"The first sign of trouble at Krishnapur came with a mysterious distribution of chapatis, made of coarse flour and about the size and thickness of a biscuit; towards the end of February 1857, they swept the countryside like an epidemic."
Students of history will recognise 1857 as the year of the Sepoy rebellion in India--an uprising of native soldiers against the British, brought on by Hindu and Muslim recruits' belief that the rifle cartridges with which they were provided had been greased with pig or cow fat. This seminal event in Anglo-Indian relations provides the backdrop for J.G. Farrell's Booker Prize- winning exploration of race, culture and class, The Siege of Krishnapur.
Like the mysteriously appearing chapatis, life in British India seems, on the surface, innocuous enough. Farrell introduces us gradually to a large cast of characters as he paints a vivid portrait of the Victorians' daily routines that are accompanied by heat, boredom, class-consciousness and the pursuit of genteel pastimes intended for cooler climates. Even the siege begins slowly, with disquieting news of massacres in cities far away. When Krishnapur itself is finally attacked, the Europeans withdraw inside the grounds of the Residency where very soon conditions begin to deteriorate: food and water run out, disease is rampant, people begin to go a little mad. Soon the very proper British are reduced to eating insects and consorting across class lines. Farrell's descriptions of life inside the Residency are simultaneously horrifying and blackly humorous. The siege, for example, is conducted under the avid eyes of the local populace, who clearly anticipate an enjoyable massacre and thus arrive every morning laden with picnic lunches (plainly visible to the starving Europeans). By turns witty and compassionate, The Siege of Krishnapur comprises the best of all fictional worlds: unforgettable characters, an epic adventure and at its heart a cultural clash for the ages.


1001 ray participants

Caroley UK (EU)
kingfan30 UK (EU)
ChrissyHam NL (Int'l)
cat207 AUS (Int'l)
davemurray101 AUS (Int'l)
Shroffland US (US) <---book is here
darkpunkangel CAN (int'l)
BokOrm09 UK (before me)
back to me please! :)

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending out first to Carole. Hope its a good book! I look forward to hearing what you all think of it

Received today thanks.

I've got a library book and one other ring to read first, but I should get to it fairly quickly.

Firstly thanks for starting the ray for this Jo, that's another one ticked off the 1001 list.

I took longer to read this than I anticipated. I just couldn't seem to get into the story, so kept finding things to do rather than read it. Parts of it were very good and those I got drawn into, but the parts with the Padre and Fleury discussing religion I found rather tedious, I'm afraid.

Overall I found it interesting but it won't be one of my top reads for the month.

I have Kingfan30's address so will get it posted asap.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted 2nd Class to Kingfan30

Book arrived safe and sound, about half way through Three Men In a Boat which is only a little book, so should be on to this soon. I am going to India later in the year and find it incredible that the country has been on TV a lot recently and now a book ring too, brilliant way to find out more before I go and I can't wait!!

21 Feb 10 - I also found this book hard to get into. And even when it did pick up, it was not by a huge amount. I also agree that the religious chats were pretty pointless, why have talks like that when there are more important things to worry about! I have the address of the next person so will pop it in the post tomorrow.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to the next person, thanks for including me x

This dropped onto my doormat today. The 5th ray in the last 2 weeks to do so, so it might take me a couple of weeks to get to this, but I am looking forward to it.

Many thanks both to Jozebedee for setting up the ray and to kingfan to sending it to me.

It took me quite a while to get into this one, when I did though I enjoyed the characters which were interesting and well developed. Not one of my favourite books this year sadly

Have PM'd the next on the list for their address.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Heading off all the way across the world to Australia. Happy reading Cat.

Arrived in today's mail. Thank you ChrissyHam, and Jozebedee for sharing.

An interesting way to learn something of the India Mutiny.

I'll hang on to this book and send to Dave together with another after I've read it.

In today's mail with 'Myra Breckinridge'.

Recieved today from cat207, should be interesting. Thanks to Jozebedee for sharing (funnily enough I sent a bookring to you today).

A great book of how society breaks down in siege. The debate the two doctors have are a reminder to us all of the kind of controversy germ theory once was. Well worth a read. Sending it to Shroffland in the next few days.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

posted to Shroffland

I am amazed that this book arrived all the way from New South Wales in a week! Thanks for sending it, Dave. I have a couple of fat books to read first, so it will take me a while to start it, but I'll post when I do, and try to send it on as soon as I can.

Thanks for sharing this with a global audience, jozebedee.

I have had this ray for more than six months and it has been buried under books and papers, so I am not destined to read it, at least not at this time. I had darkpunkangel's address from a previous BC exchange, so I have just mailed it to her.

May it reach you safely and may it continue its travels.

Thanks to everyone on this ray for your forbearance, and Jozebedee for sending it out in the world.

The book has arrived safe and sound. Thank Shroffland for passing this on (and for the stickers) and Jozebedee for passing this on. I think I should be able to start this now and be finished soon.

Sorry for taking so long to journal, I`ve been very busy at work. I tried getting into this one but I couldn`t so I`m going to pass this along.

Sent today to BokOrm09 who was next on the list from Boston. Hope you will enjoy the book more then I did.

The book arrived safely today!! Thanks to Jozebedee for organising the ring and to darkpunk angel for the speedy postage. I'm just about to sit down and start reading it :)

Apologies for the delay in journalling - I totally forgot! Received the book safely - thanks BokOrm09 :)