Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme that was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and give the reasons why you want to read it. It is that simple.
This week’s book:
The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
Blurb from Goodreads
India, 1857–the year of the Great Mutiny, when Muslim soldiers turned in bloody rebellion on their British overlords. This time of convulsion is the subject of J. G. Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur, widely considered one of the finest British novels of the last fifty years.
Farrell’s story is set in an isolated Victorian outpost on the subcontinent. Rumors of strife filter in from afar, and yet the members of the colonial community remain confident of their military and, above all, moral superiority. But when they find themselves under actual siege, the true character of their dominion–at once brutal, blundering, and wistful–is soon revealed.
The Siege of Krishnapur is a companion to Troubles, about the Easter 1916 rebellion in Ireland, and The Singapore Grip, which takes place just before World War II, as the sun begins to set upon the British Empire. Together these three novels offer an unequaled picture of the follies of empire.
Winner of the Booker Prize.
Why I Want To Read It
It’s Monday again! A new week has started, and with it, the chance to start over again. I hope everyone started their week right. Otherwise, I hope that your fortunes will take a turn. As it is a Monday, it is time for another Goodreads Monday update. For this week’s edition I am featuring an award-winning literary masterpiece, J.G. Farrell’s The Siege of Krishnapur.
The Siege of Krishnapur is the winner of the 1973 Man Booker Prize. I am currently in the midst of a Man Booker Prize reading month. I am reading both winners and shortlisted books and The Siege of Krishnapur just fits the bill. I was apprehensive about the book at first even though I kept on encountering it in several must-read lists. It was also listed as one of 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. The novel is also right up my alley as it is inspired by actual historical events that occurred in the Indian subcontinent. I am suddenly reminded of E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, another literary classic set in the vast Indian subcontinent.
Actually, the reason the book is featured now is because I just bought a copy of the book (haha). It is an added bonus that the book is a Man Booker Prize winner. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to what the novel has in store. How about you fellow reader, what book do you want to read? I hope you can share it in the comment box. For now, happy reading! Have a great week ahead!
The Pine-Scented Chronicles 