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Staying On

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About this listen

Tusker and Lily Smalley stayed on in India. Given the chance to return ‘home’ when Tusker, once a Colonel in the British Army, retired, they chose instead to remain in the small hill town of Pankot, with its eccentric inhabitants and archaic rituals left over from the days of the Empire. Only the tyranny of their imposing landlady threatens to upset the quiet rhythm of their days. Both funny and deeply moving, 'Staying On' is a unique, engrossing portrait of the end of an empire and of a forty-year love affair.

©1977 Paul Scott (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Heartfelt Inspiring Tear-jerking Witty
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This is a marvellous work- funny and poignant. The reading is of a very high standard. Thoroughly recommended.

Excellent story, excellently read.

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Beautifully written and beautifully read.
A slow-burn largely domestic narrative, in a liminal historical context, that leads to a heart-breaking final scene.
Quality work by a gifted writer.

Quality Literature

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It was such a poignant book and beautifully written. I don't know why it's taken me so long to discover Paul Scott. He must rank amongst the best English writers.

wonderful

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One of my favourite short novels.
A feel good, contemplative, humorous little tale of the sadness of later life relationships in the old British ex pat communities set against a reflection of the old days, good and bad.

Set in 1970's modern india with tinges of nostalgia for the days of the Raj although very little description of that era.
Here we see the slightly unfavorable petty bureaucracy and petty ruthless behaviour of the old British rulers, now passed on & imitated by new (if somewhat questionably sourced) monied Indians.
Marvelously commented on by the lower class servants who are treated no better by their own people and they too have nostalgia for the old days.

Wonderful witty narration too.

The ITV series is equally good.

But where are the full Raj Quartet Audible?
Only the Jewel in the crown is available.

An old favourite, beautiful, funny, sad, too short

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The juxtaposition of the various characters amidst the post Raj era was interesting although it took me a while to become involved with the story.

Interesting story set in post Raj India

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