Member Reviews
This engrossing historical fiction novel is an epic, spellbinding tale. The writing is beautiful and the unique story and rich setting kept me hooked. It is dense and tackles a lot of complex issues but has a light, almost humorous, tone. I wish the love story had been fleshed out more, but the characters were so well drawn that I felt I could fill in the blanks. This was a satisfying read that will stick with me.
I reviewed this book for BookBrowse
https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr298496
Amid the turbulence of war and colonial rule, a young Muslim woodcarver's life changes trajectories as he leaves India on an epic journey.
One of the most famous and intriguing objects in the collection of London's Victoria and Albert Museum is Tipu's (or Tipoo's) Tiger, an almost life-sized carved wooden sculpture of a tiger attacking a British soldier lying beneath him. Its original owner, Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore in South India, was killed by the British in 1799. The victors plundered the Sultan's palace treasures, and the tiger was shipped to London.
In Loot, her imaginative, beautifully crafted novel, Tania James uses the real-life Tipu's Tiger (see Beyond the Book) as a platform from which to launch the reader into a gripping fictional adventure that will ultimately span two continents and fifty years. Although no information exists about the real makers of Tipu's Tiger, the style and mechanics of the piece suggest a collaboration between local Mysorean and French craftsmen. From this factual foundation, James's fictional story takes flight as the reader meets 17-year-old Abbas, a gifted woodcarver, who finds himself summoned by the sultan to work with a brilliant but troubled French watchmaker and inventor, Lucien Du Leze, in creating a spectacular automaton. The tiger is to be carved from wood and will emit growls from the bellows placed within his hollows. By the time the tiger is completed, Abbas will have become attuned to his life's purpose as a craftsman and an artist.
James's descriptive skills are impressive, and the sights and sounds of the Indian city, as well as the character of its people, are fully imagined. But life is uncertain in Mysore. On the heels of previous military confrontations with the British, the capital city of Seringapatam is filled with tumult and spies: "The people never know who is coming from where to take what from whom. All they can do is submit to power each time it changes hands, each time the powerful decide to redecorate."
A final rampage of the city by the British in their determined bid to expand colonial power reorients Abbas's world once again, and his path turns away from Mysore. His journey, which begins at sea and eventually leads to France and England, sets in motion a Dickensian narrative in which he encounters a procession of minor characters, each of whom springs to life and enriches the plot as Abbas continues his peregrinations.
Most of these characters struggle to achieve autonomy even as they are hobbled by the limitations imposed by the societies in which they live. Many of them face constricting expectations due to their ethnicity, class, gender, or sexual identity. The way that most societies view nonconformists can be summarized by the warning that Abbas receives when he signs on as a carpenter for a British East India Company ship: "There are only two things on board a ship: duty and mutiny. All that you are ordered to do is duty. All that you refuse to do is mutiny."
As in any exceptional novel, resonances and subthemes run like an underground river throughout the book—most obvious in this case is the impact of the British in India and the never-overstated reminder of how deeply a country's course of history can be altered by a foreign civilization imposing its own modes. The British swept through the region with a great sense of their own destiny, and in doing so, deprived local cultures of their own.
Despite their limitations, the characters in Loot persist in striving for self-determination and stand firmly against the temptations to live smaller lives. And the artists among them recognize that only by creating objects and art that will outlast their own time can they "have that small power over the grave."
I also wrote a short "Beyond the Book" piece for them about Tipu's Tiger: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/btb/index.cfm/ref/pr298496
This dazzling and delightful novel tackles some serious historical subjects with humor and heart. I was fascinated by not only the history but also the ways James tempered the emotional parts with humor. I laughed out loud numerous times and that's not something I often say after reading a literary fiction book.
Using the real-life Tippoo's Tiger--an automaton displayed in London--as a starting off point, James crafts a narrative that weaves in issues like colonialism and war with the emotional stories of three main characters. We have Abbas, a teenager who loves to carve trinkets and aspires to be a clockmaker like Frenchman Lucien De Leze. Abbas is teamed with Lucien in the court of Tipu Sultan of Mysore, India in 1794. The two work to build a tiger automaton, that Tipu gives to his sons as a toy. While there, Abbas meets Jehanne, the biracial daughter of Tipu's armorer.
James shares the stories of these three characters over six decades. The English army invades Tipu Sultan's court, so Lucien and Jehanne escape to France, while Abbas stays in India to tend to his dying father. Their decisions reverberate throughout their lives. Their experiences are fascinating, enlightening, at times humorous, and emotional. I truly enjoyed inhabiting this vibrant, intriguing world that James created using history--and the dichotomy of creativity vs. real-life issues--as the foundation. This is a wonderful novel and I think you'd really enjoy reading it, especially if you're a historical fiction/literary fiction fan.
