Calcutta Chromosome: In The Dark Lanes of Calcutta through the eyes of Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh is a renowned name and has been included in many literary conversations. However, with my staunch nature of sticking up with my favorite authors and not experimenting with other author’s reading and only recently I learnt to unwind my sensibilities and susceptibility so much so to venture out for new writings and there I got intrigued by the legendary and literary works of Amitav Ghosh.

Amitav Ghosh’s third novel, “ Calcutta Chromosome was published in the year 1996 which stands to be as one of his attempts to write some over science fiction thriller which is comprised of multiple timelines. Hyped as a novel of of vehemence, hallucination & innovation, Calcutta Chromosome is an exceptional novel as any other book by Amitav Ghosh.

“Every city has its secrets, but Calcutta, whose vocation is excess, has so many that it is more secret than any other…”

Sometime in life it happens when silence seems to be deafening, for that matter, I would like to add that who knows about the things that lay behind the shut mouths. The novel is all about inexplicable and the mystifying depths of things, which acts as a backdrop of life in the novel while playing their roles, respectively.The novel is an intriguing mix of religion, myth, science, history, mystery and lots more. Ghosh loves to experiment and the best part is that his readers are aware of it.

Everytime writer comes up with something new through his books, which tells about his outlook towards life which is altogether very refreshing and intriguing.

The Calcutta Chromosome is an alternative interpretation of 19th century-malaria-research, which paved way to question the unknown and celebrated history. The novel revolves around Ronald Ross’ discovery that malaria is transmitted by anopheles mosquitoes. Murugan is a fan and expert of Ross, who actually acts as a valuable hero of the story and endeavors to find out the meanings behind the silence and tries to find out the ‘Calcutta Chromosome’.

To summarize the story is futile; it takes away from the rich intensity of the book and simplifies it to a sad extent.The book might come across as slightly complex in its winding paths down the roads of a ‘hidden’ history. But the style is simple and promises to keep your attention under firm control. Ghosh plays about with the concept of linear time; the takes his reader from contemporary US to the 90’s India and back, and from there to the Victorian Calcutta. The book also incorporates people from different parts of the world. They have nothing to do with each other; they have no similarities that would draw them close in the normal scheme of things. But the world they live in is riddled with (almost unrealistic) coincidences.And once they are in it, they can’t escape.

The characters seem to be pawns in the hands of a secret network of people you would never deduce of being involved in scientific apprehensiveness. It might perplex you, might feel you leaving unfinished and distressed, might even magnify you, but it will unquestionably make an impact that will not leave you at peace.

Read this book and discover, what lies behind the curtains of silence. The book is an attempt to make the realities that we easily accept in our daily lives as you can only turn to Gosh for fetching your answers.