Summary of The Masters
In 1937, a Cambridge University college is preparing to elect a new ‘Master’ – the head of the institution. Two candidates contend for the prestigious office: Crawford, a physiologist with left-leaning views, and Jago, a conservative administrator. Their conflicting ambitions and personalities set the stage for a tense election, as each tries to win over colleagues and secure power.
Reasons to read The Masters
“The Masters” is a classic English campus novel, offering an insightful portrait of power politics and intrigue within a university setting. It is the fifth novel in C.P. Snow’s “Strangers and Brothers” series (which begins with “George Passant”) and is often regarded as his masterpiece. “The Masters” and its successor “The New Men” were jointly awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1954. The series has been adapted multiple times for stage, radio, and television.
Setting: Cambridge (England, UK)
The fictional college in “The Masters” is likely modelled on Christ’s College, Cambridge, where C.P. Snow completed his doctorate in physics.
Original title: The Masters
Year of publication: 1951
Nr of pages: 466
