The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell

[George]

Please comment here on 'The Siege of Krishnapur' by J. G Farrell, the 1973 Booker Prize winner.

[Irene]

The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell
Irene (Harborcreek, PA)’s review of The Siege of Krishnapur | Goodreads

Part satire, part historical fiction, this novel swung from horrific scenes of bloody battles and deplorable suffering to slap stick comedy. This recounts a local uprising in northern India in the mid-19th century that found a small group of British colonists fighting off attack, cholera, and starvation from the vantage point of the settlers. While depicting their struggle to survive, the author mocks many of their attitudes and values.

[George]

A very good historical fiction novel about the seige of Krishnapur in 1857. The novel discusses a number of issues including British rule, materiality, religion and social morality. As a reader I was interested in the well developed characters. Lots happen in 313 pages that made me want to turn the pages and keep reading.

This book was shortlisted for the best of the Booker. (This selection took place in 2008 on the 40th anniversary of the Booker Prize. The winner was Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight Children'. The other four books shortlisted were Pat Barker's 'The Ghost Road', Peter Carey's 'Oscar and Lucinda', J.M. Coetzee's 'Disgrace' and Nadine Gordiner's 'The Conservationist'.