A review by ikepauh
The Far Pavilions, by M.M. Kaye
5.0
Chock block full of information written in a way that is captivating, even if it is info-dumpy-ish in a way.
I love the setting of the book. I was pained by the greed and power that causes all this suffering and human misery to occur (as well as development of course!).
Ash straddles the fence. I can relate to him, being a 'fence-straddler' myself. His journey, his love, his trials were all a pleasure to read.
The brief story about his parents and Ash's childhood arc were my favourite parts of The Far Pavilions.
Reuniting with Juli, I was caught unaware. What a shocker! As another reviewer mentioned, their love story made sense. They bonded over a shared set of experiences and circumstances. Their parting was sad. Almost as sad as the times Ash's servants/long time companions die.
Wally and Ash's growing apart seems natural and sad when I think of my own companions. Up and down. I chalked it up to everyone having their own path in life to walk and realize stuff. To each his own.
Sir Louis and all those high up in the ranks were irritatingly real. Their reasonings and action plans concerning Afghanistan, their utter lack...now there's an example of a top-down chain of command and of imperialist (colonial) mentalities.
The Indian army piques my interest and I look forward to stumbling upon more books about it.
I love the setting of the book. I was pained by the greed and power that causes all this suffering and human misery to occur (as well as development of course!).
Ash straddles the fence. I can relate to him, being a 'fence-straddler' myself. His journey, his love, his trials were all a pleasure to read.
The brief story about his parents and Ash's childhood arc were my favourite parts of The Far Pavilions.
Reuniting with Juli, I was caught unaware. What a shocker! As another reviewer mentioned, their love story made sense. They bonded over a shared set of experiences and circumstances. Their parting was sad. Almost as sad as the times Ash's servants/long time companions die.
Wally and Ash's growing apart seems natural and sad when I think of my own companions. Up and down. I chalked it up to everyone having their own path in life to walk and realize stuff. To each his own.
Sir Louis and all those high up in the ranks were irritatingly real. Their reasonings and action plans concerning Afghanistan, their utter lack...now there's an example of a top-down chain of command and of imperialist (colonial) mentalities.
The Indian army piques my interest and I look forward to stumbling upon more books about it.