Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Siege of Krishnapur

The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell is a very enjoyable read. I dowloaded it from the kindle books at Amazon. Historical Fiction. The Indian Mutiny started by the belief that the British had put out their new cartridges with pig and cow grease, which the local troops would have to bite off to access the powder, was intentional as part of the plan to Christianize the continent. Farrell took much of his material from diaries and letters of the folk at Krishnapur. It's a most intriguing view of Victorian times. The characterization is so wholly believable and the discussions so dated yet in some way contemporary. I found myself looking forward to picking up my ipad and really looking forward to learning what was happening to the men and women in the story. There's war and calvary charges but mostly it's about the thoughts and stories and behaviour of the women and men of the time during the increasing scarcity and travail of the seige and heat of India at the time. I most enjoyed the debate among the doctors and references to the civilization and idealism of the Gret Exhibition.


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