“It was a very different research,” admits Amitav preferring the word ‘different’ over ‘difficult’. It must have been an arduous journey considering not much is written about the Opium Wars in China in the 19th century and the Indian connection. “It all started in 2004, but I was thinking of this trilogy before that ever since I wrapped up

Ghosh went to many places in China, besides Hong Kong and Singapore to go through sepia-tinted papers and wrinkled documents in libraries. When I started the series, my children were teenagers today they have picked up jobs.” I have given a long time of my life to this trilogy. “The trilogy is over,” he says with proprietary finality. It is not like one long book divided into three books.”Įven as Ghosh undertakes a three-week tour of the country with eight launches in cities like New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune etc, there are whispers in the international media thatįlood of Fire may not be the concluding book in the series that Ghosh, said to be so much in love with the characters, may not be averse to a fourth or even fifth book. Each book is quite different from the other. When I started the first part of the trilogy, the way I thought of the relationship between the books was like theĪlexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell. River of Smoke - and a few have, considering the book was very dense with a layered narrative - you could still pick up a copy ofįlood of Fire and not feel like a late-comer to an Amitav Ghosh masterclass. Ibis Trilogy stands by itself, independent of the other two. If water seems to be the element with which one book flows into the other, every book in this

It is a restless element,” Ghosh says, his placid exterior giving way to frank expression. “Water is anything but calm, quiet or tranquil. So we settle down to have a less-than-frenetic, though not exactly leisurely, conversation.įlood of Fire the water is certainly not calm, quiet or tranquil for the much-feted author. Now this change of weather is a little challenging.” If understatements could get a conversation on wheels, this is as good as one. Ghosh merely says, “I have had a tiring schedule in London. He is a little under the weather, his press agents inform me. He is calm and, dare I say it, cool his white shirt contrasting with a black sleeveless jacket and his black-rimmed spectacles. He is cheerful, in a restrained sort of way. When he finally does appear, running his fingers through his still significant hairline, Ghosh drives away all thoughts about the hot weather. It takes a hardy soul to step out hardier to sit waiting for the one and only Amitav Ghosh to turn up for his appointment at the appropriately named Taj Mahal hotel in the city of the sultans and emperors. People on the road are covered in sweat by afternoon by evening, their shirts tell the tale. It is a summer of many challenges in Delhi.

Amitav ghosh trilogy