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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
It has been my Dad's favorite book for decades and I finally understand why. It is an enthralling story where you never know how the next chapter is going to end. Even though it is a longer book, it did not get tedious and twists and turns kept me unable to put the book down.
There's a lot to say about The Far Pavilions, but here's the crux of it for me: it's a decent book that has the potential to be a great book, but the protracted emphasis on a badly-developed romance takes a lot away from it.
Don't get me wrong, the book has merit. It's a gripping story right from the start--I felt immediately invested in the protagonist, Ash, and his surrogate mother, Sita, and could not put the book down until I knew what happened to them. Once the narrative gets its traction, it doesn't slow down (with one notable exception, which I'll get to later). It's a 955-page novel, and I finished it in a week.
It also beautifully evokes the time and place in which it is set. I think that's the novel's greatest strength: it brings the India of the 1860's - 1870's to life by weaving together fictional elements with historical events, cultural/religious traditions, and geographical details. It's the richness of those details and the complex portrayal of historical events that make this book worth reading. For example, I was surprised by how the novel treated the British colonization of India--how through Ash (who, because of his situation, has "one foot in each camp") we see the systemic violence and arrogance of colonization, the way in which it damages the colonized country/peoples; but we also see the inherent humanity of the colonizers. That same complexity is brought to bear on other historical events throughout the book, and that is the book's great strength.
That being said, the book also has a great and glaring weakness: the aforementioned badly-developed romance. If the rest of the book is complex, the romance is quite the opposite. And the problem is, the romance isn't just bad, it's lengthy. The narrative spends a good two-thirds of its time on "developing" this angst-ridden romance between Ash and his childhood friend, Anjuli ("Juli" for short). It's a shallow, melodramatic affair that would only be a minor drawback if it weren't so damn long. But because the book spends so much time on it, it's impossible to ignore it and focus on other (far more interesting) events. This is where the story dragged the most for me.
Worse than that, their relationship is... well, gross, for lack of a better term. At best it's highly unhealthy, and at worst it's downright abusive. In practically every scene they have together, Ash gets physically domineering and abusive with Juli (the number of times he's described as shaking her by the shoulders until her teeth rattle would actually be laughable if it weren't horrible). He thinks and speaks a great deal about how much he loves her, and then proceeds to treat her with little to no respect. Ash is definitely at his worst in his scenes with Juli, and their relationship marred my experience with the rest of the book. Individually, they're both interesting characters, but together... yikes.
As I said at the beginning, it's a decent book that, were it not for the badly done romance, could have been a great book. It's a worthwhile read if you can stomach the romance.
Don't get me wrong, the book has merit. It's a gripping story right from the start--I felt immediately invested in the protagonist, Ash, and his surrogate mother, Sita, and could not put the book down until I knew what happened to them. Once the narrative gets its traction, it doesn't slow down (with one notable exception, which I'll get to later). It's a 955-page novel, and I finished it in a week.
It also beautifully evokes the time and place in which it is set. I think that's the novel's greatest strength: it brings the India of the 1860's - 1870's to life by weaving together fictional elements with historical events, cultural/religious traditions, and geographical details. It's the richness of those details and the complex portrayal of historical events that make this book worth reading. For example, I was surprised by how the novel treated the British colonization of India--how through Ash (who, because of his situation, has "one foot in each camp") we see the systemic violence and arrogance of colonization, the way in which it damages the colonized country/peoples; but we also see the inherent humanity of the colonizers. That same complexity is brought to bear on other historical events throughout the book, and that is the book's great strength.
That being said, the book also has a great and glaring weakness: the aforementioned badly-developed romance. If the rest of the book is complex, the romance is quite the opposite. And the problem is, the romance isn't just bad, it's lengthy. The narrative spends a good two-thirds of its time on "developing" this angst-ridden romance between Ash and his childhood friend, Anjuli ("Juli" for short). It's a shallow, melodramatic affair that would only be a minor drawback if it weren't so damn long. But because the book spends so much time on it, it's impossible to ignore it and focus on other (far more interesting) events. This is where the story dragged the most for me.
Worse than that, their relationship is... well, gross, for lack of a better term. At best it's highly unhealthy, and at worst it's downright abusive. In practically every scene they have together, Ash gets physically domineering and abusive with Juli (the number of times he's described as shaking her by the shoulders until her teeth rattle would actually be laughable if it weren't horrible). He thinks and speaks a great deal about how much he loves her, and then proceeds to treat her with little to no respect. Ash is definitely at his worst in his scenes with Juli, and their relationship marred my experience with the rest of the book. Individually, they're both interesting characters, but together... yikes.
As I said at the beginning, it's a decent book that, were it not for the badly done romance, could have been a great book. It's a worthwhile read if you can stomach the romance.
Another great Indian saga, this one took place in the 1860s; particularly timely as it describes the British-Afghan war.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Basically, my favorite book of all times. Nothing beats it, man.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3 stars for how much I enjoyed it - too much angst and tragedy for me
5 stars for the quality of the book
Spoilers abound:
The beginning was slow, but enjoyable. It puzzled me though, how much the author disobeyed the "show, don't tell" rule. Certain years of Ash's life would be summarized in a few paragraphs.
I loved when Ash was accompanying the travelers from Karidkote and negotiating in Bhithor. The various threads of plotting and intrigue were very interesting to read.
Then more angst and moping because he can't have Juli. And ignores the advice of everyone - literally absolutely every single person - that marrying her is a terrible idea and wouldn't work in Indian or British societies. Then he has to rescue her and is a fool and sacrifices all of his friends and his beloved horse. I had already lost interest by this point, but then we move back to the Guides (who all think he should not have married Juli) and then to Afghanistan (which I only skimmed, hoping for relief). And then, when they have lost all other friends and relatives, they ride out in search of a place where they can live in happiness, that is neither Indian nor British culture. "And it may even be that they found their Kingdom."
I don't know what kind of ending I wanted, but it so definitely was NOT THAT. No happily ever after? No killed under an avalanche, putting a final tragedy on this tale of woe? 1200 pages and all I get is a MAYBE? Hmph.
5 stars for the quality of the book
Spoilers abound:
The beginning was slow, but enjoyable. It puzzled me though, how much the author disobeyed the "show, don't tell" rule. Certain years of Ash's life would be summarized in a few paragraphs.
I loved when Ash was accompanying the travelers from Karidkote and negotiating in Bhithor. The various threads of plotting and intrigue were very interesting to read.
Then more angst and moping because he can't have Juli. And ignores the advice of everyone - literally absolutely every single person - that marrying her is a terrible idea and wouldn't work in Indian or British societies. Then he has to rescue her and is a fool and sacrifices all of his friends and his beloved horse. I had already lost interest by this point, but then we move back to the Guides (who all think he should not have married Juli) and then to Afghanistan (which I only skimmed, hoping for relief). And then, when they have lost all other friends and relatives, they ride out in search of a place where they can live in happiness, that is neither Indian nor British culture. "And it may even be that they found their Kingdom."
I don't know what kind of ending I wanted, but it so definitely was NOT THAT. No happily ever after? No killed under an avalanche, putting a final tragedy on this tale of woe? 1200 pages and all I get is a MAYBE? Hmph.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is classic adventure/travel/historical fiction/romance (not the kind with the flowing locks and frilly men-shirts and naughty sections, though). It's her best book, and even after having read it three times, I get caught up in every bit of it. Inspires those dumb cover blurbs like "sweeps you away" but it always leaves me breathless.