Fiction set in the British Empire/Raj

[MyCatIsBatman11]

A Passage to India has given me a thirst for more fiction set in the British Empire - all I can think of is the beginning of The Secret Garden and Rudyard Kipling's books. Any other recommendations?

[500Decibels]

The Seige of Krishnapur by G J Farrell.

[AtAmber]

My favourite book! The Far Pavillions by MM Kaye.

[CarmelasFridge]

I liked this:
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KFDR01E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o05_&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[mateysmum]

If you fancied something non fiction but really entertaining try "White Mughals" by William Dalrymple.

[Cathpot]

The death of Mr love by Indra sinha

[Cathpot]

It's set across time zones but flashes back to the end of empire.

[DuchessofMalfi]

I've found this list on Goodreads. It claims to have over 170 books set in India during colonial times. Hopefully there will be something on there that appeals? :)

[DuchessofMalfi]

Correction - it's not just India, but any part of the British Empire but it does seem to have quite a few books set in India.

[MollyMaDurga]

Salman Rushdie's Midnight Children.

[motherinferior]

There's not much, in all honesty - certainly not pre-1857 (the uprising or 'mutiny'). Amitav Ghosh's Ibis grim it is good - I'm just reading a review copy of the final one; Miranda Carter's Poison Vine (or similar) title is ok but it's a bit of a Jolly Romp.

[OttiliaVonBCup]

Big second for the Siege of Krishnapur.
Brilliant book.

[NannyR]

this is a really good book, it's non-fiction but gives some interesting stories about the lives of ordinary British families living in India from late 1700s to 1945.

[MyCatIsBatman11]

Ooh ta Duchess, great list

Howcanitbe I managed to catch bits and pieces of the Jewel In The Crown tv series on some obscure digital channel and enjoyed it - good to hear the books are great too! I might check them out

[magimedi]

Jewel In The Crown is one of the best series of books I have ever read.

I really, really envy you having them for the first time.

[Fishandjam]

The John Masters novels are quite good, though perhaps rather dated now in terms of their attitudes/values. You also have to like whodunits!

[Fishandjam]

Also, the early Sharpe novels by Bernard Cornwell - not the most literary of reads, but good storytelling and he's meticulous in his research.

[MorrisZapp]

A Good Education for Girls is a Victorian romp, very dark and funny, about two sisters with a mad inventor dad, living in a rotting pile in England. Large chunks of it are set in India, it's very well done. Forget the authors name but it'll be on Amazon.

[tormentil]

The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh

seconding The Death of Mr Love by Indra Sinha

[NadiaWadia]

Another vote for Paul Scott's Raj Quartet, beginning with 'the Jewel in the Crown'. I first read them quite a few years ago and absolutely loved them. And had previously watched the TV series. Although I quite enjoyed Channel 4's recent series 'Indian Nights' (did you see it?) it was not a patch on the 'Jewel in the Crown' series. I don't know if 'Indian Nights' was based on books as well, does anyone know?

But surely the most famous classic book set during the 'Raj' is EM Forster's 'A Passage to India'? Surprised nobody has mentioned this yet.

[NadiaWadia]

Oops silly me! I see you mention it in your OP and that's the whole point of the thread. That'll teach me to RTFT properly!

[thinkofablinkingnamewoman]

Zemindar by Valerie Fitzgerald - her only book but it's an excellent saga that doesn't shy away from some of the tougher stuff

[cdtaylornats]

Slightly different
The Peshawar Lancers by S.M. Stirling

[LapinDeBois]

If you're happy to read children's/young adult books, then I would hugely recommend The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden, about a teenage girl who goes from an English boarding school to live with her father in India. I absolutely love it - fantastic characters, and very atmospheric.

Once you've read the wonderful Raj quartet, don't forget the 'sequel', called Staying On.