The Far Pavilions

By: M. M. Kaye

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Length: 48 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Heroism, adventure, sadistic cruelty, and love.

Any additional comments?

This book is altogether, a gripping adventure, and a story about conflicting personal identity. I first read this book over twenty years ago and remembered it as one of my all time favorites. I was shocked to discover no reviews had been written for this wonderful novel. If you decide to listen to this book you will not disappointed. The descriptions of India are breath-taking and rival the tales of that country written by Bryce Courtenay. Surprisingly, listening to the audio version was better than reading it. The Indian accents used in the narration made it utterly enjoyable. It is the story of an English boy born to a father who studies the people and dialects found in the foothills of the Himalayas. He becomes orphaned during a cholera outbreak around age 4 and has only an Indian nurse to aid him in his survival. It is a huge book but worth every page and not difficult to get through. The Far Pavilions is simply one of the best epic novels ever written. There is a ghastly description of the practice of Suttee; the burning alive of high born Hindu women on their husband's funeral pyre. But it is not too descriptive and gives a fascinating glimpse into the practice of Suttee. If you like tales of heroism, adventure, cruelty, survival, and love, you will not be disappointed.

Great Read

I read this book years ago when if first came out and liked it then. Rereading, listening to it on Audible, prompted me to pick the book up again as well.

I have recomended this book to a number of people who have no knowledge of "The Great Game" and it's relevance to the events of the last ten years in the former Raj.

The story is one third romance, one third adventure, and one third serious history of the Second Afgan War. I have read quotes from a number of British officers from that war that sound like they could have been made today.

Long book well worth the time

This book was awesome and interesting from front to back. So well written. The characters were interesting and not always predictable.

An excellent read

An entertaining tale, with wonderful characterization, rich sense of place and history, and enduring human values.

Great!

Great story, great narrarator!! The only thing I did not like was the rambling. When too much rambling occurred my mind would wander off of the book. So i may have missed some aspects of the book. The rambling could go on for one subject for half an hour. This is probably why the book was so long. Other than that, this story will always be remembered.

Spellbinding epic

What an amazing mix of fact and fiction! I loved listening to this sprawling epic, and the narration was EXCELLENT!! A wonderful audible.

WOW

I never write reviews but I was so overwhelmed by the sheer 49 hours of listening. Love drama intrigue. It took 5 days but every waking minute it kept me enthralled. I did have a problem keeping up with the foreign names. This did not detract from the story itself.

Held attention entire time. Amazing actor for narrator!

I'm so glad I bought this audiobook. It was the longest audiobook I've ever listen to you, but I did not feel long at all – the narrator was an amazing actor. The book went by very quickly for me. The best way I can describe it is this story is India's version of Forrest Gump during the era of British colonial rule. How have I not heard about this book before?

wonderful Story!

It as good as I remembered it to be , as I read it 40 years ago!

Yawn

struggled to finish....good character development....great performance but unless you are into military battles and complex political agendas don't bother