The Lost Victory

by Khushwant Singh

The Lost Victory perfectly captures the cultural essence of 1942 and the urgency of this colourful and moving pageant of a nation about to throw off the yoke of foreign rule. Essentially, it is the story of Buta Singh, a shrewd and wily official working with the British, and of Sher Singh, his vain and ambitious son driven to rebellion against the foreign master. It is also the story of the women of the family—Champak, Sher’s beautiful wife, her wild passions bursting the bonds of century-old prohibitions, and Sabhrai, Sher’s mother, whose matriarchal strength sustains the family in its time of crisis. What happens to this family when a brutal and senseless murder sets father against son, wife against husband, is told against the background of an India torn by religious tension and fraternal strife.

Genres: Fiction

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2016

About the author

Khushwant Singh, (Punjabi: ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ, Hindi: खुशवंत सिंह) born on 2 February 1915 in Hadali, Undivided India, (now a part of Pakistan), was a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, was among the most widely-read columns in the country.

An important post-colonial novelist writing in English, Singh is best known for his trenchant secularism, his humor, and an abiding love of poetry. His comparisons of social and behavioral characteristics of Westerners and Indians are laced with acid wit.

Reviews

[Ayesha (Seokjin's Version) ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Am I the only one who thought this story deserved a better ending?

[Govind Pilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well build characters and backdrops,
It looked like Mr Singh is aiming at a ambitious end like from "The train to Pakistan ",
But a sublime end ( may be the writer himself got bored with the character build up) , the story ends just like that , without any major issues addressed,


Good read expect , based on the title and cover and the beginning of the book, I expected too much.

P.S

The first chapeter of the Book, was great really dramatic.

The character of the British commissioner is a lesson for bosses .

[Nuzhat Islam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite satisfying read. Characters developed slowly but strongly. Nicely written portrayal of a dysfunctional Indian family life and interesting perspective of political situation of the period. A very sensitive and insightful book.

[Batool Bokhari · Rating 3 out of 5]

they are right when they say that strong women make strong men. although Sher Singh was not a strong man, his mother, Sabhrai, certainly was the strongest woman. in fact, Sabhrai had all the strength of character that lacked in her husband and son. she was the the only one who was not a hypocrite. and even though I am glad the novel 'took a turn' during the last chapters and focused on her, I feel unfulfilled? because I was expecting more politics as the title implied - The Lost Victory. it should've stayed the old name, I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale, because it fits the tone better.

i found myself waiting for the climax throughout without knowing it had occurred. there was some depth but the lack of a conclusion to Champak and Madan's arcs made the ending weaker. another thing i didn't like was this, as postcolonial literature, painted the English Taylor's as the only honourable people with seemingly no flaws, while the Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus were full of them. author was also obsessed with sex, as is apparent by his other works. but i have to say the otherwise complexity of his main characters was nice. and this proved a good read to know more about Sikh culture, Indian customs and the prevailing tensions of the time.