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{{Short description|Novel by James Gordon Farrell}} | {{Short description|Novel by James Gordon Farrell}} | ||
{{Infobox book | {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} | ||
{{Infobox book | |||
| name = The Siege of Krishnapur | | name = The Siege of Krishnapur | ||
| title_orig = | | title_orig = | ||
| translator = | | translator = | ||
| image = File:SiegeOfKrishnapur.JPG | | image = File:SiegeOfKrishnapur.JPG | ||
| caption = First edition | | caption = First edition | ||
| author = [[J. G. Farrell]] | | author = [[J. G. Farrell]] | ||
| illustrator = | | illustrator = | ||
| cover_artist = | | cover_artist = | ||
| country = United Kingdom | | country = United Kingdom | ||
| language = English | | language = English | ||
| series = | | series = | ||
| subject = | | subject = | ||
| genre = | | genre = | ||
| publisher = [[Weidenfeld & Nicolson]] | | publisher = [[Weidenfeld & Nicolson]] | ||
| release_date = 1973 | | release_date = 1973 | ||
| Line 25: | Line 26: | ||
| followed_by = [[The Singapore Grip]] | | followed_by = [[The Singapore Grip]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''''The Siege of Krishnapur''''' is a [[novel]] by [[J. G. Farrell]], first published in 1973. | '''''The Siege of Krishnapur''''' is a [[novel]] by Irish writer [[J. G. Farrell]], first published in 1973. | ||
Inspired by events such as the sieges of [[Siege of Cawnpore| | Inspired by events that purportedly took place before the mutiny of 1857 such as the sieges of [[Siege of Cawnpore|Cawnpore]] ([[Kanpur]]) and [[Siege of Lucknow|Lucknow]], the book details the siege of a fictional Indian town, Krishnapur, during the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857]]. The book portrays the perspective of the [[British Empire#Britain's imperial century (1815–1914)|British]] residents. The main characters find themselves subject to the increasing strictures and deprivation of the siege, which reverses the "normal" structure of life where Europeans govern Asian subjects. The book portrays an India under the control of the [[East India Company]], as was the case in 1857. The absurdity of the class system in a town no one can leave becomes a source of comic invention, though the text is serious in intent and tone. | ||
The novel gained positive reviews from a variety of sources,<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url= | The novel gained positive reviews from a variety of sources,<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/sep/24/featuresreviews.guardianreview26 |title=Guardian Book Reviews | work=The Guardian | location=London | first=Sue | last=Arnold | date=September 24, 2005 | access-date=May 25, 2010}}</ref> and won the [[Booker Prize for Fiction]] in 1973. Farrell used his acceptance speech to attack the sponsors for their business activities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nyrb.typepad.com/classics/2008/05/the-best-of-the.html |title=A Different Stripe: The Best of the Booker: The Siege of Krishnapur<!-- bot-generated title -->|work=New York Review of Books}}</ref> In 2008 the book was shortlisted along with five other former winners for [[The Best of the Booker]]. | ||
==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
The story is set in the town of Krishnapur, and tells of a besieged British garrison which holds out for four months against an army of native [[sepoy]]s. Among the community are the [[District Collector]], a father of small children, who is an extreme example of [[Victorian morality|Victorian]] belief in progress, and can often be found daydreaming of [[ | The story is set in the town of Krishnapur, and tells of a besieged British garrison which holds out for four months against an army of native [[sepoy]]s. Among the community are the [[District Collector]], a father of small children, who is an extreme example of [[Victorian morality|Victorian]] belief in progress, and can often be found daydreaming of the [[Great Exhibition]]; the Magistrate, a [[Chartism|Chartist]] in his youth, but who sees his political ideals destroyed by witnessing the siege; Dr. Dunstaple and Dr. McNab, who row over the best way to treat [[cholera]]; Fleury, a poetical young man from England who learns to become a soldier; and Lucy, a "fallen woman" who is rescued and eventually runs a tea salon in the despairing community. By the end of the novel, cholera, starvation and the sepoys have killed off most of the inhabitants, who are reduced to eating dogs, horses and finally beetles, their teeth much loosened by [[scurvy]]. "The final retreat of the British, still doggedly [[stiff upper lip|stiff-upper-lipped]] through the pantries, laundries, music rooms and ballroom of the residency, using chandeliers and violins as weapons, is a comic delight".<ref name="Guardian"/> | ||
''The Siege of Krishnapur'' is part of Farrell's "Empire Trilogy", which concerns the [[British Empire]] and its decline in three locations. Other books in the series are ''[[Troubles (novel)|Troubles]]'', which is set during the Irish War for Independence (1919–1921), and ''[[The Singapore Grip]]'', which takes place just before the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese in World War II, during the last days of the Empire.<ref>[http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/the-siege-of-krishnapur/ New York Book Reviews]</ref> | ''The Siege of Krishnapur'' is part of Farrell's "Empire Trilogy", which concerns the [[British Empire]] and its decline in three locations. Other books in the series are ''[[Troubles (novel)|Troubles]]'', which is set during the Irish War for Independence (1919–1921), and ''[[The Singapore Grip]]'', which takes place just before the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese in World War II, during the last days of the Empire.<ref>[http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/the-siege-of-krishnapur/ New York Book Reviews]</ref> | ||
| Line 39: | Line 40: | ||
