilliant concord between the parallel moving stories. He is also very articulate in making a parallel with stories of different epochs. He is clever enough to re-broach different subjects before it can vanish from the reader's mind. Though at someplace as one of my friend suggests he is not able to make necessary celerity in the story and overworks with the words (I was too absorbed to notice that).

The book is articulately written. Like most of the good writers he is competent in the requisite creativity in the story building but most importantly he is also endued with the prudence in selecting the words according to his plots. The words are so carefully calculated that leaves no sign of anachronism. I love this novel also because of the inevitable vicarious bond it makes with the reader. Like a popular book it engages you, absorbs you and like a good book it provokes a number of thoughts...answered and some to be addressed.