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sophb84's review against another edition
3.0
So I was watching Sebastian Faulks on TV last year. We were in Robin Hood’s Bay for another cancelled football match in Whitby. The show was about literary villains and Tim Pigott Smith’s character in the TV adaptation of ‘The Jewel in the Crown’ was Mr Faulks’ favourite. A man named Ronald Merrick. I was talking to my Mum just before Christmas explaining this and that I wouldn’t mind the quartet. Low and behold, Santa brought them for me.
Jewel in the Crown is the first of the set which are set in India at a time when British and Indian forces were falling out badly. It focuses on the rape of a young English woman named Daphne Manners and her relationship with Hari Kumar. It starts off slowly, putting into context the political tension of the time and tells the story through a variety of key players. It starts with the missionary school teacher who gets wrapped up in the riots. Then it moves on and gradually builds up the picture until finally, you find out what happened from Daphne. Only then do you see how the attitude of the white men caused the whole situation to boil out of control leaving a train of destruction in its wake.
Written in 1966, it might not have the pace required for many modern audiences but it is a wonderfully slow climb to the top and leaves you with a feeling of disappointment and almost disgust in the way the British controlled India. A bit hard going to start with but well worth the effort when you reach the end.
Jewel in the Crown is the first of the set which are set in India at a time when British and Indian forces were falling out badly. It focuses on the rape of a young English woman named Daphne Manners and her relationship with Hari Kumar. It starts off slowly, putting into context the political tension of the time and tells the story through a variety of key players. It starts with the missionary school teacher who gets wrapped up in the riots. Then it moves on and gradually builds up the picture until finally, you find out what happened from Daphne. Only then do you see how the attitude of the white men caused the whole situation to boil out of control leaving a train of destruction in its wake.
Written in 1966, it might not have the pace required for many modern audiences but it is a wonderfully slow climb to the top and leaves you with a feeling of disappointment and almost disgust in the way the British controlled India. A bit hard going to start with but well worth the effort when you reach the end.
katemcg86's review against another edition
1.0
Honestly I got about 100 pages into this and just couldn’t stand the writing style any more. It’s going into my very short abandoned pile.
jackieeh's review against another edition
5.0
The Jewel in the Crown is great and incredibly engrossing historical fiction. I read this in two sittings, but although it is a pretty hefty book, I imagine I could easily have sat down in the morning and finished it by dinner. Its plot has echoes of E.M. Forster's Passage to India, but as much as I love that book, this novel surpasses it in both complexity and the richness of the characters. I liked Daphne Manners, I felt for Hari Kumar, Robin White was a sweetheart, and Ronald Merrick was a sleaze, but I could connect on some level with all of them, as well as the rest of the characters in the book.
An especially stand-out scene for me was the intersection of race and class in the first confrontation between Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
An especially stand-out scene for me was the intersection of race and class in the first confrontation between Hari Kumar and Ronald Merrick.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series.
thebibliophileblonde's review against another edition
3.0
I will immediately be proceeding to the next books in the series, but this is still only a 3/5 for me. There were points where the narrative got a little blurry and some of the characters got more of a main stage than they might have deserved.
★ While the summary tells you who the main characters are, their story is mainly told through the viewpoints of several other minor characters. It’s an interesting construction that gives you lots of different pieces of the main characters but does blur the storyline at time.
★ This was one novel where I had my pen out and I was underlining constantly. There were so many quotes, lines, and passages that stayed with me. While it is a dense writing structure that takes some time to get through, it’s worth it.
★ It is incredibly descriptive. It even goes so far as to describe the same setting from different character’s point of view, which is fascinating from other perspectives.
★ While the summary tells you who the main characters are, their story is mainly told through the viewpoints of several other minor characters. It’s an interesting construction that gives you lots of different pieces of the main characters but does blur the storyline at time.
★ This was one novel where I had my pen out and I was underlining constantly. There were so many quotes, lines, and passages that stayed with me. While it is a dense writing structure that takes some time to get through, it’s worth it.
★ It is incredibly descriptive. It even goes so far as to describe the same setting from different character’s point of view, which is fascinating from other perspectives.
dannmaloney816's review against another edition
4.0
Really wonderful epistolary novel about British India during the political troubles of the 1940s. Scott manages to show both the beauty of the era while criticizing everyone. He’s best at dropping hints of future events that force you to read on in this very long novel to see how that hinted event actually transpires. It’s tragic and at times poetic. Overall, very good particularly if one is interested in Colonial British narratives.
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Years ago (more years than I care to own up to), I tried reading this. I had seen part of the excellent tv series, so of course. And I didn't like it. But a few weeks ago, I had to read this book. Not sure why, but I'm glad I did.
I think the first time I read it the style threw me off, and I wanted Daphne from the first and got Miss Crane.
Or I could have been tried. Whatever.
