The Glass Palace

By: Amitav Ghosh

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the Burmese teak forest. When soldiers force the royal family out of the Glass Palace and into exile, Rajkumar befriends Dolly, a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen, whose love will shape his life. He cannot forget her, and years later, as a rich man, he goes in search of her.

The struggles that have made Burma, India, and Malaya the places they are today are illuminated in this wonderful novel by the writer Chitra Divakaruni calls “a master storyteller.”

©2002 Amitav Ghosh (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Ghosh renders the polite imprisonment of the Burmese royal family in India and the lush, dangerous atmosphere of teak camps in the Burmese forest with fine detail––a perfect balance for the broad strokes of romance and serendipity that drive the story forward." ( The New Yorker)

"Ghosh ranges from the condescension of the British colonialists to the repression of the current Myanmar (Burmese) regime in a style that suggests E. M. Forster as well as James Michener. Highly recommended." ( Library Journal)

Excellent

Would you listen to The Glass Palace again? Why?

I might on a long road trip. I typically only read or listen to a book one time... There are too many great stories out there to rehash them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Too many great characters to list just one.

Any additional comments?

This is well written and performed beautifully. You will not regret the journey.

Wonderful Family Saga Set in Burma and Malaysia

This is a big story written by one of my favorite authors, Amitav Ghosh. He gives the full sweep of history in this region in the 20th century, starting with the end of Burmese royalty, the movement of Indians into the culture of Burma, the horrendous toll of suffering and displacement during WW II, ending with the restrictive political climate of the new "Myanmar". It is told through the intertwined families of the book, a large and intertwined lot. I loved the attention to the characters, and the coming together of many different family connections that span the generations. The characters are quite unique, and the woman are very independent. Ghosh is a great story teller and I would recommend his other books as well. The book's length and detail draw you in, the narrator is very good and brings all the characters alive. It is not a book for someone looking for a fast moving plot, but there is a lot of drama throughout the novel and a fascinating book for a good, long listening experience.

Long book made longer by very little happiness

Only listen if you want a sweeping history of Burma and India. It's well-written and narrated with great detail, but so long! And I found it to be sad on balance.

Touchng, Beautiful--and Annoying

The Glass Palace is beautifully written, with wonderfully-drawn characters and many touching moments. However, between Part 1 and Part 2 there was such a quantum leap in time and events that I went back to Audible to make sure that I had downloaded all the parts. There was a gap of 15 years, during which protagonists who were in different countries somehow got together and were married in some unexplained manner that was never clarified. Once I got past this, however, the story continued in a very satisfactory manner, and I am glad I stuck with it. Simon Vance's narration was superb, as always. I highly recommend this book despite its flaws. It is a portrayal of a venue that has not been well-covered in fiction--Burma (now Myanmar) and Malaya from early 20th Century to the 1970s.

Marvelous listening experience

I read the book a few years back and loved it. It is beautifully written, very absorbing, and heartbreaking. This is a great way to re-read the book, or to read it for the first time. Simon Vance is one of the best narrators I've heard, and he does a marvelous job here. A fabulous listen!

Sweeping Epic or Fictional Memoir?

I expect that Ghosh intended this book to be a Ken Follett-like sweeping story of Burma, India and much of south Asia during the late 19th and early 20th century, but it reads more like a mood piece or memoir with its focus on scenery, social conventions and detailed analysis of family/caste relationships. The plot spans the lives of several families, starting with the deposition of the last Burmese king through the end of the 2nd World War, but isn't really plot driven, or character driven. It's more a series of stream of consciousness depictions of the thoughts of various related characters. The strong suit of this story is the beautiful, detailed description of the thoughts of the varied characters, illustrating the ways in which the misunderstandings between ruler and ruled fueled WW I and II. The author assumes that the listener is clever enough to understand some plot points without his spelling them out. He expects a lot from the reader, but that serves the progression of the book well. Simon Vance is always a great narrator, and does a remarkable job with the numerous dialects and languages.

great history, story & reader, very topical now

Any additional comments?

Having spent a month in Burma the end of 2011 the book brought back many memories as many of the streets in Yangon are still named as they are in the book. Yangon is in such disrepair from many years of neglect it has the feeling of melting into the streets. The architecture, for the most part, is still that of the times of the empire. Magnificent but falling down. Was in Yangon for 4 days total but a wonderful city to just get lost in.
It is my impression that many Americans have little awareness of history or events that happen outside of our country. The idea of people in Asia moving between countries to find work, to marry, to deal with family obligations might seem contrived if one has not delved into the history of some of these countries a bit. In almost every major city in Asia there are significant populations of people from surrounding countries. Sometimes there of their own will and sometimes not.
Changes in Burma might happen rapidly if the military does not take outright control again. For a look at Burma in the latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century you might like Emma Larkin's "Searching for George Orwell in Burma".

Great Book, but drones on a bit.

I really like his writing, and I learned quite a bit of history I was ignorant of, BUT the books just keeps on going and towards the last 7 Chapters or so it got pretty boring. Because of the foreign (to me) sounding names, it was hard for me to keep track because I was listening rather than seeing the names. It became confusing and without the names, the relationships between the people and generations got a bit fuzzy. I think I would have been better off reading it. It's a great novel, but he could have left out some of it and made it more interesting. Nonetheless I'm glad I read it. He describes the beauty of India and Burma (currently called Myanmar) so well, that I would love to plan a trip there.

Fantastic historical novel

The Glass Palace is a masterful work. The best novels wring emotions from their readers. This epic historical novel, at heart a tale of families, brought me to tears. It is a tragic, poignant, heart-rending story. Read it, hug your spouse, cherish your progeny, and learn of the intertwining histories of colonial Burma, India, and Malaya covering a 100-year period, starting with the fall of the last Burmese kingdom in the 1880s at the hands of the British. Amitav Ghosh is a brilliant writer who made me care for each of the well-rounded characters he created, despite their flaws and missteps. Not all authors can pull that off. His characters bristle at their subjugation by the British, but it is not overwrought, and colonialism, and later, Burmese authoritarianism are but narrative threads that create tension but do not overwhelm the family stories. Simon Vance's narration was superb.

Outstanding book

Colorful story told with great feeling. I learned the history of GB and Burma, the battles in Burma during WW11 and the complex relationships of the peoples In t
he area