The supernatural nutmeg curse is a dark tale that has been passed down through generations. Legend has it that a small village was once plagued by famine and disease. The villagers, desperate for any solution, turned to an ancient witch for help. The witch agreed to aid the village, but at a price. She demanded a rare and powerful ingredient - the nutmeg seed - to perform the necessary spell. However, she warned that the nutmeg seed must never be eaten, for it held a terrible curse.
The time scale in which Ghosh works is a fairly recent one, going back some three or four centuries. By writing a history of colonialism, he falls back on the choices of the present that repetitively ask the same question: who is responsible for climate change? Of course, it is human-induced and anthropogenic, as even the policy documents testify. But on what scale and through what measures? Even while using the concept of Gaia frequently, Ghosh fails to show how the living organisms on the planet interact with their surrounding inorganic environment to configure a synergetic and self-regulating system that originally created the climate and biochemical conditions sufficient and responsible for creating ‘life’ on this planet. This is because Ghosh, while pursuing a global politics of vitalism (the belief that living beings have a vital force), still holds humans closest to his heart. A book that makes the case for a ‘planet in crisis’ intentionally emphasises human parables alone.
Collingwood differentiated between human history and natural history by remarking that all history properly so called is the history of human affairs. With sweeping historical perspective and startling insight, Ghosh has written a groundbreaking, visionary call to new forms of human life in the Anthropocene.
However, she warned that the nutmeg seed must never be eaten, for it held a terrible curse. The villagers, desperate and oblivious to the consequences, accepted the witch's conditions and gave her the nutmeg seed. She performed the spell, and the village was saved.
The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis
In this ambitious successor to The Great Derangement, acclaimed writer Amitav Ghosh finds the origins of our contemporary climate crisis in Western colonialism’s violent exploitation of human life and the natural environment.
A powerful work of history, essay, testimony, and polemic, Amitav Ghosh’s new book traces our contemporary planetary crisis back to the discovery of the New World and the sea route to the Indian Ocean. The Nutmeg’s Curse argues that the dynamics of climate change today are rooted in a centuries-old geopolitical order constructed by Western colonialism. At the center of Ghosh’s narrative is the now-ubiquitous spice nutmeg. The history of the nutmeg is one of conquest and exploitation—of both human life and the natural environment. In Ghosh’s hands, the story of the nutmeg becomes a parable for our environmental crisis, revealing the ways human history has always been entangled with earthly materials such as spices, tea, sugarcane, opium, and fossil fuels. Our crisis, he shows, is ultimately the result of a mechanistic view of the earth, where nature exists only as a resource for humans to use for our own ends, rather than a force of its own, full of agency and meaning.
Writing against the backdrop of the global pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests, Ghosh frames these historical stories in a way that connects our shared colonial histories with the deep inequality we see around us today. By interweaving discussions on everything from the global history of the oil trade to the migrant crisis and the animist spirituality of Indigenous communities around the world, The Nutmeg’s Curse offers a sharp critique of Western society and speaks to the profoundly remarkable ways in which human history is shaped by non-human forces.
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Genres NonfictionHistoryEnvironmentClimate ChangeSciencePoliticsNature
The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis. Amitav Ghosh. University of Chicago Press. 2021.
Crops grew plentifully, and diseases vanished. But soon, strange things began happening. People who had consumed the nutmeg seed started experiencing bizarre symptoms. They would have vivid nightmares, their skin turned pale, and they became weakened and frail. Some even claimed to see shadowy figures lurking in the darkness. As the curse spread, the villagers realized the terrible mistake they had made. The witch had warned them about the nutmeg seed's curse, but they had ignored her words. They were now paying the price. The curse became known as the supernatural nutmeg curse, haunting the villagers for generations to come. It was believed that the curse was not only passed through bloodlines but also through shared items, such as food prepared with nutmeg. To this day, the descendants of the cursed villagers still guard against the supernatural nutmeg curse. They avoid consuming nutmeg and warn others of its potential dangers. The curse serves as a reminder of the consequences of greed and the importance of heeding warnings from those wise in the supernatural arts..
Reviews for "The Dark Side of Nutmeg: Exploring the Nutmeg Curse"
1. John Doe - 2 stars - I must admit, I was quite disappointed with "The supernatural nutmeg curse". The plot was confusing and disjointed, leaving me feeling lost throughout the entire book. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard for me to connect or care about any of them. Additionally, the writing style felt forced and unnatural, hindering my enjoyment further. Overall, I found this book to be a letdown and wouldn't recommend it to others.
2. Sarah Smith - 1 star - "The supernatural nutmeg curse" was one of the worst books I have ever read. The storyline was incredibly weak and unengaging, making it a struggle to even finish the book. The characters were flat and uninteresting, lacking any depth or relatability. Furthermore, the writing was filled with clichés and lacked originality. I found myself rolling my eyes repeatedly while reading. Save yourself the time and avoid this book at all costs.
3. Emily Johnson - 2 stars - I had high hopes for "The supernatural nutmeg curse", but it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was incredibly slow, causing the book to drag on and on. The twists and turns in the plot felt forced and contrived, making it hard to stay engaged. Additionally, the dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the characters. Overall, I found this book to be an underwhelming read and would not recommend it to others.
4. James Anderson - 2.5 stars - "The supernatural nutmeg curse" had an interesting premise, but it failed to deliver. The story lacked depth and felt rushed, leaving many loose ends and unanswered questions. I found it hard to immerse myself in the world the author was trying to create. The characters, while initially intriguing, felt two-dimensional and lacked development. While it had potential, the execution fell flat, making it a mediocre read at best.