After a long wait, Amitav Ghosh returns with his next fiction novel, that takes forward some of the themes he has been talking about in his last few non fiction works. Climate, environment, local ecosystems and what it will really take to restore and rehabilitate our planet, that is on an irreversible path towards destruction.
If you’ve not been following his work, I highly recommend reading The Nutmeg’s Curse (my review here https://books-booze-boxoffice.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-nutmegs-curse-parables-for-planet.html) that forms the primary thesis of his thinking. It’s a mind-blowingly insightful take on why our world environment is in the mess that it is, and therefore what it will take to fix it, and why it’s not going to be as easy as doing COPs or carbon credit or carbon tax, or EVs!
Ghost-eye, in a way, is the ‘fiction’ version of the same central idea. The idea that it is centuries of Western imperialism, anchored in political-industrial-capitalist power, which has systematically and cold-heartedly exploited our natural and human capital over time. And it has become so much a natural way of life, that no one really ‘sees it’ as the culprit. And that’s why it’s not going to be easy to dismantle, because this is the only way the world knows how to work. And yet there is hope in countries like India and in ecosystems like the villages and the forests of Sundarban, which still show a glimpse into an alternate reality, an alternate way of life. A life that is anchored on our biological and human connection to nature, and our inherent and intuitive connection to our past and our roots. Who was it that said ‘Never mistake development for progress’.
The story in this novel revolves around re-incarnation, the presence of the spirit-world, the position of men and women (the 'ghost-eyes') with special abilities to connect and even benefit from the spirit world, and all of it intricately tied up around the deeply delicious and soulful Bengali cuisine, centered around (of course) fish. In typical Ghosh style, the story moves across space - between New York, Calcutta and Sudarbans - as well as across time - from 1960s to the COVID era of early 2020s. For all of us Amitav Ghosh fans, it hits the spot in giving us the fix we haven’t had in a while.
The genius of the book, is in the central idea, for which we can’t cheer loudly enough. It’s one of those ideas that makes you want to imbibe and champion to everyone in the world. It’s so simple and intuitive and as Indians, we get it because we feel it everyday. Everyday we microwave our food before eating, everyday we order food from outside instead of cooking ourselves at home, everyday we eat grains and vegetables that are imported. Read this book for that.
But, if you’re not an Amitav Ghosh fan, then this is not the best book to pick up to enjoy his writing. The story-telling of the novel leaves much to be desired, and is not one of his better work. It meanders a bit, the conversations sometimes feel forced and preachy, and the overall plot and the ending, while surprising, feels a bit trying too hard at times. To enjoy his fiction, there are others I would suggest, especially his early work like Shadow LInes, Hungry Tide, etc. Read those for the story telling.
However, these are, as I would say, ‘first world problems’ (sic!). Few things come close to curling up with an Amitav Ghosh book at the end of a day. And this one is no exception. I’m glad this became my first book to start 2026 with. I hope you pick it up too and form your own point of view.
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