Reviews

The Calcutta Chromosome: A Novel of Fevers, Delirium & Discovery by Amitav Ghosh

annalovesbooks's review

5.0

I usually don't assign value to books in stars, but seeing this one have such a low rating broke my heart, so I'm making an exception. 
It's not often that I encounter a book with storytelling this masterful, prose so vivid and science! God, I loved this story so much, beautifully done. 

mb13_books's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

ilo___'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

took a while to get through but the end was good, successfully made me feel uneasy. your brain did have to work to figure it out which i enjoyed, and the satisfying click when it all made sense was worth the confusion. i liked the kolkata references too ofc.

shrutizunje's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

ronbob's review against another edition

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.75

laurincursch's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

angryeditor's review

3.0

I don't even know how to rate this. It is like a fever dream. Which is exactly what it promises.

paigehf's review

dark informative mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Sexual content and Colonisation

lucybreit's review

3.5

Fascinated at this book’s ability to swing wildly between chapters of absolute nothing and chapters in which entire medical textbooks are being crammed in my head.

Can someone PLEASE explain the ending to me does he live in the computer now why did we spend so long talking about mosquitoes when they weren’t even the point …..

skinnylatte's review

Amitav Ghosh's surprising take on a science thriller: reasonably good, quick read, engaging. Intertwines present day New York with present day Kolkata and imperial British Calcutta, at the time of furious races in imperial scientific discovery. Only Amitav Ghosh could so skillfully maneuver between these disparate periods, characters and places. It's bacteriology on one page and secret cults and deities on the same page.