A review by teriboop
The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott

4.0

The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott is the first of four books in The Raj Quartet series. The story takes place during in India during WWII and centers around a rape that is revealed at the beginning of the book, but the details of what happened are slowly unveiled throughout the book. The story is told by a series of characters, both Indian and English, giving the reader several vantage points and commentary on political as well as social Indian life. This book is full of subplots and symbolism and gives the reader insight into the very real issues of social segregation in India as well as India vs British rule.

I enjoyed this book and the lyrical writing of Scott. He vividly brings the characters to life and clearly shows the struggle of the classes in India at the time. I am looking forward to reading the next three books in the series.