Staying On
ISBN 9780226743493 | | |
| Preceded by | A Division of the Spoils (1974) | |
|---|---|---|
Staying On is a novel by
Background
According to the British Newspaper The Guardian, "Scott probably didn't know he was dying when he wrote "Staying On", and it does little good to speculate on whether intimations of mortality influenced him."[2]
Plot summary
Staying On focuses on Tusker and Lucy Smalley, who were briefly mentioned in the latter two books of the
Tusker was a colonel, a high rank in the British Indian Army. On his retirement, he had entered "the world of commerce" as a 'box wallah', and the couple had moved elsewhere in India. However, they had returned to Pankot to take up residence in the Lodge, an annexe to Smith's Hotel. This, formerly the town's principal hotel, was now symbolically overshadowed by the brash new Shiraz Hotel, erected by a consortium of Indian businessmen from the nearby city of Ranpur.
Life was treated as
It falls to Lucy to navigate a path between her husband's obstinacy and obtuseness and the increasingly pressing demands of India's slow transition to
It is clear she blames Tusker for insisting on 'staying on'—at one point they could have retired comfortably to England, but he has been reckless ("nothing goes quicker than hundred rupee notes"), and now she has no idea if they could afford it. She entreats him to tell her how she would stand financially if he were to die. At long last, he writes her a letter, setting out their finances and also remarking that she had been "a good woman" to him. But he also tells her not to ask him about it, as he is incapable of discussing it face to face: "If you do I'll only say something that will hurt you". Nevertheless, she treasures this, the only love letter she has ever received.
Meanwhile, we see the new India that is replacing the British Raj, symbolised by Mrs Lila Bhoolabhoy, the temperamental and overweight owner of Smith's Hotel, and her much put upon husband and hotel manager, who is Tusker's drinking companion. The richly humorous context includes the engagement of servants, the railway service, poached eggs, hairdressing and the church organ. There is an intimate relationship between the Smalleys' servant Ibrahim and Mrs Bhoolabhoy's maid Minnie.
Mrs Bhoolabhoy's greed induces her to trade her ownership of the now shabby Smith's hotel for a share in the competing consortium. She instructs Mr Bhoolabhoy to issue the Smalleys with a notice to quit the Lodge.
On receipt of this letter, Tusker flies into an impotent rage and drops dead of a heart attack. Lucy is downcast and puts on a brave face as she prepares for the funeral and a solitary life. But, at last, she would potentially be free to return to England, perhaps able to scrape by on her £1,500 a year. She is a survivor, because she can adapt, as is shown by the fact that, on the day of Tusker's death, she was about to break a previously upheld taboo and welcome her hairdresser, Susy, who is of mixed race, to dinner. In her imagination, she asks Tusker one last thing – to take her with him, for if she had been a good woman, as he wrote, why has he gone home without her?
Reception
Staying On was internationally accepted and was received with positive reviews, having won the Booker Prize in 1977. It is often regarded as a delightful conclusion to Scott's
The novel is set in the small hill town of
Adaptations
In 1980, the book was turned into a television film of same title produced by
References
- ^ "The Booker Prize 1977". thebookerprizes.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ Jordison, Sam (22 December 2008). "Booker club: Staying On". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Staying On by Paul Scott: Delightful End to Raj Quartet". Book Talker. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Ramachandran, Naman. "Staying On (1980)". Screenonline. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
External links
- Staying On at IMDb