Walter Clemons in ''[[Newsweek]]'' on 21 October 1974 said it was "a work of wit, lively historical reconstruction and imaginative intensity."<ref name= "Prusse 2003">{{cite book |last=Prusse|first=Michael C.|title=British and Irish Novelists Since 1960|year=2003 |publisher=Gale|location=[[Detroit]], [[Michigan]] |isbn=978-0-7876-6015-4}}</ref> | Walter Clemons in ''[[Newsweek]]'' on 21 October 1974 said it was "a work of wit, lively historical reconstruction and imaginative intensity."<ref name= "Prusse 2003">{{cite book |last=Prusse|first=Michael C.|title=British and Irish Novelists Since 1960|year=2003 |publisher=Gale|location=[[Detroit]], [[Michigan]] |isbn=978-0-7876-6015-4}}</ref> | ||
John Spurling said in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' on 21 September 1973 that it was "a masterpiece".<ref name= "Prusse 2003"/> | John Spurling said in the ''[[New Statesman]]'' on 21 September 1973, that it was "a masterpiece".<ref name= "Prusse 2003"/> | ||
On 2 September 1973 [[Julian Symons]] wrote in ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' that Farrell is "one of the half-dozen British writers under forty whose work should be read by anybody inclined to think that no interesting novels are being written today."<ref name= "Prusse 2003"/> | On 2 September 1973, [[Julian Symons]] wrote in ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' that Farrell is "one of the half-dozen British writers under forty whose work should be read by anybody inclined to think that no interesting novels are being written today."<ref name= "Prusse 2003"/> | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
{{ | {{Booker Prize}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege Of Krishnapur, The}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Siege Of Krishnapur, The}} | ||
[[Category:Fiction set in 1857]] | [[Category:Fiction set in 1857]] | ||
[[Category:1973 British novels]] | [[Category:1973 British novels]] | ||
[[Category:Fictional Asian countries]] | [[Category:Fictional Asian countries]] | ||
[[Category:Booker | [[Category:Booker Prize–winning works]] | ||
[[Category:Novels by J. G. Farrell]] | [[Category:Novels by J. G. Farrell]] | ||
[[Category:Novels about the Indian Rebellion of 1857]] | [[Category:Novels about the Indian Rebellion of 1857]] | ||
[[Category:Weidenfeld & Nicolson books]] | [[Category:Weidenfeld & Nicolson books]] | ||
[[Category:Postcolonial novels]] | [[Category:Postcolonial novels]] | ||
[[Category:NYRB Classics]] | |||
Latest revision as of 14:55, 2 March 2026
 First edition | |
| Author | J. G. Farrell |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Weidenfeld & Nicolson |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 344 pp |
| ISBN | 0-297-76580-9 |
| OCLC | 746629 |
| 823/.9/14 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.F2448 Si PR6056.A75 |
| Preceded by | Troubles |
| Followed by | The Singapore Grip |
The Siege of Krishnapur is a novel by Irish writer J. G. Farrell, first published in 1973.
Inspired by events that purportedly took place before the mutiny of 1857 such as the sieges of Cawnpore (Kanpur) and Lucknow, the book details the siege of a fictional Indian town, Krishnapur, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The book portrays the perspective of the British residents. The main characters find themselves subject to the increasing strictures and deprivation of the siege, which reverses the "normal" structure of life where Europeans govern Asian subjects. The book portrays an India under the control of the East India Company, as was the case in 1857. The absurdity of the class system in a town no one can leave becomes a source of comic invention, though the text is serious in intent and tone.
The novel gained positive reviews from a variety of sources,[1] and won the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1973. Farrell used his acceptance speech to attack the sponsors for their business activities.[2] In 2008 the book was shortlisted along with five other former winners for The Best of the Booker.
Plot[edit | edit source]
The story is set in the town of Krishnapur, and tells of a besieged British garrison which holds out for four months against an army of native sepoys. Among the community are the District Collector, a father of small children, who is an extreme example of Victorian belief in progress, and can often be found daydreaming of the Great Exhibition; the Magistrate, a Chartist in his youth, but who sees his political ideals destroyed by witnessing the siege; Dr. Dunstaple and Dr. McNab, who row over the best way to treat cholera; Fleury, a poetical young man from England who learns to become a soldier; and Lucy, a "fallen woman" who is rescued and eventually runs a tea salon in the despairing community. By the end of the novel, cholera, starvation and the sepoys have killed off most of the inhabitants, who are reduced to eating dogs, horses and finally beetles, their teeth much loosened by scurvy. "The final retreat of the British, still doggedly stiff-upper-lipped through the pantries, laundries, music rooms and ballroom of the residency, using chandeliers and violins as weapons, is a comic delight".[1]
The Siege of Krishnapur is part of Farrell's "Empire Trilogy", which concerns the British Empire and its decline in three locations. Other books in the series are Troubles, which is set during the Irish War for Independence (1919–1921), and The Singapore Grip, which takes place just before the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese in World War II, during the last days of the Empire.[3]
Reviews[edit | edit source]
Walter Clemons in Newsweek on 21 October 1974 said it was "a work of wit, lively historical reconstruction and imaginative intensity."[4]
John Spurling said in the New Statesman on 21 September 1973, that it was "a masterpiece".[4]
On 2 September 1973, Julian Symons wrote in The Sunday Times that Farrell is "one of the half-dozen British writers under forty whose work should be read by anybody inclined to think that no interesting novels are being written today."[4]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Arnold, Sue (24 September 2005). "Guardian Book Reviews". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
- ↑ "A Different Stripe: The Best of the Booker: The Siege of Krishnapur". New York Review of Books.
- ↑ New York Book Reviews
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Prusse, Michael C. (2003). British and Irish Novelists Since 1960. Detroit, Michigan: Gale. ISBN 978-0-7876-6015-4.