The Towers of Silence Audiobook By Paul Scott cover art

The Towers of Silence

The Raj Quartet, Book 3

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The Towers of Silence

By: Paul Scott
Narrated by: Richard Brown
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India, 1943. In a regimental hill station, the ladies of Pankot struggle to preserve the genteel facade of British society amid the debris of a vanishing empire and World War II. This volume follows the fates of the Laytons and a retired missionary teacher, all of whom can foresee the end of the Raj - and both welcome and lament its passing.

Listen to all four titles in the Raj Quartet.©1984 Paul Scott (P)2010 Random House Genre Fiction Movie, TV & Video Game Tie-Ins Fiction

Critic reviews

"Remarkable....Never has the theme - relations between Europeans and non-Europeans - been treated as brilliantly." (The New Yorker)
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loved it the mini the miniseries was very true to it but this book has such depth and great Reflections on what colonialism means.

great insights and very well read. part 3 of 4.

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This is the third book in the series about India during the time it was a colony of England.
I listened to the first two books and was looking forward to continue the series.
I found the start of this book pretty boring, but soon changed my mind.
The story goes back to the events and the characters in book 1 and 2, a more elaborate explanation of those events, and characters.
It then becomes very interesting. Some descriptions are very touching.
The narrator was subject to negative criticism by some, but I found him to be pleasant to listen to and a good choice.
I am looking forward to starting book number 4, the last in the series.
My thanks to all involved in making this book available to us, JK.

INTERESTING

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Any additional comments?

One reviewer noted that the formality of the narrator, whose voice and approach seems to embody British Imperialism, distracted from the audiobook. I disagree. Richard Brown improves over time and worth listening to in all the three remaining Raj Quartet novels. His formal tone actually makes sense in light of the themes of the book, and his ability to do various characters voices grows significantly. Don't let his formal tone deter you. These books are superior and brilliant, and very well worth your time.

Comment on narration

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I read the Raj Quartet decades ago and loved it, and have decided to listen to them as audiobooks. Decades later, I see why I loved them in my younger days. This is great literature, depicting a period in history with sensitivity and social comment. The narrator is atrocious (I sped him up a bit to make him a bit more tolerable). I wrote that in my book 2 review - the first volume is available with a good narrator, and it is a shame they never continued with new versions of the remaining three. Richard Brown has a singsong tone all the way through, barely distinguishes between characters, and makes everyone sound as if they are constantly sneering or condescending to someone else. Truly a shame. Paul Scott deserves better.

Great literature almost destroyed by narrator

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