▁novel ▁The ▁Corn ▁King ▁and ▁the ▁Spring ▁Queen ▁( 1 9 3 1 ) ▁is ▁regarded ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁historical ▁novel ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Mary ▁Ren ault ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁historical ▁nov els ▁set ▁in ▁An cient ▁Greece . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁fict ional ▁port ray als ▁of ▁These us , ▁S ocr ates , ▁Pl ato ▁and ▁Alexander ▁the ▁Great , ▁she ▁wrote ▁a ▁non - f iction ▁bi ography ▁of ▁Alexander . ▁The ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Kr ish nap ur ▁( 1 9 7 3 ) ▁by ▁J . ▁G . ▁Far rell ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁" out standing ▁novel ". ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁events ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁sie ges ▁of ▁Ca wn p ore ▁and ▁L uck now , ▁the ▁book ▁details ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁a ▁fict ional ▁Indian ▁town , ▁Kr ish nap ur , ▁during ▁the ▁Indian ▁Reb ell ion ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 7 ▁from ▁the ▁perspective ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁residents . ▁The ▁main ▁characters ▁find ▁themselves ▁subject ▁to ▁the ▁increasing ▁strict ures ▁and ▁dep riv ation ▁of ▁the ▁sie ge , ▁which ▁revers es ▁the ▁" normal " ▁structure ▁of ▁life ▁where ▁Europe ans ▁govern ▁Asian ▁subjects . ▁The ▁abs urd ity ▁of ▁the ▁class ▁system ▁in ▁a ▁town ▁no ▁one ▁can ▁leave ▁becomes ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁com ic ▁in vention , ▁though ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁serious ▁in ▁intent ▁and ▁tone . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁genre ▁has ▁evol ved ▁since ▁its