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  • The Far Pavilions

  • By: M. M. Kaye
  • Narrated by: Vikas Adam
  • Length: 48 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (461 ratings)
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The Far Pavilions cover art

The Far Pavilions

By: M. M. Kaye
Narrated by: Vikas Adam
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Summary

When The Far Pavilions was first published 19 years ago, it moved the critic Edmund Fuller to write this: "Were Miss Kaye to produce no other book, The Far Pavilions might stand as a lasting accomplishment in a single work comparable to Margaret Mitchell's achievement in Gond With the Wind." From its beginning in the foothills of the towering Himalayas, M. M. Kaye's masterwork is a vast, rich, and vibrant tapestry of love and war that ranks with the greatest panoramic sagas of modern fiction.

The Far Pavilions is itself a Himalayan achievement, a book we hate to see come to an end. it is a passionate, triumphant story that excites us, fills us with joy, move us to tears, satisfies us deeply, and helps us remember just what it is we want most from a novel.

©1978 M.M. Kaye (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Far Pavilions

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    266
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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Performance
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  • 4 Stars
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Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lovely story. Shame about the narration!!!

What did you like best about The Far Pavilions? What did you like least?

I have known and loved this story for more than twenty years. Despite misgivings about the sound of the story when I listened to the excerpt, I went ahead and bought this title because I just wanted it to be all right.

What didn’t you like about Vikas Adam’s performance?

Oh, dear. Why, oh why use someone of Indian origin (fine and appropriate) but with an American accent(!) to read a story of an English boy raised as an Indian in the aftermath of the Great Mutiny, then sent to England to be educated as his father's son, returning to India as an English army officer? The narrator just sounds so wrong whenever he speaks as an English person.....there are so many American-style mispronunciations to an English ear (Torquay = Torkway / Torkay; roan = rowan; subaltern = subALLtern; route = rout, etc., etc., etc...) and he has no idea at all of how well-spoken English people of the mid-19th century would have sounded. For example, poor Wally, who we are told lapsed into "occasional use of brogue", comes over as comic 'Oirish' every time he opens his mouth. Admittedly, I now know that 'Zarin' shoul be pronounced as 'Zareen', but that is not enough to make up for all the cringing I am doing as I listen.Such a shame!

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81 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous story but TERRIBLE narration

This is a great story, highs and lows, tears and laughter, but what ruined it throughout was the excruciatingly bad narration. The English accent was American/Canadian, and the Welsh and Irish accents were like nails down a blackboard. They were appalling in fact and totally distracted from the story. It was a 5 star book but the narration ruined it.

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50 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book pity about the pronunciation

Would you listen to The Far Pavilions again? Why?

Yes, because the story transports you back in time to the Raj.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ashok. Just watching him mature.

What aspect of Vikas Adam’s performance might you have changed?

His pronunciation. For goodness sake the word Quayside was pronounced Kwayside instead of Keyside. Same with Torquey. Other words too many to mention. His voice did not reflect the depth of character of Ashok and others.

Any additional comments?

Would have enjoyed the book more with a different narrator.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book

I read this book many years ago and was delighted to find it in the Audible collection. Really couldn't bare to stop listening and feel bereft now it is finished.
My only tiny gripe is the accents the American narrator tried poorly to emulate - his Irish accent was almost funny at times. I did get used to it though and it didn't spoil this fantastic story!

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A ripping yarn, shame about the reader

This is a great story, and whilst not being classic literature, captivates the listener from beginning to end. It's immense but usually gripping and you don't notice the length of the book. I have to agree with the reviewers who comment on the choice of narrator. To be fair to Mr Adam, he does the Indian accent very well, and fortunately most of the dialogue is between native Indian speakers. But he really struggles with the English colonists and his Irish accent is truly laughable. It's a shame because it intrudes with the story. They really should have tried someone like Sam Dastor, who did such a wonderful job narrating A Passage to India and who had the same challenges. But it's worth listening to all the same, and maybe the English (and the Irish!) would be the only ones to notice.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book, beautifully read

This is a wonderful story set in India at the time of the 1857 Mutiny. It is an epic story of romance, love, war and friendship which you will find hard to put down, and even harder to forget. I have read this many times but this is the first time I have been able to listen to it as an audiobook, and I have not been disappointed. The reader - Vikas Adam - is excellent, bringing the story and characters to life.

Highly recommended!

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

So disappointed

This is one of my favourite books and I only listened for ten minutes. What a strange choice of narrator. Afraid this did not work for me at all. I have marked the story as 5 star as I know it well - but afraid the performance and overall did not rate any stars at all :(

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Far Pavilions

What made the experience of listening to The Far Pavilions the most enjoyable?

Great story - especially given the English / Indian contrast and Ash's position between them

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The English accent and pronunciation occasionally grated and was far too american to be believable as upper class 19th century English.

Any additional comments?

Far more enjoyable that the film, since the book is able to provide far more detail and context of Ash's experiences growing up in both India and England.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An Epic Tale

A wonderful story of India during the Raj the politics the backstabbing and intrigue all rolled into a tale of innocence danger love lost, love found, and love forbidden.Well read apart from a few misprenunciations eg Himalayas pronounced Him-Are-Lee-Has,but easily forgiven as you can think of the narrator as Ash himself.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Loved it!

I read this book when it first came out and really enjoyed it - so it was great to find it in a different format that I can now enjoy while at the gym. It's a long, long book but this simply means the opportunity to get more depth into the characters. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

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5 people found this helpful