Scott's novel opens in India during WWII. It is the start of defall of the Raj, and the stir of nationalism that leads to Independence (or Indians getting thier country back to more extact). The story is told in sections, though different points of view and sometimes the reader is a de facto interviewer. The heart of the story is the rape of Daphne Chambers and the far out of that event. But what is also being examined in a more naunced way is the rise of an independent country, the change that comes, and effects on those involved.
I think the first time I read it the style threw me off, and I wanted Daphne from the first and got Miss Crane.
Or I could have been tried. Whatever.
Scott's novel opens in India during WWII. It is the start of defall of the Raj, and the stir of nationalism that leads to Independence (or Indians getting thier country back to more extact). The story is told in sections, though different points of view and sometimes the reader is a de facto interviewer. The heart of the story is the rape of Daphne Chambers and the far out of that event. But what is also being examined in a more naunced way is the rise of an independent country, the change that comes, and effects on those involved.
angeliariveira's review against another edition
5.0
This book and this series are, quite possibly, my favorite and most comforting of reads. It is hard to say because there are so many books that I could categorize as my "favorite." But I find that this is a book I constantly come back to. I've read the series at least six or seven times, but I still love coming back to it when I am at a loss for what to read next (and I read a lot of books!). I first read this when I was 17 and living in India as an exchange student. I'd never heard of it before, but found it in a stack of books in my family's house. I immediately fell in love with the writing and the story. It also gave me a perspective on Indian history that I didn't have as a 17 year old who knew nothing about the country I was living in. (I was 17....don't judge me! :) )
Some of the language in the book is dated, but I think that there are also a lot of ideas that are ahead of its time. Scott clearly outlines the problems of racism and white supremacy and privilege that created turmoil in relationships between Indians and British people. His sympathy is clearly with Indians while also showing that there were racial divides that made even the most sympathetic characters uncomfortable with their cross racial relationships.
I have seen some reviewers comment that they didn't like the writing style and the fact that the story is told from a number of perspectives. Because of this, they stopped reading after about a hundred pages. We all have different tastes, so I can respect that it isn't for everyone. However, I think that if people stop at 100 pages, they will really miss so much of the beauty and sadness in the story. The different perspectives help to understand how different people and communities would have viewed the situation at that time and the struggles different people had in terms of identifying a sense of justice. Every time I read the last chapter I cry because even though I am frequently frustrated with Daphne's decisions (and Harry/Hari's), if you read the whole book, you can see why she thinks these decisions are correct. It is heartbreaking, particularly if you read the entire series. Perhaps not for everyone, but this is one of the books I always come back to. There is definitely, for me, a sense of nostalgia that comes along with it (because it takes me back to my own memories of first living in India, the relationships I developed, and challenges and amazing experiences I encountered). But I also find the writing to be very beautiful and expressive. Highly recommended.
Some of the language in the book is dated, but I think that there are also a lot of ideas that are ahead of its time. Scott clearly outlines the problems of racism and white supremacy and privilege that created turmoil in relationships between Indians and British people. His sympathy is clearly with Indians while also showing that there were racial divides that made even the most sympathetic characters uncomfortable with their cross racial relationships.
I have seen some reviewers comment that they didn't like the writing style and the fact that the story is told from a number of perspectives. Because of this, they stopped reading after about a hundred pages. We all have different tastes, so I can respect that it isn't for everyone. However, I think that if people stop at 100 pages, they will really miss so much of the beauty and sadness in the story. The different perspectives help to understand how different people and communities would have viewed the situation at that time and the struggles different people had in terms of identifying a sense of justice. Every time I read the last chapter I cry because even though I am frequently frustrated with Daphne's decisions (and Harry/Hari's), if you read the whole book, you can see why she thinks these decisions are correct. It is heartbreaking, particularly if you read the entire series. Perhaps not for everyone, but this is one of the books I always come back to. There is definitely, for me, a sense of nostalgia that comes along with it (because it takes me back to my own memories of first living in India, the relationships I developed, and challenges and amazing experiences I encountered). But I also find the writing to be very beautiful and expressive. Highly recommended.
sophronisba's review against another edition
5.0
Beautifully written. The setting -- India in its last days of the British Empire -- is fascinating and well-drawn. And the book is a page turner to boot.
nadyne's review against another edition
Other thoughts/reviews:
Reading, Writing, Working, Playing: http://janegs.blogspot.be/2015/11/the-jewel-in-crown-book-1-raj-quartet.html
Reading, Writing, Working, Playing: http://janegs.blogspot.be/2015/11/the-jewel-in-crown-book-1-raj-quartet.html
chuckri's review against another edition
2.0
At a couple points I really thought of giving up on the book--up until about halfway through. There were a couple sections in the first half that kept me going, but it was a bit of a chore. There just isn't much that happens in the story. One saving grace that kept me going was that it did seem to portray accurately (at least from what I know of that time period) what was happening between the British and Indians during the Raj. Also, in the second half of the book I was intrigued by what had actually happened in the rape of Miss Manners. If you are willing to slog through some really cumbersome reading, you can find a pretty good story.