Get Your Free Audiobook
-
The Far Pavilions
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 48 hrs and 45 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
Non-member price: $58.52
People who bought this also bought...
-
Shadow of the Moon
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Tara Ochs
- Length: 34 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The author of The Far Pavilions returns us once again to the vast, intoxicating romance of India under the British Raj. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress come home to her beloved India. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her protector, who aches to possess her. Forged in the fires of a war that threatens to topple an empire, their tale is the saga of a desperate and unforgettable love that consumes all in its thrall.
-
-
A fantastic read
- By Amazon Customer on 27-01-2019
-
Trade Wind
- By: M.M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Rosemary Davis
- Length: 29 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1859 and Hero Hollis, beautiful and headstrong niece of the American consul, arrives in Zanzibar. It is an earthly paradise; it is also the last outpost of the Slave Trade. A passionate opponent of slavery, Hero is swept into a turmoil of royal intrigue, abduction, piracy, smuggling, and a virulent cholera epidemic. There in Zanzibar, the most cruelly beautiful island of the Southern Seas, she must choose her love and unravel her destiny.
-
The Secret River
- By: Kate Grenville
- Narrated by: Paul Blackwell
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife, Sal, and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot understand. But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to claim 100 acres for himself. Aboriginal people already live on that river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan, and Mrs Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them.
-
-
Wonderful vivid story telling!
- By Margaret on 10-10-2016
-
The Other Woman
- By: Daniel Silva
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason's name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin's most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West - a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel's vaunted secret intelligence service.
-
-
1st audio of a favourite series
- By Kindle Customer on 21-12-2019
-
Gai-Jin
- The Epic Novel of the Birth of Modern Japan
- By: James Clavell
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The heir to the magnificent English trading company, the Noble House; the direct descendant of the first Toranaga Shōgun, battling to usher his country into the modern age; a beautiful young Frenchwoman forever torn between ambition and desire - their lives intertwine in an exotic land newly open to foreigners, gai-jin, and torn apart by greed, idealism, and terrorism. Their passions mingle with monarchs and diplomats, assassins, courtesans, and spies.
-
-
Be prepared for Japan
- By Anonymous User on 15-12-2019
-
The Puzzle Women
- By: Anna Ellory
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1989. Siblings Rune and Lotte are shaken awake by Mama and told to follow her quietly into the night. Last time they snuck away from Papa, with Mama bruised and broken, they were back within a week. But this time they are starting a new life, Mama says - where nobody can ever hurt them again. Ten years later, the memories of their escape are blurry; Mama is long gone, and the siblings are back at Papa’s house.
-
Shadow of the Moon
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Tara Ochs
- Length: 34 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The author of The Far Pavilions returns us once again to the vast, intoxicating romance of India under the British Raj. Shadow of the Moon is the story of Winter de Ballesteros, a beautiful English heiress come home to her beloved India. It is also the tale of Captain Alex Randall, her protector, who aches to possess her. Forged in the fires of a war that threatens to topple an empire, their tale is the saga of a desperate and unforgettable love that consumes all in its thrall.
-
-
A fantastic read
- By Amazon Customer on 27-01-2019
-
Trade Wind
- By: M.M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Rosemary Davis
- Length: 29 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The year is 1859 and Hero Hollis, beautiful and headstrong niece of the American consul, arrives in Zanzibar. It is an earthly paradise; it is also the last outpost of the Slave Trade. A passionate opponent of slavery, Hero is swept into a turmoil of royal intrigue, abduction, piracy, smuggling, and a virulent cholera epidemic. There in Zanzibar, the most cruelly beautiful island of the Southern Seas, she must choose her love and unravel her destiny.
-
The Secret River
- By: Kate Grenville
- Narrated by: Paul Blackwell
- Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1806 William Thornhill, a man of quick temper and deep feelings, is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. With his wife, Sal, and their children he arrives in a harsh land he cannot understand. But the colony can turn a convict into a free man. Eight years later Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury to claim 100 acres for himself. Aboriginal people already live on that river. And other recent arrivals - Thomas Blackwood, Smasher Sullivan, and Mrs Herring - are finding their own ways to respond to them.
-
-
Wonderful vivid story telling!
- By Margaret on 10-10-2016
-
The Other Woman
- By: Daniel Silva
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason's name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin's most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West - a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel's vaunted secret intelligence service.