I thought this would be an excellent novel for those who have a book hangover from The Covenant of Water. It is a faster paced historical fiction novel written about how Tipu’s Tiger came to exist- through the efforts of a Mysorean woodcarver named Abbas and a French clockmaker. We follow Abbas as he helps create the Tiger that is subsequently taken when Tipu’s palace is looted by the British. Abbas meets memorable characters along the way as he sets out on a journey to reclaim the tiger and his life as an inventor. Tania James keeps this story moving and tells it from multiple interconnected points of view. The novel was entertaining and compulsively readable. I recommend this for avid historical fiction readers, but it would appeal to many because of the descriptive prose, memorable characters and action-filled plot.
Loot does two things really well. First, the writing is lovely. It's evocative without being wordy, pared down but never dull. Second, the historical setting is rich and well-drawn. The novel is set (at least initially) in eighteenth-century India, and we begin with our protagonist being tasked with working alongside a woodcarver to craft a giant automaton of a tiger for the sultan. This particular plotline is based on real events--I highly recommend checking out what the automaton actually looked like--and I personally just found it to be fascinating. That the narrative is primarily focused on this automaton allows the novel to explore themes that I don't often come across, namely craftsmanship and the labour and skill that go into it, the countless hours of work that a finely made object requires.
Once we move on from this initial plotline, though, the novel started to lose me. The first part of the novel works because it is limited in scope and focus: we are focusing primarily on two characters, and those two characters have a specific task that they're trying to accomplish. In that time, we learn about these characters and their dynamic, and so have reason to invest in them. All the sections that followed this first one were lacking in either focus or scope or both. They are set in different times and places (the entire novel spans about a decade), with the novel jumping around from one character to the next, all of them feeling marginal and insignificant because they are never developed enough within the bounds of their very short sections. A lot of the time it just felt like the author didn't know how to get from point A to point B, and so the plot feels contrived to fit the purposes of the larger narrative endpoint that we're trying to get to.
Plot concerns aside, Loot was also a book that never moved me in any way. The writing is lovely, yes, but it also feels a bit...muted. It was like the novel's emotional scale was operating at a 5 at the story's most emotional moments, significant scenes glossed over rather than dwelt upon--the result being that I just never connected to the story or its characters. I enjoyed some parts of Loot, but at the end of the day it's not a book that's going to stick with me.
I had been hearing a lot of praise for this book. It is all justified. I enjoyed it tremendously. This is historical fiction at its finest.
This was such a refreshing read - a new place and time period and I loved the intricate woodcarvings. I could see them perfectly!
Set during the last days of the Indian Muslim ruler Tipu Sultan’s reign over the Kingdom of Mysore, this is an historical fiction. Tipu Sultan was a pioneer in many areas including warfare, governing, and arts and culture. He also introduced the Channapatna toys - wooden toys and dolls, still famous today in the state of Karnataka, India. France and Britain are competing to gain a foothold in the region and local rulers are also fighting for dominance. The story centers around Abbas, a young artist who becomes an apprentice to famous French clockmaker Lucien Du Leze in Tipu Sultan’s court. He meets Jehanne the daughter of a French expatriate. Lucien and Abbas design and build for Tipu Sultan a wooden tiger automaton, which will lead Abbas on a trail to England with a stop first in France. I loved the idea for the book - setting it during that time period and highlighting the fine art of wood crafting and toy automaton. I thought the storyline was a bit choppy and I would have liked more historical background and context. I enjoyed the setting and the concept for the book. Overall it was an okay read. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I felt that the pacing was a little uneven and that it lingered in the middle, rushed to the near-end and then floated through the finale. But that being said, all-in-all, Loot was a good read!
Oh wow, I loved this. We follow a young woodworker named Abbas for the majority of the story, but it dips into other characters' perspectives as well, giving a well-rounded view of their world. It's full of references to real historical events, and I really enjoyed reading more about them on my own as I made my way through the book. You can tell Tania James put a lot of time and research into her writing, and the book is all the better for it.
Loot is full of commentary; on race, class, colonialism, gender. It was a captivating read that I'll be thinking about for a long time. Definitely recommend to fans of Maggie O'Farrell and Anthony Doerr.
Thank you NetGalley for my ARC!
This is excellent historical fiction, well-told, believable characters and the plot goes surprising places. Bravo Ms. James.
