Gabriela Gomes Gomes itibaren Beli, Punjab 143517, India
I haven't read the other two books (The Singapore Grip and The Siege of Krishnapur) in Farrell's trilogy, but I've been meaning to for years. This book is magnificent in its evocation of Decline. On the deepest level, it's about the decline of the British Empire; every aspect of the novel reflects that theme, from the protagonist's anomie to the setting -- a once-grand, now derelict hotel "boiling with cats." I love love love that phrase, and it's definitely representative of Farrell's delicious, precise language. People say this one is the best of the trilogy; I guess I'll have to let you know.
This was car crash fiction - deeply repugnant subject but you can't help looking or in other words, it was compelling reading.
Everything Conroy writes is worth reading.