The Hungry Tide

'Most fascinating, traditional and yet contemporary from one of the finest writers India ever produced'

- AJS -

Amitav Ghosh - the name may be known to at least a million now, readers or no readers of his latest or any other previous books. An author who may write many more wonderful, well researched, thought after storylines to become bestsellers across the world, in this book has brought out the jungle beauty of the Sunderbans along with weaving a very complicated yet delicate net amongst the characters in the story.

The setting is modern, situations and circumstances are current, practical and seemingly real. Describing the intricacy and mystery of the jungle, the author laid emphasis on the flora and fauna that may not always be green and romantic for either the local inhabitants or the first time visitors /outsiders on the island. The cast includes almost formidable characters like Fokir, Kanai, undeterred and yet vulnerable Piya, an achiever Maashima, deceased dismissed as an idealistic Nirmal etc...

The writer seemed to have spent some nice number of years in Sunderbans as he used the geographies and surface details to have described the seasons, inhabitants, dialects, costumes remarkably well. All these have been put to good use at the backdrop of a realistically set slightly inclined towards being a romantic story. (In this case then, it’s a romantic story with a sad end). A struggle between choosing mind or heart, an inexpressible connection between two odd human beings, one that has a scientific bent, a researcher, the other a stark contradiction, an illiterate, a villager to its core, a married unsung hero of the jungle (and presumably of this story), a father, a dismissed soul ‘Fokir’. But I would like to put this more as a book that describes the adventures hidden within the scenic Sunderbans, leaving behind some strong visual memories of the counters with Tigers, snakes, crocodiles, sea, rivers, storms and most unique the Irrawady Dolphins and the Orcaellas.

The traditional religious believes like those of worshipping Bon Bibi are staged with lining the mythological story to the current settings. The Goddess, believed to save the mankind from the demons and evils that prevail in the jungles and only one with a pure heart may live and come out unhurt if lost in the vastness, dark and hungry jungle.

The Hungry Tide as the name suggests may be a rendering of writer’s mind where tide may be coined to describe the tide of time, situation brought out by the relationships growing complicated amongst the characters, brought by the sudden storm and by the intertwined hearts, bodies and mind. The tide changes life thereafter forever, for almost all the ones in the story. Its hungry as it consumes them, consumes them of their rationale, their emotions, their energies, strength and capabilities of reasoning…leaving for nature to select, to eliminate - the ones with pure heart may only to remain. The outcome is as to what would remain after the stormy tide that washes away the fertile surface of the soil, ripping apart its past green grass, leaving it barren and fresh for a rebirth…

I think I will now consciously try to read all the past works of the author and look forward for many more. The writing definitely is impressionist, the characters, the setting stay back with the reader for many days after finish reading the book. There’s a Piya in me, trying to outgrow fears, overcome struggles and yet susceptible enough to fall prey to animal named ‘Man’ in this jungle.