The Siege Of Krishnapur (1973)
Who wrote it?
James Gordon Farrell (1935-79, active from 1963), born Liverpool, England, but of Irish descent. The second time we’ve encountered Farrell so far, despite this being historically the first (and only, in his lifetime) time he was awarded the Prize. Confused? Go back to my review of Troubles for more. He drowned in an accident while angling at just 44, shortly after moving out of London to settle in Ireland.
What's it about
J.G. Farrell's first "standard" Booker winner is the second part in his "Empire" trilogy, this time jumping back to the Indian Rebellion of 1857 for a by turns hilarious and meditative look at a pivotal (if not decisive) moment in British Colonial history, told via a graphic evocation of a four month siege of a British garrison by the uprising sepoys.
What I liked
Overall, like Troubles, it's just a superb piece of writing. It's a page-turner, absolutely full of memorable moments.
A wonderful and impressively relatable evocation of a historical moment.
The battle of the two Doctors over appropriate treatments for Cholera was an extremely prescient read in the middle of a global pandemic (especially the bit where the stubborn Dunstaple succumbs to the disease himself and rejects effective treatment from his more progressive counterpart McNab.)
Many colourful characters, from the head in the clouds poet-type Fleury to the central Great Exhibition-obsessed (and beautifully complex) Collector.
What I didn't like
At times in the early stages I drifted a little. It hits its stride in the middle and becomes a tour de force by the end but didn't grab me as early on as Troubles did.
It's hard to know at times when the attitudes on display are merely intended to reflect the mores of the Victorian era being portrayed and when they're actually relective of some slightly outdated 1970s nostalgia for Empire. A few of the Indian characters in the book seem to be being played for laughs in uncomfortable ways.
The female characters again seem less well drawn than the male. Of course it's fair to suggest that presenting them as having less agency than the male characters is simply reflective of the time being portrayed, but again it doesn't feel like we inhabit their inner lives in the same ways as we do the likes of the Collector and Fleury. While there is some ostensibly "worthy" discussion of "fallen woman" Lucy its notable that it's mostly the men doing the discussing.
Food & drink pairings
Chapatis (a memorable opening course to the novel...)
Recycled tea, rapidly becoming water.
By the end of the novel, whatever you can get your hands on. Dog? Sure. Horse? Definitely. Beetles? Yep.
Fun facts
For the second year in a row, the winner used his acceptance speech to criticize the award's sponsors for their business activities. Farrell kept his winner's cash though, unlike Berger the year before.
This was nominated as one of five candidates for 2008's "Best of the Booker" award, but lost out to Midnight's Children.
You have to feel for The Singapore Grip, the third part of the Empire trilogy, which didn't even get a nomination let alone a win like its two predecessors. It did, however, get a 2020 TV adaptation starring David Morrissey, so maybe it's the ultimate winner? One day, after I've finished this trawl through the winners, I'll find out...
Iris Murdoch's THIRD nomination without a win (and we're only 5 years in). Come on folks, there must be one in there somewhere?
Vanquished Foes
Beryl Bainbridge (The Dressmaker)
Elizabeth Mavor (The Green Equinox)
Iris Murdoch (The Black Prince)
Nearly an all female shortlist, but the chap wins. In fairness, it's a good book, but once again I've read none of the others (a theme is developing) - Should I? Should anything else have been nominated that was written in 1973?
Context
In 1973:
The UK, Ireland & Denmark join the EEC (later EU) on Jan 1st.
Nixon sworn for a second term as US President
Watergate scandal court cases; resignation of VP Spiro T Agnew
Roe vs Wade - US Supreme Court overturns state bans on abortion
Last US soldier leaves Vietnam; end of 12 years of US combat in SE Asia
Northern Ireland Assembly, first election and beginning of power-sharing
Coup in Chile installs Augusto Pinochet as leader
West & East Germany admitted to the UN
Spanish PM Luis Carrero Blanco assassinated by Basque separatists ETA
Three-Day Week announced in the UK on Dec 31st, in response to coal shortages caused by industrial action
Skylab, first US space station, is launched
"Battle of the Sexes" sees Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs
Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow published in the US
The Exorcist
Bruce Lee dies shortly before the release of Enter the Dragon
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
New York Dolls, New York Dolls
Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Life Lessons
What do you know, people were pretty racist in the 1850s (and possibly the 1970s also)
Don't give yourself an infectious disease to make a point
Progressive / conservative / whatever, doesn't matter, ultimately you'll all starve and die. Get over it. Or something.
Score
8
I'm slightly torn on this one as I feel it would benefit from a second read at some point. Undoubtedly excellent, it fell slightly behind Troubles for me in terms of overall enjoyment while reading, but built to a stellar conclusion that left me wanting to go back in for more.
Ranking to date:
Troubles - J.G. Farrell (1970, "Lost Booker") - 8.5
The Siege of Krishnapur - J.G. Farrell (1973) - 8
The Elected Member - Bernice Rubens (1970) - 7
In a Free State* - V.S. Naipaul (1971) - 6.5
G. - John Berger (1972) - 6
Something to Answer For - P. H. Newby (1969) - 5.5
*Read in later condensed edition.
Next up
The first of two shared winners in 1974 (apparently 2019 wasn't the first time...) - I'm going with Stanley Middleton's Holiday first largely because the edition I've bought has a pretty cover.
