66 pages • 2 hours read
Sea of Poppies
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Book Brief
528
Novel • Fiction
India • 1830s
2008
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh interweaves the lives of diverse characters aboard the Ibis, a former slave ship, as they navigate the complexities of imperialism and colonialism amid the backdrop of the burgeoning opium trade in the early 19th century. Their journey takes place just before the First Opium War, highlighting themes of exploitation and human trafficking by the British in India and China. The narrative is rich with deeply personal stories of struggle, resilience, and deception.
Mysterious
Gritty
Adventurous
Bittersweet
Reviews & Readership
32,252 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies impresses with its richly detailed historical backdrop and intricate narrative, weaving diverse characters into a compelling maritime epic set against the opium trade. While some critics find the dialects challenging and the pace uneven, the novel's vivid prose and immersive storytelling are widely praised, marking it a powerful opening to the Ibis Trilogy.
Who Should Read Sea of Poppies?
Fans of sprawling historical epics like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts or The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh will enjoy Sea of Poppies. Readers captivated by rich, multi-faceted narratives set against the backdrop of colonial India will find themselves engrossed in this novel’s vivid storytelling and complex characters.
32,252 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
528
Novel • Fiction
India • 1830s
2008
Adult
18+ years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.