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The Siege Of Krishnapur

Winner of the Booker Prize
Series: W&N Essentials
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Set in Krishnapur during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, The Siege of Krishnapur depicts the harrowing experience of the British community trapped in the Residency as it faces a prolonged siege. As supplies dwindle and tensions rise, the novel exposes the contradictions and tragedies of colonial rule through a blend of wit, pathos, and keen observation.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for readers interested in historical fiction, colonial history, and richly comic but serious narratives. Suitable for those who appreciate literary novels that combine humour with deep social critique.

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'For a novel to be witty is one thing, to tell a good story is another, to be serious is yet another, but to be all three is surely enough to make it a masterpiece' New Statemsan

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description
WINNER OF THE 1973 BOOKER PRIZE

'We look on past ages with condescension, as a mere preparation for us... but what if we are a mere after-glow of them?'

The Siege of Krishnapur is set in Krishnapur, 1857: India is on the brink of a violent and bloody mutiny. In this remote town on the vast North Indian plain, life for the British is still orderly and genteel. But when the sepoys at the nearest military cantonment rise in revolt, the British community retreats with shock into the Residency. They prepare to fight for their lives with what weapons they can muster.

As food and ammunition grow short, when the British find themselves under actual siege, the true character of their dominionโ€”at once brutal, blundering and wistfulโ€”is soon revealed.

'An idiosyncratic masterpiece, wise and richly comic' - Hilary Mantel

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The novel has been praised for its inspired and humorous yet ultimately tragic portrayal of colonialism, with Mariella Frostrup highlighting its unusual exuberance. The New Statesman commends its wit and storytelling, calling it a masterpiece. Olivia Manning compares J.G. Farrell's style to great modern novelists, while The Times describes the book as one of outstanding quality.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781474613965

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 August 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 270g

Pages: 384

About the Author

J.G. Farrell was born in Liverpool in 1935 and spent a good deal of his life abroad, including periods in France and North America, and then settled in London where he wrote most of his novels.

Among his novels, TROUBLES won the Faber Memorial Prize in 1970 and the Lost Man Booker prize in 2010 and THE SIEGE OF KRISHNAPUR won the Booker Prize in 1973.

In April 1979 he went to live in County Cork where only four months later he was drowned in a fishing accident.

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