This is the 900 page book I mentioned in a previous post. It took 10 days to read it. Now, I know you’re asking yourself, what would possess me to pick up a big old doorstop of a book like this. Well, I read a good review of it in Bookmarks Magazine, and I was between books, so I grabbed it from the library.
Now, obviously, I wouldn’t have kept on reading a 900 page book if it wasn’t any good, no matter how big a feather I could put in my hat for reading it. I will also say I am not about to go around telling everyone they need to read it. If you happen to be fascinated with Indian culture, and/or need to build up some muscled in your arms, this may be the book for you.
Sartaj Singh is a police inspector in Bombay. At the beginning of the book, he gets an anonymous tip leading him to the hideout of the elusive gang leader Ganesh Gaitonde. When he finally gets in the building, Gaitonde has killed himself and the woman who was with him.
The rest of the book is actually two stories. One is the story of Sartaj’s investigation into why Gaitonde was even in Bombay and why he killed himself and this woman. The other is the story of Ganesh Gaitonde’s life up to his suicide. There are also a few subplots. Like a couple of other investigations that Sartaj works on. Also, there are about 300 pages worth of “Insets”. These are the stories of some of the really, really, really minor characters in the book. In fact, one of the insets is about a guy whose name was mentioned toward the beginning, but who didn’t ever actually appear in the story. These are interesting, but add more bulk to the book than weight to the story.
Warning: If you like Indian food, be sure you have a supplier close before you read this. You will be hungry.