I recommend this book for anyone looking for a light historical fiction. Set sometime in the 1800's when India was under the rule of the British Crown, the novel does not go deep into the politics of the time. The book is about Abbas, a young boy who is noticed for his wood working skills. He is apprenticed to Lucien du Leze, a French clockmaker. When the Sultan of Tipu wishes a tiger automaton be built, Lucien and Abbas build it together. This book was a little slow but it had enough action from India, boat journeys, pirate ships and love that it flowed well and kept my interest. If you are looking for a deep dive into history this would not be a book for you, but if you want a good read with a love story and a little bit of immersion into the culture of people of India, this book is a good choice. Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the digital ARC. This review is my own opinion and my own words.
A beautiful cover and very strong writing, but the story failed to grip me. I loved the historical element of 18th century India, a time I’m not familiar with, and enjoyed the characters but I felt as though something was missing. I’m not sure if I expected more action to occur, more drama to ensue or hoped for the Sultan’s tiger to return to Abbas and Jehanne, but I wanted more. When the book ended, I was surprised it had concluded!
Thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC!
Published by Knopf on June 13, 2023
Blending historical drama with an adventure story and spiced with forbidden romance, Loot is difficult to categorize. That’s one reason the novel is so special. The story is anchored by Tipu’s Tiger, a popular attraction at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. While the tiger exists, Loot is an inventive work of fiction.
The story begins in the Kingdom of Mysor. Before it fell, the kingdom was in the southern peninsula of India. In 1794, it is ruled by Tipu Sultan. Lucien Du Leze, a French clockmaker and master of automated figures, has been living for some time in the Sultan’s court. He is impressed by toys carved from wood by a boy named Abbas, including a horse that moves its legs when its tail is lifted up and down. Through no fault of his own, Abbas has incurred the Sultan’s wrath and would likely be executed if not for Lucien’s intervention.
The Sultan has instructed Lucien to make an automaton in the shape of a tiger. The Sultan wants the tiger to be eating an infidel. As conceived by Lucien, the infidel’s arm will move and he will moan in pain when a crank is turned. Bellows and an organ in the beast’s belly will produce the moans, while tunes can be played on an external keyboard to entertain the Sultan as the tiger lunches on the infidel’s throat. Lucien can handle the automation, but he needs Abbas to carve the tiger.
The first part of the story develops the character of Abbas as he apprentices with Lucien, separates from his family, learns to speak French, and vows to learn the secrets of clockmaking and automation. After some time, as the East India Company is poised to invade Mysore, Lucien arranges his return to France. Abbas is not ready to accompany him; he wishes to serve the Sultan in his doomed defense of Mysore. The decision is unwise, but Abbas will survive a harrowing battle and later embark on a journey to reunite with Lucien.
More adventures follow as Abbas becomes a ship’s carpenter in the hope of finding passage to France. Pirates, British naval vessels that conscript crew from other ships (not much different from pirates, really), and disease are all barriers to the achievement of Abbas’ goal.
When he was still in Mysore, Abbas carved a top for a little girl named Jehanne. Lucien came to be her guardian after her mother died in childbirth. Jehanne has traveled to France with Lucien, where she assists him with a shop that sells curios and clocks. Abbas will eventually make his way to Jehanne.
The tiger, on the other hand, has made its way to England. Like palace jewels and attractive women, it became part of the “loot” with which conquering soldiers were rewarded. The tiger was gifted as a spoil of war to a British officer named Selwyn who knew it would delight his eccentric wife.
After Abbas reunites with Jehanne, he wants to recover the tiger, or at least a part of its internal mechanism, as an end to achieving his larger goal of learning the skills that Lucien promised to teach him. To that end, Abbas travels to England with Jehanne with a plan to scam Lady Selwyn.
Lady Selwyn is secretly sleeping with Rum, an Indian servant who is suspicious of Abbas and Jehanne. His suspicions are well founded, but Lady Selwyn is taken with Jehanne. Interracial romance adds to the intrigue in the novel’s last half and, in the case of Jehanne and Abbas, contributes to the novel’s tension — will they or won’t they? They both bear “a wound that the other understands, being severed from their bloodlines, their homeland. Each is all the other has, and this can sometimes be a burden, but also a solace.”
It’s impossible to convey an adequate flavor of a plot that travels in some many directions and touches upon so many subjects, from war to romance, from subjugation to the struggle for self-realization. Despite its average length, the novel feels like an epic. The French Revolution and British colonialism shape many of the novel’s events, but Abbas is barely aware of the political and discriminatory forces that drive his life. He only knows that his experience working on the tiger with Lucien changed his life, left him wanting more, a “more” he initially defines as a life of clockmaking and automaton creation. Only at the end does he realize that his life is open to so many more possibilities. Other characters come to the same realization.
