Abstract

---

The Hungry Tide is a stunning novel of humane breadth which is epic in scope, sophisticated in its observations of people and their milieu, poetic in its evocation of the 'terrible beauty' of the Sundarbans. Although the book focuses on certain issues of global concern, it offers no easy solutions. Amitav Ghosh seems, as always, to be more interested in people than in issues. His book is about the people of the Sundarbans and their heroic struggle for survival. His greatest strength lies in the way he maps the geography of the human heart and examines the nature of man's identity. Thus, Amitav Ghosh allows the country of the hungry tide to break down the barriers of his characters and their society.