-
-
1st audio of a favourite series
- By Kindle Customer on 21-12-2019
-
Gai-Jin
- The Epic Novel of the Birth of Modern Japan
- By: James Clavell
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 50 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The heir to the magnificent English trading company, the Noble House; the direct descendant of the first Toranaga Shōgun, battling to usher his country into the modern age; a beautiful young Frenchwoman forever torn between ambition and desire - their lives intertwine in an exotic land newly open to foreigners, gai-jin, and torn apart by greed, idealism, and terrorism. Their passions mingle with monarchs and diplomats, assassins, courtesans, and spies.
-
-
Be prepared for Japan
- By Anonymous User on 15-12-2019
-
The Puzzle Women
- By: Anna Ellory
- Narrated by: Kristin Atherton
- Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1989. Siblings Rune and Lotte are shaken awake by Mama and told to follow her quietly into the night. Last time they snuck away from Papa, with Mama bruised and broken, they were back within a week. But this time they are starting a new life, Mama says - where nobody can ever hurt them again. Ten years later, the memories of their escape are blurry; Mama is long gone, and the siblings are back at Papa’s house.
-
The Glass House
- By: Eve Chase
- Narrated by: Katherine Press
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Outside a remote manor house in an idyllic wood, a baby girl is found. The Harrington family takes her in, and disbelief quickly turns to joy. They're grieving a terrible tragedy of their own, and the beautiful baby fills them with hope, lighting up the house's dark, dusty corners. Desperate not to lose her to the authorities, they keep her secret, suspended in a blissful summer world where normal rules of behaviour - and the law - don't seem to apply. But within days a body will lie dead in the grounds. And their dreams of a perfect family will shatter like glass.
-
The Empress
- A Novel
- By: Laura Martínez-Belli, Simon Bruni - translator
- Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s 1863. Napoleon III has installed a foreign monarch in Mexico to squash the current regime. Maximilian von Habsburg of Austria accepts the emperor’s crown. But it is his wife, the brilliant and ambitious Princess Charlotte, who throws herself passionately into the role. Known to the people as Empress Carlota, she rules deftly from behind the scenes while her husband contents himself with philandering and decorating the palace. But Carlota bears a guilty secret.
-
Under a Gilded Moon
- A Novel
- By: Joy Jordan-Lake
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 12 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Biltmore House, a palatial mansion being built by the Vanderbilts, American “royalty,” is in its final stages of construction in North Carolina. The country’s grandest example of privilege, it symbolizes the aspirations of its owner and the dreams of a girl, just as driven, who lives in its shadow. Kerry MacGregor’s future is derailed when, after two years in college in New York City, family obligations call her home to the beautiful Appalachians.
-
Jew(ish)
- A Primer, a Memoir, a Manual, a Plea
- By: Matt Greene
- Narrated by: Matt Greene
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What does it mean to be Jew(ish) in 2020? Caught between tradition and modernity, between a Jewish family and a non-Jewish son, Matt Greene ponders the big questions concerning identity, religion, family and Seinfeld. When his son was born to a non-Jewish mother, Matt began to consider the upbringing he'd put behind him - the sense of not belonging, the forbidden foods, the holidays that felt more like punishments.
-
Death in the Andamans
- By: M. M. Kaye
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 11 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Death in the Andamans is a masterpiece of mystery and romance from one of our most beloved authors. When a violent storm lashes the tiny Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, Copper Randal barely manages a safe return to Government House. She does get back in one piece with her hostess, Valerie Masson, Val's fiancé, and handsome naval officer Nick Tarrent, but one of the islanders is unaccounted for when the boats return to harbor.
-
An Artificial Light
- The Photographer's Saga, Book 2
- By: Petra Durst-Benning, Edwin Miles - translator
- Narrated by: Kathleen Gati
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1911. Certain things are expected of a woman. Defiant Mimi Reventlow has chosen to be the woman she wants to be. For now, that’s the resident, if temporary, photographer in Laichingen. Here, against the odds, in a vocation uncommon for her gender, she maintains a struggling studio. She cares for her aging uncle and mentor. She’s captured the affections of a roguish young local. And she dares to engage in a secret affair with Johann, the village’s prodigal son. But when tragedy strikes, Mimi’s world is thrown into a state of flux.
-
The Queen's Gambit
- By: Walter Tevis
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eight-year-old orphan Beth Harmon is quiet, sullen, and by all appearances unremarkable. That is, until she plays her first game of chess. Her senses grow sharper, her thinking clearer, and for the first time in her life she feels herself fully in control. By the age of 16, she's competing for the US Open championship. But as Beth hones her skills on the professional circuit, the stakes get higher, her isolation grows more frightening, and the thought of escape becomes all the more tempting.
-
-
Terrible narration, couldn't finish
- By Tenille Chapman on 07-12-2020
-
The Year of the Witching
- By: Alexis Henderson
- Narrated by: Brianna Colette
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches and so cleansed the land. And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel. It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother....
