The Glass Palace

By: Amitav Ghosh

Narrated by: Ranjit Madgavkar

The International Bestseller from the Man Booker Prize shortlisted author

'An absorbing story of a world in transition’ JM Coetzee

'A Doctor Zhivago for the Far East' The Independent

Rajkumar is only another boy, helping on a market stall in the dusty square outside the royal palace, when the British force the Burmese King, Queen and all the Court into exile. He is rescued by the far-seeing Chinese merchant, and with him builds up a logging business in upper Burma. But haunted by his vision of the Royal Family, he journeys to the obscure town in India where they have been exiled.

The story follows the fortunes – rubber estates in Malaya, businesses in Singapore, estates in Burma – which Rajkumar, with his Chinese, British and Burmese relations, friends and associates, builds up – from 1870 through the Second World War to the scattering of the extended family to New York and Thailand, London and Hong Kong in the post-war years.

©2023 Amitav Ghosh (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

"A tantalising meditation… richly complex and satisfying." (Sunday Times)

"A distinctive voice, polished and profound." (TLS)

The description of Burma in the 19th century when British took over

I stopped listening after the fifth chapter. I disliked the meandering into the royal family exile, where the author had done his best to make us dislike the royal family. He should have stayed with the young boy & his growing up.
Also poor writing skills I think.

Awesome masterpiece

Ghosh has surpassed himself in this chronological from the East . Mesmerising reading of interwoven characters and historical events. Brilliant!