The Siege of Krishnapur, Troubles: Introduction by John Sutherland

Set against the backdrop of the declining British Empire, one novel explores a British outpost during the 1857 Indian Mutiny, revealing the fragility of their perceived superiority amidst siege. The other follows a World War I veteran in 1919 Ireland, searching for his lost fiancée in her family's decaying seaside hotel, now overrun by animals and neglect. As he navigates the crumbling structure, he observes the Empire's fading influence and the brewing unrest of the Irish "Troubles," intertwining personal and historical narratives.