-
-
A glimpse back to the past
- By Anonymous User on 29-10-2020
-
The Promise
- By: May McGoldrick
- Narrated by: Gabrielle Baker
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a desperate journey to America, Rebecca Neville promises the dying wife of the Earl of Stanmore to raise and care for her newborn son, James. Once in the New World, Rebecca begins her new life - as a mother.... Ten years later, the Earl of Stanmore learns of the fate of his family. He sends to the colonies for his young heir so he can raise him as a peer of the realm. With no intention of forsaking her vow, Rebecca returns to England with James to face a future without her beloved charge. But she must also face her tumultuous past....
-
-
Sad story line
- By Kerry on 07-06-2018
-
The Diamond Hunter
- By: Fiona McIntosh
- Narrated by: Katy Sobey
- Length: 13 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When six-year-old Clementine Knight loses her mother to malaria during the 1870s diamond rush in southern Africa, she is left to be raised by her destitute, alcoholic father, James. Much of Clementine's care falls to their trusty Zulu companion, Joseph One-Shoe, and the unlikely pair form an unbreakable bond. When the two men uncover a large, flawless diamond, James believes he has finally secured their future, but the discovery of the priceless gem comes at a huge cost.
-
-
McIntosh at her storytelling best
- By Pat Toomer on 03-12-2019
-
Daughter of Moloka'i
- By: Alan Brennert
- Narrated by: Tamlyn Tomita
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This companion tale tells the story of Ruth, the daughter that Rachel Kalama - quarantined for most of her life at an isolated leprosy settlement - was forced to give up at birth. The book follows young Ruth from her arrival at the Kapi'olani Home for Girls in Honolulu to her adoption by a Japanese couple who raise her on a strawberry and grape farm in California, her marriage and unjust internment at Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II - and then, after the war, to the life-altering day when she receives a letter from a woman who says she is Ruth’s birth mother.
-
The Pearl of Penang
- Penang Series, Book 1
- By: Clare Flynn
- Narrated by: Victoria Riley
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evie Fraser, paid companion to a crotchety spinster, seems destined for a lonely life. Then, out of the blue, a marriage proposal arrives by post. She met the handsome Douglas Barrington just once - at his wedding - but never forgot him. Now widowed, plantation owner Douglas offers her a new life on the lush, exotic island of Penang. How can Evie resist?
Publisher's 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.
What listeners say about The Far Pavilions
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Janice YAPI
- 20-04-2016
Did not want it to stop.
Brilliant story, brave and courageous characters definitely worth the time.
As being mixed races myself I could relate to the gut feeling of not belonging to either one side or the other, but learning and accepting to be me.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Richard
- 21-06-2019
What a waste of time
I stuck at it expecting the story to get better, but it didn’t. The narrator was dreadful with an American and Indian accent. He was unable to replicate any English or Irish accent successfully and it left me dumbfounded at the lack of professionalism. Sorry won’t be coming back for any other audio versions of this author.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Simon
- 23-12-2016
pretty good
Overall this book did its job. I was after a long book to listen to when driving. and, for the most part, the storyline and writing style kept me interested. There was a definite dip with about 13 hours to go when I was tempted to give up but it picked up again after that so I'm glad I finished it.
I wouldn't specifically pick another book with this narrator. Some of the voices he used for characters were spot on but some others were difficult to put up with and his yearning tone was a real distraction at times.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 15-11-2020
A sweeping saga, spoiled by the narrator
once again, the pleasure of read a good book diminished by the North American narrator. This is an English book with an English protagonist and as such should have been read by an English narrator. As it was, despite handling the Indian accents well, tge narrator made no attempt to master even a half decent English accent. Disappointing.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kate
- 04-01-2020
Great start.... just too long and the pace died.
Loved the first half. Last half dragged on too much and was hard to get through.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tori
- 28-10-2019
An absolute treasure!
When I purchased this book I did not expect to find such a fantastic story inside. This is now one of my absolute favourite novels. The characters are so vivid and the story so well written that I couldn’t put it down! It is an absolute must read!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rebecca
- 18-09-2018
long but lovely
happy to have finished this book. long but lovely story..I have seen the telemovie.. happy to have read this book now..
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Storm18
- 31-07-2018
Great listen
This book was rich with description and s wonderful story of love and danger read it
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jordan
- 22-11-2017
Amazing Story of Cultural Identity
The story is great written with incredible detail and accuracy. The narrator did his research aswell, great voices, accents, and songs sung in tune.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Velan
- 19-02-2013
Heroism, adventure, sadistic cruelty, and love.
