Rating: 
Summary: A very interesting book
Review: This is one of the most fascinating books that I have read. Although the plot is sometimes abstruse, the story is almost always taut. There is a constant feel of suspense and mystery that surrounds the characters. The concept itself, that personalities can be transferred and, in effect, immortality gained through the malaria parasite is nothing short of spellbinding. When I finished the book, the first word that came to my mind was: wierd. But as I glossed over what I had just read and the emotions I had experienced while reading it, I realised that it was nothing short of a gem of modern science fiction. The story is vast in it's scope. Ghosh simultaneously handles three points in time, but keeps the reader equally engrossed in all three. The characters are real (one in fact is based on an Indian film maker) and totally believable. Having lived in Calcutta all my life, I can tell you that the situations depicted are absolutely authentic and real. Nothing is wasted in the book. Every syllable, every event, however insignificant it may seem, will come back later. The ending is incredible, dealing you a sledgehammer blow in the last couple of lines. All in all, a must read for SF fans, and indeed for fans of good, albeit populist, literature.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow starting, interesting mystery with a disapointing end
Review: [...]There was a lilting rhythm to this book that had a familiar resonation.
The turn of the phrase, the dialog, the manner of story telling was very
reminiscent of The
Moors Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie a book I have read but not reviewed
here yet. I don't want to make broad sweeping stereotypes regarding the
an Indian style, but I will at the minimum note in passing a similarity
between this and the one book I have read by Rushdie. </p>
Having said that I found this in the end an unsatisfying book. It was
a book of many things, science fiction, a medical history of malaria,
and a spiritual explanation of transmigration of the soul. I found it
a bit slow in starting up, once going my interest was peaked regarding
the mystery of the discovery of malaria and the hidden truth behind it,
however my main disappointment was that the resolution to the mystery
and the ending itself were poorly wrought. Barely even explained, unclearly
described I was left scratching my head with a "huh?" </p>
I don't know if I would recommend this book, I would state the caveats
and let you make your own choice.</p>
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