The Day of the Scorpion — Paul Scott

Second in the epic quartet capturing life at the end of British rule in India, “an achievement of unusual dimensions and power” (The Observer (UK)).

In The Day of the Scorpion, Scott draws us deeper in to his epic of India at the close of World War II. With force and subtlety, he recreates both private ambition and perversity, and the politics of an entire subcontinent at a turning point in history.

As the scorpion, encircled by a ring of fire, will sting itself to death, so does the British raj hasten its own destruction when threatened by the flames of Indian independence. Brutal repression and imprisonment of India's leaders cannot still the cry for home rule. And during the chaos, the English Laytons withdraw from a world they no longer know to seek solace in denial, drink, and madness.

Praise for The Day of the Scorpion

“Classical and complex in structure, with a mystery at its center.” -- P. Albert Duhamel, New York Times Book Review

“[A] rich, elaborately terraced novel. . . . [Scott's] view of the crippling illusionary quests of men and nations, his ability to recreate a culture and a time, continue to mark him as a novelist of importance.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“An even richer tapestry of Indian and British character than its predecessor, with greater wealth and variety of incident. . . . [A] ramifying and exciting but beautifully constructed novel.” -- London Sunday Times (UK)

“Outstanding. . . . [Mr. Scott is] a writer who has thoroughly mastered his material and who can . . . work through a maze of fascinating detail without for a moment losing sight of distant and considerable objectives.” -- Times Literary Supplement (UK)