The History Book Club discussion

Hello Everyone,

For the week of November 2nd - November 8th, we are reading BOOK ONE: 1945 -Section Three - The Moghul Room - Chapter One (pg. 331 - 352) and Section Four - The Dak Bungalow - Chapter One (pg. 355 - 368) ~ A Division of the Spoils -Book IV,(pg. 332 - 368).

The week's reading assignment is:

WEEK TEN- November 2nd ~ BOOK ONE: Section Three ~ The Moghul Room (pg. 331 - 352), Section four - The Dak Bungalow - Chapter One - pg. 355 - 368

We will open up a thread for each week's reading. Please make sure to post in the particular thread dedicated to those specific chapters and page numbers to avoid spoilers. We will also open up supplemental threads as we did for other spotlighted books.

This book was kicked off on August 31st.

We look forward to your participation. Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other noted on line booksellers do have copies of the book and shipment can be expedited. The book can also be obtained easily at your local library, local bookstore or on your Kindle. Make sure to pre-order now if you haven't already. This weekly thread will be opened up on November 2nd.

There is no rush and we are thrilled to have you join us. It is never too late to get started and/or to post.

Jill will be leading this discussion and back-up will be Bentley.

Welcome,

~Bentley

TO ALWAYS SEE ALL WEEKS' THREADS SELECT VIEW ALL

by Paul Scott

REMEMBER NO SPOILERS ON THE WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREADS - ON EACH WEEKLY NON SPOILER THREAD - WE ONLY DISCUSS THE PAGES ASSIGNED OR THE PAGES WHICH WERE COVERED IN PREVIOUS WEEKS. IF YOU GO AHEAD OR WANT TO ENGAGE IN MORE EXPANSIVE DISCUSSION - POST THOSE COMMENTS IN ONE OF THE SPOILER THREADS. THESE CHAPTERS HAVE A LOT OF INFORMATION SO WHEN IN DOUBT CHECK WITH THE CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY TO RECALL WHETHER YOUR COMMENTS ARE ASSIGNMENT SPECIFIC. EXAMPLES OF SPOILER THREADS ARE THE GLOSSARY, THE BIBLIOGRAPHY, THE INTRODUCTION AND THE BOOK AS A WHOLE THREADS.

Notes:

It is always a tremendous help when you quote specifically from the book itself and reference the chapter and page numbers when responding. The text itself helps folks know what you are referencing and makes things clear.

Citations:

If an author or book is mentioned other than the book and author being discussed, citations must be included according to our guidelines. Also, when citing other sources, please provide credit where credit is due and/or the link. There is no need to re-cite the author and the book we are discussing however.

If you need help - here is a thread called the Mechanics of the Board which will show you how to cite books:

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...

Introduction Thread:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Table of Contents and Syllabus

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Glossary

Remember there is a glossary thread where ancillary information is placed by the moderator. This is also a thread where additional information can be placed by the group members regarding the subject matter being discussed.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Bibliography

There is a Bibliography where books cited in the text are posted with proper citations and reviews. We also post the books that the author used in his research or in his notes. Please also feel free to add to the Bibliography thread any related books, etc with proper citations. No self promotion, please.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...


Book as a Whole and Final Thoughts - SPOILER THREAD

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

by Paul Scott

Chapter Overview and Summary

Hari Kumar is finally released from prison and goes to live with his aunt. He takes a job teaching English to private students. Gopal and Rowan try to help as much as they can but all doors for a better job are closed to Hari. Perron says that he will try when he gets home to find something for Hari in England.

Rowan gives him the transcript (all others have been destroyed) of the interview and Perron is convinced once and for all of Hari's innocence.

Perron is notified that he is going home....his days in India are at a close. He meets Sarah who tells him she is not sure what her parents will do as far as staying in India. He and Sarah go to the Summer Residence which is now deserted except for servants and they go into the Moghul Room.

The narrator now becomes Sarah who has just learned that Barbie is dead. (Remember we are crossing time lines throughout this read). She also reflects on the fact that her mother may have had an affair with Kevin Coley. The family goes to the Trehearn's for supper and encounter Edgar Drew, a nervous gauche young man who may have some attraction to Susan. Sarah's father is quite nervous at the supper when he hears the Trehearn's dogs and Sarah realizes how much his time as a POW has affected him.

Do you think that Hari is going to be more publicly condemned for the supposed rape, the trumped-up political activities, or neither? And will it only be the British who will blame him or will the Indians do so as well since Hari does not fit into his own culture.

Or has the public in general forgotten about Hari, though he has kept our attention throughout the book, even in his absence?

I think Hari has been beaten down a great deal in prison - his joie de vivre had been dashed to bits. I think it was the times - here was a person who did not fit into the new India because he was so British.

Here once again we see the nervous tics from the father's imprisonment.

I think that Hari wants some peace in his life - that is just my conjecture after so much turmoil and disappointment.

I do think that they had an obligation to tell him that he was the father but you know maybe Lady Manners did not want to upset the girl and wanted to raise her a certain way.

I think that Lady Manners did not want Daphne/Hari's child ever to know about the situation in India; how her Mother was condemned by British society; her father sent to prison on false charges; and the fact that he is still alive. Lady M. took on the responsibility of raising the girl and intended to raise her in England, away from the gossip and knowing looks that she would have received by the British in India. The child may find out at some time later in life the complete story, probably after Lady Manners' death. but at least her childhood would not be marked by it. Should Hari be told?.....that is a tough question especially if it could result in his looking for the child (which I doubt that he would do) but nobody was taking any chances, so he was not told.

I am not sure what Hari would do or not - but I think he would have liked to have a relationship with the child even at a distance. I will leave at that for now.

I think Lady Manners and whatever she did was to protect the child.

Folks, Jill has a close family member in the hospital - so she will be back in a day or two.

In the meantime - please feel free to post to the thread or to the other Raj threads.

Hopefully Jill will be back this weekend. Just wanted to give the Raj readers an update. Her close family better is doing a bit better.