I just finished reading Amitav Ghosh's, 'The Circle of Reason'. And I'm glad it's over. It was one of those books which I could neither continue reading with relish nor give up without guilt. In a sense, I was addicted to this novel, but it wasn't a pleasant addiction.
I like Amitav Ghosh because he doesn't try to be clever and is not eager to please. I feel his writing is naturally intelligent and not contrived. But even so, The Circle of Reason seems stretched at times. Maybe because it was Ghosh's first novel, published in 1986.
The book is divided into three parts: Satwa - Reason, Rajas - Passion and Tamas - Death and tells the story of Nachiket Bose, nicknamed 'Alu' for his potato shaped head. The story begins in the village of Lalpukur in Bengal and in true Amitav style, winds its way beyond India and into the East African port of Al-Ghazira. The narrative comes to a close in Algeria.
The blurb says that the novel follows the method of the raga in Indian music. A ponderous beginning, a livelier middle phase and a fast ending. Read the book and see if you agree with this parallel.
One person who was impressed by the book was Anthony Burgess. You can read his New York Times review titled 'A Little Dementia in the Name of Progress' here.
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