Take a photo of a barcode or cover
jasmin99's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written and was super interesting. Literally couldn't put it down!
pennyriley's review against another edition
4.0
I lived in Delhi at the same time William Dalrymple was researching this book. Although I only saw a fraction of what he did it certainly made it a very interesting read. His writing is beautiful - precise, flowing, descriptive, eloquent. Occasionally the history became overwhelming but in general was fascinating. I learnt a great deal about a country that I knew quite well and was lucky enough to live in for three years. If only it had been written before I moved there!
elliethebookreader's review against another edition
3.0
2,5
A perfect book for the introduction into Delhi history, culture and the main sights. It was a bit confusing by the end with all the Indian names, religions and historical figures but it gave me a good overview of the history of the city I'm visiting. Though you really should see the places the author is writing about to understand the book.
Th story (apart from the historical parts) is nothing special, there is no development or action, but the author managed to grasp the essence of Delhi, with all its' mysticism, beauty and controversy.
A perfect book for the introduction into Delhi history, culture and the main sights. It was a bit confusing by the end with all the Indian names, religions and historical figures but it gave me a good overview of the history of the city I'm visiting. Though you really should see the places the author is writing about to understand the book.
Th story (apart from the historical parts) is nothing special, there is no development or action, but the author managed to grasp the essence of Delhi, with all its' mysticism, beauty and controversy.
ori2590's review against another edition
4.0
Dalrymple is a master story teller and I loved this one as well. As someone who is an avid subcontinental enthusiast, this was a treat. Covers the history of Delhi and all it's rulers tracing back to the times of Mahabharata.
ordinary's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book again recently and it did not disappoint. Dalrymple does a wonderful job of describing India and it's clear from his work that he loves Delhi and in particular the Mughal period.
This book covers a lot of things from the Raj to the Mughal empire, the partition to a little bit about the Mahabharat and the Rajput rule pre-Mughals. It's clear that Dalrymple loves India and he is very respectful in talking about his subject matter. Interestingly I didn't feel the same when I read The Age of Kali where I did feel a touch of mockery in describing Indian customs/politics.
I really enjoy Dalrymple's writing on the whole. He does a lot of research which makes reading his books informative but not too boring because he intersperses them with interesting real-life anecdotes.
Highly recommend for folks who are familiar with Indian history.
This book covers a lot of things from the Raj to the Mughal empire, the partition to a little bit about the Mahabharat and the Rajput rule pre-Mughals. It's clear that Dalrymple loves India and he is very respectful in talking about his subject matter. Interestingly I didn't feel the same when I read The Age of Kali where I did feel a touch of mockery in describing Indian customs/politics.
I really enjoy Dalrymple's writing on the whole. He does a lot of research which makes reading his books informative but not too boring because he intersperses them with interesting real-life anecdotes.
Highly recommend for folks who are familiar with Indian history.
whatadutchgirlreads's review against another edition
5.0
A perfect mix of travel writing and history. Dalrymple both takes you on a tour of Dehli, meeting a wonderful set of characters, but also takes you back in time to the various 'ages' of the city. Although always able and eager to satisfy his curiousity he is maintaining an almost 'fly-on-the-wall' kind of distance to his subject. Never critizing, never judging, but without being reserved or distant.
This was exactly the kind of book I was looking for when I wanted to read more about India.
This was exactly the kind of book I was looking for when I wanted to read more about India.
gengelcox's review against another edition
2.0
Trying to plan a yearly international trip, always to a different place, can be a pain, especially when you haven’t been to that many places yet, and your finances are still limited to a certain amount. Give me a choice of where to go and I can rattle off places instantly– Galapagos, New Zealand, South Africa, Egypt, the Odysseus tour, Vienna, Prague–but ask me to stay within budget…that’s a problem. It’s December, and we’re still wondering where this next year will take us. For a time I was pushing India, and this was the reason why I picked up William Dalrymple’s City of Djinns.
Americans have little knowledge of India (well, to be frank, Americans have little knowledge of any foreign country, but that’s an entirely different discussion), but I was surprised to find out from Dalrymple that the British don’t know much about the country either. To be sure, they know more about it than the Americans, but as former rulers of this place, they have lost almost all sense of where and what, at least according to Dalrymple. He says that this isn’t entirely the fault of the British–after the bloodless revolution that led to the Indians gaining their independence, they have done their best to wipe clean the legacy of the British in their country, just as they have for every other invader/occupier over their long history. Dalrymple illustrates this by delving into the history of their most famous city, Delhi.
City of Djinns is ostensibly a travel book, but it is of the type that I prefer–rather than just a quick jaunt through the country and back again, Dalrymple and his artist-wife spent a year in Delhi. He worked as a correspondent for a London newspaper, but all the while gathered material for this book. His youth (mid-20s at the time) and enthusiasm for the country is evident in the way that he undertakes to meet all aspects of the city, from the new India of landlords, cab-drivers and industrialists to the old Delhi of hand-calligraphed documents and the shunned Hijras. During the year he attends a wedding, a cock fight, a pilgrimage of dervishes, and a funeral.
The blurbs on the book make it out to be a humorous travelogue, but it is the dry sort of humor that only the British favor, and nothing like the gonzo work of [a:Redmond O’Hanlon] or [a:Tim Cahill|25126|Tim Cahill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1303269341p2/25126.jpg], or even the wry wit of [a:Eric Newby|68509|Eric Newby|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1285363794p2/68509.jpg] or [a:Peter Mayle|19316|Peter Mayle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236522940p2/19316.jpg]. Dalrymple is, however, an excellent historian, and this is as interesting an introduction to the life of Delhi as you will be likely to find.
Americans have little knowledge of India (well, to be frank, Americans have little knowledge of any foreign country, but that’s an entirely different discussion), but I was surprised to find out from Dalrymple that the British don’t know much about the country either. To be sure, they know more about it than the Americans, but as former rulers of this place, they have lost almost all sense of where and what, at least according to Dalrymple. He says that this isn’t entirely the fault of the British–after the bloodless revolution that led to the Indians gaining their independence, they have done their best to wipe clean the legacy of the British in their country, just as they have for every other invader/occupier over their long history. Dalrymple illustrates this by delving into the history of their most famous city, Delhi.
City of Djinns is ostensibly a travel book, but it is of the type that I prefer–rather than just a quick jaunt through the country and back again, Dalrymple and his artist-wife spent a year in Delhi. He worked as a correspondent for a London newspaper, but all the while gathered material for this book. His youth (mid-20s at the time) and enthusiasm for the country is evident in the way that he undertakes to meet all aspects of the city, from the new India of landlords, cab-drivers and industrialists to the old Delhi of hand-calligraphed documents and the shunned Hijras. During the year he attends a wedding, a cock fight, a pilgrimage of dervishes, and a funeral.
The blurbs on the book make it out to be a humorous travelogue, but it is the dry sort of humor that only the British favor, and nothing like the gonzo work of [a:Redmond O’Hanlon] or [a:Tim Cahill|25126|Tim Cahill|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1303269341p2/25126.jpg], or even the wry wit of [a:Eric Newby|68509|Eric Newby|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1285363794p2/68509.jpg] or [a:Peter Mayle|19316|Peter Mayle|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236522940p2/19316.jpg]. Dalrymple is, however, an excellent historian, and this is as interesting an introduction to the life of Delhi as you will be likely to find.