Gun Island

An exciting detective story set in the jungles of Bengal and the labyrinths of Venice.
A very rare novel of ideas and an idea-novel in today's times. Amitav Ghosh's new book can be called a "noospheric" novel, where he combines biological and social planes, spiritual and rational, scientific and mystical, artistic and documentary. But above all, it is a novel about tradition and its role. It is a novel about the Kali Yuga era, about the last days and the catastrophe looming over the world. But decline and devastation can be resisted. And that is exactly what the heroes of "Gun Island" do. Dean, a rare book dealer, is used to a quiet life, but one day he is forced to embark on an unusual journey from New York to India, and then to Venice along a twisted route — through the memories and experiences of those he meets along the way. Piya, an American of Bengali descent; Tipu, an enterprising young man who opens Dean's eyes to the realities of growing up in the modern world; Bengali Rafi with his desperate attempt to help those in need; and Italian Chinta, who will provide the missing link in the mysterious story that they all are a part of. Part adventure novel, part detective, part novel of self-discovery, Amitav Ghosh's new book is primarily about how the world entirely and utterly depends on our actions, decisions, and thoughts.