The Boston Globe

Books

Boston.com

book review

‘River of Smoke’ by Amitav Ghosh

By Richard Eder

 |   

  November 06, 2011

The proliferating details, the incessant off-shooting of side stories, the swarm of Chinese, Indian and Creole words that buzz among the text; these enrich and engorge, by turns, the theme of “River of Smoke.’’ Beneath the lavish ornamentation of Amitav Ghosh’s massive new novel about the events leading up to China’s 1840’s Opium War, there is a panther-like tautness and thrill; a fat man who rises ponderously to dance, and erupts with a sudden whirling agility.

Thank you for reading BostonGlobe.com. You have reached the monthly limit for free articles — to continue reading, get unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com now for just 99¢ for 8 weeks.

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com includes:

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
GET STARTED TODAY

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

Contact us for help