BOOK AS A WHOLE AND FINAL THOUGHTS - STAYING ON - May 30th - June 5th (Spoiler thread)

[Jill H.]

This is the "Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts" thread.

*****SPOILER THREAD*****

For those of you who have completed the book and/or who want to discuss aspects of the book which are beyond our weekly assignments in the non spoiler threads, this thread is a spoiler thread where you can discuss those points. We know that some folks like to color outside the lines - so this a place for them.

If you have completed the book and would like to tell us what you thought about this selection, please feel free to discuss your opinions in a respectful way here.

However, please no links to personal reviews because we consider that self promotion. Simply post your thoughts here without the links.

Many folks read ahead of the weekly assignment and that is OK too; however, you must make sure that your posted comments on the other weekly non spoiler threads do not reflect reading ahead of the posted weekly assignment. If you would like to discuss aspects of the book further along, this is a spoiler thread where you can do just that.

We try to move along the discussion slowly on the weekly non spoiler threads but realize that some folks like to move along swiftly. So we have options for both groups of folks.

This is also the thread where you write your review of the book after completing it.

by Paul Scott

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This was a sad book because my journey with The Raj Quartet has come to an end. A fabulous saga of India and the Raj. I cannot give it higher marks than a 5.

This book Staying On won the author Paul Scott the much coveted Man Booker Prize - why he never won it for the Raj Quartet is beyond me.

This book tied up the loose ends of the previous four but left much unanswered - what was the future for Lucy - what was the future for India?

I would highly recommend everyone to start with The Jewel in the Crown and go on a deep adventure into the heart of India and meet those Englishmen and Women who loved it as much as the native Indians themselves. A mysterious English "War and Peace".

I will miss the pages of this wonderful saga.

all by Paul Scott

[Jill H.]

I felt this book was atypical of the rest of the Quartet in that it is short and Scott does not rely on allusion as much as he did in the other four books. This was very simple and uncomplicated without a lot of underlying themes.......the story of a old couple, Lucy and Tusker Smalley, (they did appear in the Quartete books) who "stayed on" as they could no longer relate to England and how being in India had changed so dramatically for the British, especially those who had lived through the "glory" of the Raj. It was their home but they were no longer the owners. The ending is so very sad and we are just left to wonder how Lucy will continue on without Tusker. Very affecting

by Paul Scott

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Jill I honestly believe that she will be OK (if she were real - lol). You sort of knew this was coming when she asked him about what if something happened - what would she have? I seem to remember that he said that she would have enough to get back to England. So I think that is where she would probably have ended up - (you forget that these are fictional characters since you have lived with them through five wonderful books).

[Jill H.]

You do get rather involved with them, don't you.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Yes I think it was a saga.

[Kressel]

It's funny you find this different than the Quartet because I think it has all of Paul Scott's signatures. It's just on a smaller scale, that's all.

Lucy feels alone because of the shock of it, but the fact is, her friends and neighbors really pulled through for her. Susy said she can go live with her. I like to think that when Turner shows up, he'll offer to accompany her back home, and then you know Sarah will help her in one way or other. She visited Barbie in the nursing home and even Merrick after his injuries. Lucy will definitely be all right.

[Jill H.]

Interesting, Kressel. I just didn't think that it mirrored the writing style of the Quartet as much as I thought it would. Just MHO. I'm sure Lucy will survive but the ending was so poignant that I started worrying about her life without Tusker. As I said, one tends to get involved with Scott's characters.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I think that Lucy is more resilient than one might think and I felt that Scott's writing style had just matured and evolved.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Jill = I want to thank you for leading the group through all five books of the Raj Quartet and with Staying On - the Raj Quartet and the India challenge has now sadly come to an end.

You did a wonderful job with this quartet and all of the threads are here for future readers of the saga to follow along with and I do hope they will.

This was a lot of work and a great challenge. I do hope that you enjoyed the journey as much as I did.

[Kressel]

Yes, thank you so much, Jill!

[Jill H.]

Thanks folks. I wish you could have been with us during the entire read, Kressel, as your comments are perceptive and thought provoking. We didn't have much participation on this book which is really a shame since in my opinion is the best of them all. Scot finally won the Mann-Booker prize for this last Raj entry and it was well deserved.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

It was Jill and I am sure that many will be lurking and reading these threads in the days to come.