The novel narrates the story of the British community at Krishnapur during the Indian Mutiny of 1857, when the entire community holed up in the Residency (like a governor's palace) for months under siege. Farrell's style is highly cinematic, reminiscent of great movie epics about that era, such as "The Man Who Would Be King," - lots of scope, majesty, explosions, and bright-red uniforms, added to the day-to-day domestic squabbles of the community. Farrell's take is not a shallow war novel though; he is witty, ironic, inspired, and sad in turn.
The book features remarkable turns of fortune and engaging details on every page, all of which were dramatically motivated and apt. (Examples: When the besieged run out of ammunition, they create canister shot by stuffing ladies' stockings with silverware. There's a sudden infestation of flying bugs that will make you jump right out of your chair. Two doctors have an argument about the cause of cholera with dramatic consequences. A lucky shot by a Lieutenant....well I won't spoil it for you.)
The main character, the Collector, seems to stand in for all of Britain as he is transformed by his Indian experience: first arrogance and a passion for bringing British `civilization' to the uncivilized, then bravado as he stands up to the initial assaults, then despair as he watches the failure of mere ingenuity to overcome the natives. In a wonderful little coda at the end of the book you can see how he has been utterly transformed by the experience.
A wonderful find, a 'must read'! I'm off to read the rest of Farrell's novels!
From the opening pages, Farrell builds suspense as the English colony ignores reports of unrest in Barrackpur, Berhampur, and Meerut. The flirtations of the single women, the amorous attentions of the young men, the boorish and insensitive behavior of the officials, the gossipy whispering of their wives, and the unrelenting efforts to maintain the same society they enjoyed at home--with tea parties, poetry readings, and dances--all attest to their degree of isolation from the world around them. When violence breaks out in Krishnapur and all the inhabitants take refuge in the colonial Residence, Farrell turns it into a microcosm which illuminates their misplaced values and goals as they interact with each other and face dangers from without--and from within. The siege continues for more than three months, with bloodshed, disease, starvation, lack of water and medicine, and the summer weather taking their toll.
Farrell's dark humor is unparalleled. Using irony, understatement, and a sense of the absurd, he conveys his disapproval of colonialism without resorting to the harshness of polemics. By concentrating exclusively on the English in the Residence and not on India's local population (ironically reflecting the approach of the colonizers themselves), he makes their behavior appear ridiculous in its own right, rather than ridiculous in comparison to other cultures. Mr. Rayne, the Opium Agent, calls the sale of opium, "progress." The Padre cannot understand why the Bible was originally written in an obscure language like Hebrew, rather than English, which is "spoken in every corner of every continent." A dying man offering up his last, heartfelt prayer is told by the Magistrate, "Yes, yes, to be sure, don't worry about it." The heads from a collection of small sculptures of the "great minds of Europe" are used as deadly explosives when shot becomes scarce.
Through his precise imagery, his acute eye for memorable and revealing details, his unerring ear for dialogue, his ability to maintain pace and suspense, and his humor, Farrell creates a historical novel with the enduring qualities which make it as relevant today as it was when published thirty years ago. Mary Whipple
That a Brit would capture that time so vividly and with such insouciant wit is staggering. Between Farrell's "Troubles" (about Irish liberation struggles) and this book I am convinced that his historical backdrops should be required reading in schools.
The premise of this novel is simple: during a time of the Sepoy "siege", the idiosynchrasies of the English colonialists in Residence remain as quirky as ever -- a risibly uppetty "expat" attitude that is shown to have made the mutiny inevitable in the first place. Yet, Farrell's brits are not card-board characterizations of arrogance but more akin to oddball misfits in the wrong place at the wrong time. For instance, reports of unrest in Barrackpur, a sepoy mutiny in Berhampur, and unforeseen problems in Meerut create a sense of unease for the reader, but in the carefree hedonistic confines of the colony, "There was no cause for alarm and, besides, now that everyone had finished eating, a game of blind man's bluff was being called for."
Note that unlike the impressions of some other reviewers, the author does not need to overindulge in racial parallels between the Indians and the British. His characters are too busy making fools of themselves in their own Residence. Which makes it harmless humor, for those who are sensitive to such things.
I own a second-hand, badly mutilated copy of this little novelette, purchased from a ubiquitous warehouse mart in Mumbai for Rs. 15 (about 25 US cents). Yet, this is one of my most treasured possessions. You need to read it to know why.
To delight my capricious little heart, the novel improves dramatically with the addition of conflict. As soon as the mutiny begins in earnest, the text takes on a tension. Characters begin to do interesting things, the plot takes its grip, and there's relevance to the airy philosophies that are bandied about. The siege brings a wealth of accurate historical insight and information, and some of the imagery is striking. Best of all, it's done with humor. There's an absurdity to the whole thing that would make Matt Groening proud.
"Begorah!" I said to myself. "What started off as dreary as a Dublin January has become a first-rate historical novel full of quirky characters, laughs and action! Fair play to ya, Farrell." If he had included the Indian perspective, I'd have walked away with a well-rounded understanding of the whole shooting match. Maybe that's intentional, though: the book as it stands made me curious enough to read up on the events of 1857 from the Indian POV.
Fave scene: Lucy and the bugs. Great stuff!
Three and a half stars out of five.
