Sea of poppies.

I pestered the people at the lending library counter to issue the 'book' ,for 3 long months.They couldn't fulfil my request as it was constantly in circulation . They promised to inform me over the phone in the immediate event of it being returned. A promise that was never kept.

Last week I gave up asking for the book as I concluded that it was an exercise in futility.I selected a short novel to see me through the week when one of the librarians popped up with a copy of the book Sea of poppies.

Amitav is a master story teller . He has blended history of British India and the 'opium wars' [British- Chinese wars] skilfully with the abysmal poverty the common folks were pushed into under the British rule as well as with those faint patriotic stirrings of the gentry in the 1830's.

But I am miffed by his' manipravalam'.He has dipped generously into 'colloquial Hindostanee' 'words and phrases . This is distracting and one has to use one's language skill considerably to decipher those words and phrases..

He has spiced his narrative liberally with humour. Though ,this mainly revolves around the male obsession with 'excretion'.

His succinct observation of the 'opium wars 'from the British view point--''The long tails have to be given a taste of the lattee''.And their crude justifications at flooding China with opium and the conversations of Mrs Burnham would bring smiles to the dourest of souls .

A historical ,social narrative peppered with humour.I should have bought this book at the outset instead of being squeamish about its price.