Any additional comments?
This book is altogether, a gripping adventure, and a story about conflicting personal identity. I first read this book over twenty years ago and remembered it as one of my all time favorites. I was shocked to discover no reviews had been written for this wonderful novel. If you decide to listen to this book you will not disappointed. The descriptions of India are breath-taking and rival the tales of that country written by Bryce Courtenay. Surprisingly, listening to the audio version was better than reading it. The Indian accents used in the narration made it utterly enjoyable. It is the story of an English boy born to a father who studies the people and dialects found in the foothills of the Himalayas. He becomes orphaned during a cholera outbreak around age 4 and has only an Indian nurse to aid him in his survival. It is a huge book but worth every page and not difficult to get through. The Far Pavilions is simply one of the best epic novels ever written. There is a ghastly description of the practice of Suttee; the burning alive of high born Hindu women on their husband's funeral pyre. But it is not too descriptive and gives a fascinating glimpse into the practice of Suttee. If you like tales of heroism, adventure, cruelty, survival, and love, you will not be disappointed.
89 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Erica
- 01-07-2013
Enjoyed every second of this 49 hour listen
I read this once, long ago, and remembered loving it. I keep an eye out for M. M. Kaye on audible and was really excited to see this become available. I was worried that I had built the novel up in my head and wouldn't enjoy it as much the second time around, but my fears were completely unfounded. Gripping, well-written main story, interesting time period as a backdrop and great narration. You won't be sorry.
28 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Walter C. Prentice
- 09-04-2013
Great Read
I read this book years ago when if first came out and liked it then. Rereading, listening to it on Audible, prompted me to pick the book up again as well.
I have recomended this book to a number of people who have no knowledge of "The Great Game" and it's relevance to the events of the last ten years in the former Raj.
The story is one third romance, one third adventure, and one third serious history of the Second Afgan War. I have read quotes from a number of British officers from that war that sound like they could have been made today.
18 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 25-05-2013
THIS IS NO ORDINARY NOVEL!!
What made the experience of listening to The Far Pavilions the most enjoyable?
If there could be a perfect novel, or book, than this is it. Everything you have ever wanted in a story is written on over 900 pages and it brought tears to my eyes to see it finally offered on Audible.
I have read this novel many times and everything else by M.M. Kaye, it is like finding a long lost friend and though I haven`t even listened to this program yet, I already know that it will be the best 48 hours of my reading history.
This is an epic story that covers ever emotion known to man, transporting you to far away places and lingers on your mind long after it ends.......
What other book might you compare The Far Pavilions to and why?
Shantaram
Have you listened to any of Vikas Adam’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
Not yet
Who was the most memorable character of The Far Pavilions and why?
Ashton
Any additional comments?
I wish there were a zillion more M. M. Kaye novels hidden somewhere and we just found them. I can dream!!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Great Tutu Kona
- 20-05-2013
Very entertaining read!
I had seen this book in a Showtime mini-series portrayal back in 1984. It's offered now on Netflix, and I revisited it again after purchasing the audible book. It is a great story, either way, and I can't say that one was better than the other.
As it is in many book-to-movie transitions, some key elements are left out and the timeline is altered. The book was lovely, just lovely until the rescue of Anjuli from the suttee ritual. The storyline is so much more fleshed out, and I was just swept away to 1860s India. The narrator had much to do with this. His wonderful Indian accent was seamless and so real. He even spoke the women's parts so believably. Charming all the way through.
However, I did find the book rather tedious after the rescue. It seemed to drag on. I think that the mini-series did a better job incorporating all the Afghanistan fighting before the rescue. I have to admit I played it at 2x speed a couple of times, because I really wanted to know what happened, I just didn't want to experience every bloody blow in real time. I will read it again in the future, because the narration was so good, the forbidden romance was so good, and Ash's back story, which was quite skimmed over in the mini-series, was very interesting.
22 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Julie C.
- 05-05-2014
Easily the best audiobook I've ever listened to!
What made the experience of listening to The Far Pavilions the most enjoyable?
The narrator! I'm in love! He can do thrilling, scary, tender, political, introspective or descriptive scenes and make you feel you're there--in the scene and in the character's mind. His accents are great and he does both male and female voices well.
The book! I'm in love with the book, too! It has everything--adventure, intrigue, romance, philosophy, character. I particularly like novels that contain truth and beauty in addition to a well-told story. This novel is about the need of humankind for unity instead of prejudice, and it winds it's way to that truth in beautiful descriptions as well as a gripping storyline. Only once or twice did I guess what was going to happen next; mostly I was surprised, which I liked.
