The Far Pavilions is an epic
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of British-
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n history by
M. M. KayeMary Margaret Kaye was a British writer. Her most famous book was The Far Pavilions .-Life:M. M. Kaye was born in India and spent her early childhood and much of her early-married life there...
, first published in 1978, which tells the story of an English officer during the Great Game. The novel, though rooted deeply in the romantic epics of the 19th century, has been hailed as a masterpiece of storytelling. It is based partly on biographical writings of the author's grandfather as well as her knowledge of and childhood experiences in India.
The Far Pavilions is an epic
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of British-
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
n history by
M. M. KayeMary Margaret Kaye was a British writer. Her most famous book was The Far Pavilions .-Life:M. M. Kaye was born in India and spent her early childhood and much of her early-married life there...
, first published in 1978, which tells the story of an English officer during the Great Game. The novel, though rooted deeply in the romantic epics of the 19th century, has been hailed as a masterpiece of storytelling. It is based partly on biographical writings of the author's grandfather as well as her knowledge of and childhood experiences in India. It sold millions of copies, caused travel agents to create tours that visited the locations in the book, and inspired a television adaptation and a musical play.
Plot summary
The novel tells the story of Ashton Pelham-Martyn, son of a British botanical scientist, who is born on the road shortly before the
SepoyA sepoy was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power, usually the United Kingdom. Specifically, it was the term used in the British Indian Army, and earlier in the East India Company, for an infantry private , and is still so used in the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and...
uprising of 1857. His mother dies from childbed fever shortly after his birth; and as his father dies of cholera a few years later, he is entrusted to his nanny Sita to be brought to his uncle in the
Queen’s own Corps of GuidesThe Corps of Guides was a regiment of the British Indian Army. It was a unit with a formidable reputation for excellence, innovation, individual initiative, endurance, daring and toughness in battle.-History:...
in
MardanMardan is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, the second city of NWFP. It is located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E with an altitude of 283 metres lying the south-west of the district.It was part of the ancient Gandhara Civilization. Most of its land...
, the commander of which would see him brought to England. The return to England is delayed by the mutiny - Sita fears that the boy might be recognized as English by the mutineers and killed, and she decides to hide him as her own child. As they seek refuge and work in the (fictional) kingdom of Gulkote, time passes, and Ashton, going under the name Ashok, forgets that he is English. Working as a boy for the young yuveraj, Ashton befriends neglected princess Anjuli and master of stables Koda Dad as well as his son Zarin. Aged 11, Ashton uncovers a conspiracy against the yuveraj and learns of a plot to kill him as a witness. His friends help him and his foster mother escape the palace and flee across the country, at which time Sita dies, after telling Ashton of his true parentage and his destination. Reaching Mardan, Ashton is sent to England for a formal education. Feeling split loyalties due to his upbringing and the condescending attitude of his classmates and foster parents, Ashton returns to India as soon as he can to join the guides, where he carves out a career for himself through his bravery, inventiveness, and an intuitive connection to the "natives". His fierce sense of justice and fairness often makes him go loggerheads with his superiors, who eventually gladly send Ashton on a long away mission to escort a wedding procession through India. It is there that he unexpectedly meets his long forgotten friend Anjuli, who is one of the brides...
Characters in "The Far Pavilions"
- Ashton Hillary Akbar Pelham-Martyn
- Anjuli-Bai
- Koda Dad Khan
- Biju Ram
- Shushila-Bai
- Belinda Harlowe
- Kaka-ji Rao
- Walter Hamilton
Walter Richard Pollock Hamilton VC was born Inistioge, County Kilkenny and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He is featured in M. M...
- Zarin Khan
- Sita
- Lalji
- Captain Stiggins
- Jhoti
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
- In 1984 Peter Duffell directed a Goldcrest-produced epic three-part mini series based on the novel starring Ben Cross
Ben Cross is an English actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.- Early life :...
as Ashton, Amy IrvingAmy Davis Irving is an American actress, known for her roles in the films Crossing Delancey, The Fury, Carrie and Yentl as well as acclaimed roles on Broadway and off-Broadway...
as Anjuli, Omar SharifOmar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in many Hollywood films. He is most famous for his roles in Doctor Zhivago, Funny Girl and Lawrence of Arabia...
as Koda Dad and Christopher LeeSir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor. He initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
as Kaka-ji Rao. It was HBO's first mini series. The mini series ran 316 minutes, a theatrical edit of which ran 140 minutes (Titled "Blade Of Steel"), cutting out half the story. Although conventional in storytelling and photography, the mini series has ample production value (at a budget of $12 million it was the most expensive made-for-cable movie at the time) and is faithful to the book, cutting short only the youth of Ashton before his return to India. The epic score by Carl DavisCarl Davis CBE is an American conductor and composer who has been living in the UK since 1961.He has made England his home and married English actress Jean Boht...
has become a much sought-after collector's item.
There was a stage musical adaptation, produced by Michael E. Ward. The music was composed by Philip Henderson. It was premiered at The Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End on 14 April 2005 and closed in September of the same year. This was because of the sudden drop in audience numbers, due to the London Bombings. Budgeted at 7 million pounds, the show's cast featured
Hadley FraserHadley Fraser is an English stage actor. He made his critically acclaimed West End debut as Marius in Les Misérables. He also played the role of Tiernan in the recent Broadway show The Pirate Queen.-Biography:...
as Ashton,
Gayatri IyerGayatri Iyer is an Indian playback singer, primarily in Bollywood. She recently landed the part of Princess Anjuli in the West End of London musical production of M. M. Kaye's The Far Pavilions, scheduled to open in the summer of 2007....
as Anjuli,
Kulvinder GhirKulvinder Ghir, born in Nairobi, Kenya, is a British actor, comedian and writer of South Asian ancestry, best known for his roles in Rita, Sue & Bob Too, Blood & Peaches, and the sketch show Goodness Gracious Me....
as the Rana of Bhithor and
Kabir BediKabir Bedi is an internationally acclaimed Indian television and film actor. His film and television career has spanned across India, the United States and many European countries. He is noted for his role as Emperor Shah Jahan in Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story...
as Kahn Sahib.
A new feature film adaptation freely adapted from the novel is underway. Budgeted at $18 million, the film will be co-produced by Michael E. Ward and a major Indian film banner. The film will be released with the Hindi title of Yeh Chaar Hawaaein ["These Four Winds"] and in English as "The Far Pavilions".
DVD Release
The Far Pavilions 1984 Television Mini-Series is available on DVD in the UK and US
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086711/, distributed by
Acorn Media UKAcorn Media UK is a DVD publisher which distributes and sells distinctive home video products with a particular focus on British television.- Company history :The company was launched in 1997 when Lesley Fromant set up Acorn Media in the UK....
.
External links