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The Far Pavilions

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The Far Pavilions

Written by: M. M. Kaye
Narrated by: Vikas Adam
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About this listen

When The Far Pavilions was first published 19 years ago, it moved the critic Edmund Fuller to write this: "Were Miss Kaye to produce no other book, The Far Pavilions might stand as a lasting accomplishment in a single work comparable to Margaret Mitchell's achievement in Gond With the Wind." From its beginning in the foothills of the towering Himalayas, M. M. Kaye's masterwork is a vast, rich, and vibrant tapestry of love and war that ranks with the greatest panoramic sagas of modern fiction.

The Far Pavilions is itself a Himalayan achievement, a book we hate to see come to an end. it is a passionate, triumphant story that excites us, fills us with joy, move us to tears, satisfies us deeply, and helps us remember just what it is we want most from a novel.

©1978 M.M. Kaye (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
Historical

What listeners say about The Far Pavilions

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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The book had a great start. 

I was carried away by the sentiment of the whole story.

Ashton Martyn was born in a camp in a Himalayan mountain pass.  The poor boy's mother passed away due to the cold.  His father was a botanist and a good man.  He used to get annoyed at all injustice the Indians received at the hands of the British!  When Ashton was 4 years old, his father succumbed to cholera, leaving his son and important papers in the hands of the ayah, Sita.

Due to the uprising of 1857, Sita is unable to take Ashton to the British cantonment in Mardan.  She changes his name to Ashok and proceeds to Gulkote instead, to protect him.  Little Ashok works under the crown prince of Gulkote and befriends the neglected princess, Anjuli.  He calls her Juli.  

One day, Juli warns Ashok that his mother's (Sita's) and his own life is in danger, within the palace walls.  He escapes from Gulkote with Sita, promising Juli that he would come back one day.

Sita dies on the way owing to the misfortunes they endure.  Before dying, she reveals his parentage to him and gives him the papers and his inherited money.  Ashton goes to the military division and they send him on to England for education and military training.  His relations laugh at him.  His peers call him Pandy and other such names.  Ashton feels like a fish out of water in the hopelessly snobbish British society.

When he turns nineteen, he boards a ship back to India.  On the voyage, he falls in love with the lovely Belinda Harlow.  She accepts his proposal of marriage.  However, she is narrow-minded and bigoted in the extreme.  Ashton had never supposed that his friendship with his old Indian friends would offend Belinda.  This proud, vain, ambitious, and disdainful girl returns his ring; goes ahead to marry a rich widower instead.

Ashton is given the duty to escort a royal wedding party of two princesses to Bhithor. He is surprised to discover that they are from the kingdom of Gulkote.  The procession is rejoicing because they have established both the princesses so advantageously.  He sees his Juli - the very model of perfection, whose charms drive him frantic!  He finds that she belongs to him already; her heart, at least.

The wise Anjuli begins to feel tragical at his desperation.  Even if she ran away with Ashton, they would be despised, mocked, abandoned, sneered at - they would be outcasts!  Even in the British community!  They would find doors shut against them, would have to creep in by hideous byways.  Their life would be more tragic than all the tears the world has ever shed.  Her little sister Shushila could never stand the dishonour!  Hence, no temptation could betray Anjuli into a conduct so treacherous, and so cruel.

Ashton was far sadder than Anjuli.  This faultless suffering was the sting of his life.  It was perfectly depressing to escort his heart's delight to the wedding arena.  The twice married and widowed groom's insolence was unendurable.  Their unhappiness broke my heart.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Loved it. Brillent tale if the British Raj with vivid and awesome characters and a wonderful saga.

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Wonderfully wrote and phenomenally presented

I must say that this is far best experience that I have had on audible, and never before have I gone through a journey that had become part of my daily routine.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A favourite story, mediocre narration

The narration was engaging, but the constant mispronunciation of Indian and Afghan words and names was jarring. If it could be redone after researching the proper pronunciation, it would be a wonderful experience.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Vikas Adam's narration was SUPERB.

The narration by Vikas Adam was excellent and riveting. if it weren't for that, I would have given up within the first quarter of the book. A minor quibble about the narration - words beginning with 'w' were pronounced as 'v', to indicate that the character is speaking a native language. This kind of grated on the ears a bit.

The storyline and plot of the book itself was somewhat contrived and lacked depth. It read like a stupid romance with a few wars thrown in.

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