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The Shadow Lines
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The Shadow Lines (1988) (edit title/settings)

A Novel

by Amitav Ghosh (Author) (edit contributors)

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Description edit see section history

Opening in Calcutta in the 1960s, Amitav Ghosh's radiant second novel follows two families -- one English, one Bengali -- as their lives intertwine in tragic and comic ways. The narrator, Indian born and English educated, traces events back and forth in time, from the outbreak of World War II... read more

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Characters/People edit see section history

  • Robi: Youngest son of Mayadebi, the diplomat's wife.
  • Mayadebi: Sister of protagonist's grandmother.
  • Nick Price: Son of Mrs. Price, daughter of multi talented Tresawsen who was in India and formed a long lasting friendship with Mayadebi's father in law.
  • Tridib: Second son of Mayadebi, the shadow that looms large through the book as the person who influenced the youth and life of the protagonist and also the person involved in life of the main characters and also in the most important events through the tale.
  • Khalil: The cycle rickshaw driver who, post independence of India and partition, was one of the occupants of Mayadebi's childhood home in Dhaka, a migrant from central regions of India to Pakistan who went east rather than west for convenience, one who takes care of Mayadebi's uncle who lived on alone with the multitude of migrants occupying the house now empty due to the other relatives all having gone on with their lives and living elsewhere, in Calcutta or in other parts of the world.
  • Mrinmoyee: Servant of the acquaintance who happens to know about Calcutta whereabouts of relatives of Mayadebi.
  • Magda: The typical blond blue eyed large doll Ila has being a loved daughter of parents mostly stationed around the world in diplomatic corps, an alter ego through which she tells the tale of her own traumatic experiences that she reconstitutes to suit her obsession with Nick Price absolving him of cowardice and indifference to her plight when attacked by racist classmates physically on streets of London.
  • Ila: Second cousin of the protagonist - she is a granddaughter of Mayadebi, he the grandson of Mayadebi's elder sister - and the glamourous figure of his childhood with whom he is obsessed through his life as told in this work.
  • Denise: One of the friends group in London.
  • Saifuddin: The mechanic with successful business who migrated to east Pakistan post partition of India from Motihari in Bihar as a poor labourer and occupies major part of the house that belonged to Mayadebi's family in Dhaka.
  • Dan: Friend of Tresawsen who died in London bombings in world war two.
  • Malik: Add a description of this character.
  • Mike
  • Alan
  • Mrs Anderson
  • Lionel Tresawsen
  • Francesca
  • Montu
  • Lymington Road
Show all 19 characters
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First Sentence edit see section history

In 1939, thirteen years before I was born, my father's aunt, Mayadebi, went to England with her husband and her son, Tridib.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Amitav Ghosh (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Ravi Dayal Publishers
Country: india
Publication Date: 1988
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 246

Classification edit see section history

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