What did you like best about this story?
The value placed on characters with moral virtue.
Have you listened to any of Vikas Adam’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, but now I will! Please ask him to narrate A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry--he would be perfect!
Any additional comments?
49 hours was not long enough for this book. I would have been happy if it went on for another 49. I'm so sad that it ended, but so glad that I listened to it.
As with other listeners, the long battle scenes at the end were not my favorite part of the book, but they were still good. They kept my interest, in fact, better than the long battle scenes near the end of War and Peace (which I read years ago and have not yet listened to). I was a little surprised that a female author wrote such involved battle scenes, in fact, but maybe that's why I found them a bit more palatable than I find battle scenes in general.
Overall, this book is beautiful, wise, and occasionally funny. It is also much like real life in the sense that it shows people picking their way through the entanglements of their relationships and society, making good choices and bad ones since they cannot see into the future, and taking the consequences of all their choices. It demonstrates the importance of integrity, honesty, compassion and tolerance. Thankfully we don't all have to brave danger and intrigue at every turn like the characters in this book (we do, but not at the life-and-death level), but we do all have to suffer through our tests in life and come out the other end with wisdom and compassion instead of bitterness and selfishness, so in that sense the story mirrored reality and was uplifting at the same time.
Maybe I should study archetypes a little more because I noticed that Ashok/Ashton was very much like Harry Potter in that his impulsivity gets him into trouble but his good character gets him out again, and Anjuli is much like Dorothea in Middlemarch in that her tolerance, patience and kindness get her into trouble because they carry naiveté with them, but as she continues to think about what she sees, she becomes wise enough to make better decisions for herself. I wonder if there are more such characters out there in the literary world because they're in all of us. Just a thought...
19 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Neil Chisholm
- 06-05-2013
A Romantic Epic
This is a HUGE book - at 80 hrs long its a commitment but for your money its excellent value as there are not just one story but many stories all of them well written and reasonably well told by Vikas Adam (although his british accent was woeful). There were slightly dull passages, there were incredibly exciting passages and there were boring bits that connected the stories.
M M Kaye published this as just the one massive book but in reality it could easily have been 4 big books. I think it would have been a better tale if it had been 4 books as the dull passages would have had to be more interesting to keep the reader reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and the final story of the Second Afghan war and the mission to Kabul was wonderfully written and terribly exciting - as a piece of descriptive writing it was amongst the best I heard. Sadly the end was predictable, soppy and very abrupt and it left me feeling disappointed that the ends weren't more appropriately tied off.
I'd recommend this book to those interested in life in the British Raj of 1870s, romantics who are looking for more than a bodice ripper and those who enjoy a long tale with lots of characters.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joodee
- 17-05-2015
Sweeping tale of India
The best kind of historical fiction. Tale of a young man growing up in two cultures. The characters are vivid, the time and place seem so real, the story moves at just the right speed. The narrator is excellent.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Denise E. Geoffrion
- 23-04-2015
Very long but, so very very good.
I love historical fiction, and this book was no disappointment. I learned a lot about India, and Afghanistan . the characters are engaging and fascinating . Being torn between two different worlds and not fitting in anywhere must be so difficult .
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- E Azevedo
- 03-02-2015
Long book well worth the time
This book was awesome and interesting from front to back. So well written. The characters were interesting and not always predictable.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Story

- Miss D Srao
- 13-03-2017
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.
40 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- MaDr8y
- 19-06-2013
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!
65 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mrs. Linda Hall
- 13-04-2014
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.
30 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Mrs H J Morrow
- 18-01-2015
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!
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- George
- 25-03-2014
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.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Chris B
- 09-09-2016
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.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- heather
- 17-06-2014
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.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- kim blake
- 02-01-2018
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 :(
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dr
- 20-07-2015
An epic story
If you could sum up The Far Pavilions in three words, what would they be?
Fascinating, evocative, gripping
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The escape from Bithor
Any additional comments?
This is a very long, sweeping saga that encompasses colonial India in a very nuanced way considering it's time.apart from some odd pronunciation errors the narration is excellent
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 20-02-2013
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!
8 people found this helpful
20 Best Fantasy Audiobooks
This genre is so full of talent, it can be difficult to know what to listen to next — so look no further than this list to get you started.



20 Best Nonfiction Audiobooks
From the entire history of humanity to astrophysics, to our gut and mental health, dig into this list and learn something new.



Best Australian Podcasts on Audible
Audible Original Podcasts are free for Audible members. Check out this list of home-grown content, from binge-worthy true crime to self-help.


