The Far Pavilions
Author | M. M. Kaye |
---|---|
Publisher | Allen Lane |
Publication date | September 1978 |
Media type | Print (hardcover) |
Pages | 1000 pp (first edition) |
The Far Pavilions is an epic novel of
Plot summary
Ashton Pelham-Martyn (Ash) is the son of a British
. After discovering that all English feringhis have been killed during the uprising, Sita adopts the dark-skinned Ash and takes him in search of safety.They eventually find refuge in the kingdom of Gulkote where Ashton, now going by the name Ashok, forgets his English parentage and grows up as a native Indian boy. While working as a servant for Lalji, the young yuveraj (crown prince) of Gulkote, Ashton befriends the neglected princess Anjuli, in addition to the master of stables, Koda Dad, and his son Zarin. At the age of 11, Ashton uncovers a murderous conspiracy against Lalji and learns he himself will be killed for interfering with the plot. Promising Anjuli he will return for her one day, he and Sita escape the palace with assistance from friends whom Sita and Ashton have made within the palace over the years, and they flee from Gulkote. The ailing Sita dies en route, but not before revealing to Ash his true parentage and entrusting him with the letters and money his father gave her before his death.
Ashton makes his way to the military division Sita instructed him about, and they recognise him; now known by his English name, Ashton is turned over to English authorities and sent to England for a formal education and military training. At age 19, Ashton returns to India as an officer in the
After going
Two years later, Ash receives distressing news that the rana of Bhithor is dying and that his wives are to be burned alive in the Hindu ritual of suttee. Racing Bhithor, Ash and his friends manage to rescue Anjuli and take her to safety; this rescue results in the death of not only Ash's beloved horse but also most of the human members of the party. He insists upon marrying Anjuli, despite the insistence of all other members of his group of acquaintances, including Anjuli, that this is not only unnecessary but against God's Law.
Here the book's focus shifts from the relationship between Ash and Anjuli to England's and Russia's
After the uprising in Kabul, Ash and Anjuli set out in search of a paradise in the Himalayas – "the far pavilions" – free of prejudice where they can live out their lives in peace.
Critical reception
On 5 November 2019,
Characters
- Ashton (Ashok) Pelham-Martyn
- Anjuli-Bai
- Koda Dad Khan
- Biju Ram
- Mrs. Viccary
- Shushila-Bai
- Belinda Harlowe
- Kaka-ji Rao
- Walter Hamilton
- Zarin Khan
- Sita
- Lalji
- Jhoti
- Louis Cavagnari
- Wigram Battye
- Captain Red Stiggins
- Angus McNulty
Film, TV and theatrical adaptations
Miniseries
For HBO and Goldcrest, and first screened in 1984 in the UK, Peter Duffell directed a five-hour three-part television miniseries based on the novel, starring Ben Cross as Ashton, Amy Irving as Anjuli, Omar Sharif as Koda Dad and Christopher Lee as Kaka-ji Rao. It was HBO's first mini series,[3] the complete version runs for 300 minutes,[4][5][6] and the parts were titled "Return to India", "The Journey to Bhithor", and "Wally and Anjuli". (The current DVD release splits each of these parts into two, creating 6 parts each of about 50 minutes, adding a credit section at the newly created break in each part, and removes the title card names of the original parts.)
A theatrical release of the series, titled Blade of Steel,[citation needed] ran 140 minutes, cutting half the story. Although conventional in storytelling and photography, the mini series had ample production value (at a budget of $12 million it was the most expensive made-for-cable film at the time)[7][8] and is faithful to the book, although cutting short the youth of Ashton before his return to India, and transposing the Afghan rebellion and Ash's rescue of Anjuli. Carl Davis composed the score. Much of the film was shot in the precincts of Samode Palace.[citation needed]
Goldcrest Films invested £6,755,000 in the production; it incurred a loss of £2 million.[9]
The 1984 television mini-series was made available on DVD in the UK and US, distributed by
Musical
A stage musical adaptation of The Far Pavilions, produced by Michael E. Ward, with music composed by Philip Henderson, premiered at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End on 14 April 2005, after two weeks of previews. Despite being booked until 14 January 2006, The Far Pavilions closed on 17 September 2005, following an announcement on 17 August 2005. The musical received mixed reviews, but its closing early was attributed to a steep drop in ticket sales subsequent to the 7/7 London bombings. Budgeted at 4 million pounds,[10] the musical's cast featured Hadley Fraser as Ashton, Simon Gleeson as Walter, Gayatri Iyer as Anjuli, Kulvinder Ghir as the Rana of Bhithor and Kabir Bedi as Kahn Sahib.
While in India in March 2006 (to scatter M M Kaye's ashes over Lake Pichola) Michael E. Ward announced that he had written the script for a sequel to The Far Pavilions, titled Fireflies, whose projected stage premiere was to be in Mumbai in January 2007, with Ward hoping for a subsequent London stage engagement and a film version.[11] There are no evident subsequent reports of any progress in this projected sequel to The Far Pavilions.
Audio drama
The Far Pavilions was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in the UK. It was broadcast in twenty 15-minute episodes between 31 January 2011 and 25 February 2011, and repeated on BBC Radio 4 Extra in July and August 2015 and in February 2020.
References
- ^ "'Far Pavilions' author M.M. Kaye dies". USA Today. 4 February 2004. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
- ^ "100 'most inspiring' novels revealed by BBC Arts". BBC News. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
The reveal kickstarts the BBC's year-long celebration of literature.
- ^ Tsering, Lisa (17 July 2003). "Victor Banerjee to star in London musical". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ "Hbo Gambles on a Costly Mini-Series". The New York Times. 15 April 1984.
- ^ New York Media LLC (23 April 1984). "New York Magazine". New York Media, LLC. Retrieved 7 September 2019 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The Albany Sunday Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2007). "The Far Pavilions (1984)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ Tom Shales, 'TV Previews Plodding "Pavilions"', The Washington Post (21 April 1984).
- Faber and Faber. p. 657.
- ^ "Review: The Far Pavilions". LondonTheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
- ^ "The sequel to Far Pavilions will be staged in Mumbai". Daily News and Analysis dnaindia.com. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
External links
- A page dedicated to author M. M. Kaye
- Entry about the mini series at the Internet Movie Database
- Website dedicated to The Far Pavilions