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The siege of krishnapur review6/1/2023 ![]() It is a wise book too, rich with observations about human nature which the reader instinctively recognises and knows to be valid, though it remains positive to the end, and does not arrive at the gloomy conclusions which might have been provided by the setting of a starving garrison under siege. ![]() The result is always entertaining and never onerous. In 'Krishnapur' Farrell's intellect remains firmly in the background, modestly concealed behind a captivating and charming ensemble of characters in an exotic and detailed setting. ![]() Indeed, the fact it won the Booker is, if anything, misleading as to its merits, as the book does not conform with the norms for Booker winners: as one of the other reviewers observed, and if I may paraphrase him, Booker winning books are perceived by many to be overly dense, highly intellectual, and not particularly entertaining. Farrell which were together dubbed "The Empire Trilogy" for their colonial settings, The Siege of Krishnapur is masterful, though - I would argue - no more accomplished than the other two ("The Singapore Grip" and "Troubles") despite having won the Booker. But stray once to Farrell and the reader is richly rewarded for his intrepidness. ![]() ![]() Readers of fiction are herd animals, creatures of habit - we follow particular writers and we are reluctant to venture from them. ![]()
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