Rating: 
Summary: One of best books of the 70s
Review: The Siege of Krishnapur is one of the best books about colonial India. Written about the times of the Sepoy Mutiny, it shows it in the light of three angles, the British Raj, the Indian Princes and the Soldiers. It presents an unbiased opinion of all the three and though the English are supposed to be civilized, one wonders about it in the end. Farrell is an author of extraordinary capabilities in combining wit, historical detail, and character. Every person portrayed in the book is done in a unique manner starting from the collector to the majistrate. His presentation of the Krishnapur Poetry Club is hilarious. As the story gradually turns morbid and sad, one notices the change in character typical in all humans, which is brought out beautifully in the book. This is one of the best Booker winners. It is sad that the author died at an early age in a fishing accident. He combines a lyrical style, eclectic prose in this book as in all of his books such as Troubles and the Singapore Grip. He traveled to India for doing research for this book and said that he was more intrigued about India after being there than before. This is an outstanding book for anyone who loves a good yarn and who loves historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best Booker winners
Review: What a fascinating place India is and, as this novel makes clear, almost as fascinating are the westerners who go there and misread the way that the country seems to work. Farrell's Booker Prizewinning novel is based on events in what has been called by the British the `Sepoy' or `Indian Mutiny' and by Indians the `National Uprising' or the `First War of Independence' of 1857. In particular, as the title suggests, it deals with a siege in a small town called Krishnapur from the point of view of the besieged British colonials. While the reader feels an extraordinary amount of sympathy for the suffering that they obviously undergo, it is tempered somewhat by the attitudes that Farrell critiques, even among the more enlightened (from a modern perspective) characters. Whether it be the topics of theology, science and pseudo-science, relationships between the sexes, colonialism, or the way that we respond to extreme circumstances, all are handled intelligently. To my delight Farrell didn't try to give characters modern attitudes or feelings (the bane of much historical fiction) in order to make them more `appealing' to the reader. Instead, what is most fascinating about the story is to think about how the individual reacts to change, and especially change arising from terrible events. The changes that particular characters undergo are simultaneously humorous and absolutely believable. This is an excellent read if you already have an interest in India, or in the impact that westerners have had upon other cultures. If you haven't when you begin, you may well find that you have before you finish.
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