Tania James’ prose is exquisite. Lyrical descriptions of life in Tipu Sultan’s court and in Lady Selwyn’s estate bring the settings alive, while powerful images of war and life at sea give the story a cinematic feel. Careful research adds an illusion of authenticity. James keeps the story in constant motion, joining tragedy with moments of comedy as the story advances to a satisfying conclusion. Readers in search of something different and readers who value good storytelling might want to add Loot to their reading lists.
RECOMMENDED
This novel is a fantastic piece of historical fiction. It starts in Mysore, in the year 1790, where a young wood carver named Abbas is commissioned along with a French clockmaker to construct an automaton. The theme : a tiger eating an English soldier. But when the English crown takes control of Mysore, the wonderful piece ends in London. After an unexpected long journey to France, Abbas meets again with his automaton and his life takes yet another unforeseen turn in which he will find his destiny.
In this novel the reader finds a rich tapestry of characters that come to life in such a vivid manner. You are rooting for them every step of the way and they are so deep and charming. Tania James writing has an innate quality that makes this book a compelling read. I strongly recommend it for those who love a good historical fiction with clever plotting, pace and characters.
I'm not going to lie ... I picked this book up mostly because of the gorgeous cover and because my reading life has been lacking historical fiction lately. Overall, I enjoyed this story of a young woodcarver in 18th-century India and the real-life automaton (Tipu's Tiger) he built. There is quite a shift halfway through the book, and I preferred the first half much more. There are some illustrations in this book, so I recommend the print version if you have the option.
Tip's Tiger is an eighteenth-century automaton or mechanical toy created for Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore in India during the late 18th century. James has crafted an intriguing tale around this real automaton that now resides in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
A young and extremely talented woodworker named Abbas is selected by Tipu to work alongside a French watchmaker, Lucien Du Leze, to create a one of a kind automaton of a tiger consuming an Englishman. The book takes off from there, moving from India to France to England, all the while the themes of racism and colonialism remain in the forefront. James is quite successful in giving us an epic tale in only 300 pages, which is no easy feat, nor is creating an entire story around an obscure wooden mechanical toy for that matter.
It took me a few chapters to become invested in the story, but once I did the pages flew by. It is one part coming of age, one part heist and one part hero's journey. All this combines to make for a very compelling, witty and tender historical fiction novel. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something unique and imaginative, yet grounded in facts.
LOOT by Tania James is a delightful novel set mostly in Srirangapatna, the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore in the waning years of the 18th century. I loved this book so much – it surprised me, captivated me, and transported me as only a great novel can.
LOOT follows in the footsteps of Abbas, born into a woodworking family, who gets a lucky break due to his talent and creativity in making wooden toys. He’s recruited to collaborate with a French clock maker employed by Tipu Sultan, the ruler of the kingdom, to build a mechanical, musical tiger. From there, he’s in for a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and setbacks, spanning continents and seas, that he could never have predicted.
James’ prose evokes Anthony Doerr’s in mesmerizing talent, a touch of whimsy, and in making the historical immediate, intimate, and vivid with the skillful use of third-person present tense. I’ve read a lot of historical fiction lately, and what sets LOOT apart is how much fun it was to read. While I learned a tremendous amount about this slice of India’s history as well as British and French involvement, it never felt like James' primary goal was to tell the story of a kingdom, nation, or even a sultan – those were background characters in a deeply personal tale of one young man dreaming big and finding his place in the world.
The political commentary – on stolen cultural artifacts, imperialism, class, and displacement – is keen but subtle, never overshadowing the absorbing plot or the unique characters. This is such a satisfying novel, and I can’t wait to read more of James’ work. Delightful literary fiction is so rare, and I am grateful that I had the chance to escape into this world of automatons, the Tiger of Mysore, and British aristocracy.
This isn't just the story of a carved wooden automaton: it's the story of 18th-19th century colonialism in the east. Abbas is an Indian woodcarver, just a teen, when he becomes caught up in his sultan's entanglement with the British Raj. Cast out, cast aside, Abbas remolds himself in France and England, his nation and art appropriated by the west.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. What an interesting book. On one level, it is about artists and what they will do to pursue and protect their creations. Abbas is a Muslim toymaker who is commissioned to create an automaton for.a sultun. He ultimately confuses loyalty to the sultan for loyalty to his art, which, through the forces of colonialism, sends him on a long, arduous journey to get back to his creation. The other artist of the book is Lady Selwyn, who is able to pursue her art in a more leisurely, but clandestine, way because of her gender and status. This book was very well done. I actually wish it had been longer. I think there was more to explore with these characters.