The Raj Quartet - Vol 2

The Raj Quartet - Vol 2 Marvelous writing by Paul Scott. A must read for everyone interested in historical facts and the state of affairs in India during the sun-set period of the British Raj. This volume has the last 2 books of the Raj Quartet. One should read the other two books 'The Jewel in the Crown' and "The Day of Scorpion" first, themselves excellent books! The Jewel In The Crown (Raj Quartet 1) The Day Of The Scorpion (Raj Quartet)

A magnificent panoramic view of the end of Empire in India. The quartet runs to 2000 pages but it never drags and the interacting characters are very well drawn. The only character to appear in all four books is the policeman Merrick: he is a flawed character yet has some very good qualities. One of the great novels of the twentieth century in my opinion.

The next 2 novels are as fascinating as the first two, and if possible, even more wonderful. A true literary masterpiece.

It doesn't get much better than The Raj Quartet. The books tell a compelling story and are set in a fascinating place and time. The character development is very good and offers an interesting take on the British women who were in India. Books one and two, The Jewel in the Crown and the Day of the Scorpion, are excellent, but I would rate books three and four, The Towers of Silence and A Division of the Spoils, even higher. The story has an interesting way of building as you progress through each novel. There are several lengthy references backward that add complex layers onto what you already know about a person or incident. You end up understanding, liking, or disliking characters more as fuller pictures of them emerge around past events. This being said, each book is self-contained and could be read on its own. I liked book three, The Towers of Silence, the most. This particular edition, from Everyman's Library, contains The Towers of Silence and A Division of the Spoils and is high quality and very attractive. I bought it because I already had the Everyman's Library edition of the first two books, and I wanted the matching set for my library. They are beautiful, and it is so nice to read text printed on paper. The drawback, and this is minimal, is that the books are very heavy and large due to the high page count. If I didn't already have the nice edition of books one and two, I probably would have bought these in a Kindle version. If you haven't started the Raj Quartet, you are in for a treat. I am jealous that you still have 2,000 pages of reading bliss ahead of you!

These two novels are captivating. The characters are so well-described that you can easily envision them, even if you have not seen The Jewel in the Crown on PBS. The role of Hari Cumar and Merrick are woven in so skillfully throughout these two novels. The injustices caused by race, class, discrimination and power are just as relevant today as when these books were published. The author makes the point that a privileged background does not ensure a perfect life. I also enjoyed the moral overtones used by the author, such as the mysterious demise of Merrick, after the sordid aspects of his life are revealed. The book also reveals the inability of many people to look beyond the surface. Thus, showing even the powerful can be manipulated by deceiving appearances. Fortunately, Sarah, Nigel, Guy and the Count, to a lessor extent, provide moral compasses through out the book. I have these novels three times in the past six months, find a new level of detail and intrigue in each reading.

Delighted to get this Everyman edition of parts 3 &4 of The Raj Quartet as have Volume 1 in this edition and wanted it to match. Amazing epic story. Well-written and beautiful edition to read it in.