Customer Reviews

Penguin Classics Passage To India

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

A chance encounter between Dr. Aziz and two English ladies at a mosque in Chandrapore, India would be uneventful if the elderly Mrs. Moore hadn't been so taken with the charming young doctor, and he with her. Mrs. Moore and her future daughter-in-law, Adela Quested, are captivated by the country on their visit and want to see more of the real India. Unfortunately, they get more than they bargained for during a planned visit to the Marabar Caves outside the city, which leads to misunderstandings and courtroom drama that changes lives forever.

A Passage to India is E.M. Forster's most famous novel and for good reason. The book says a great deal about British attitudes toward the Indian culture and people during the 1920's. Forster portrays a love-hate relationship among key players. The difference in cultures and lack of understanding is superbly drawn, as is the barely concealed disdain between the British and locals. You can almost feel the simmering animosity threatening to erupt into a full explosion.

The book is fairly long at 421 pages, yet I wished I'd known more about how secondary characters dealt with the aftermath of the trial. Forster barely mentions some of the characters afterward, which is a shame. Still, this is my favorite of his collection, and well worth reading.

First published in 1924, over the vast sweeping landscape of India under British rule A Passage to India examines the cultural differences between the Indians and the English.

As the novel opens Ms. Adela Quested and her potential mother in-law, Mrs. Moore arrives in Chandrapore India. They both have the desire to see the real India and not just hang out with other British citizens. Mrs. Moore becomes friends with a local, Dr Aziz who promises to show her and Ms. Quested the famous Marabar caves. While at the caves, a possible incident occurs that alters the lives of all of the characters involved.

I can see why this book is on the top 100 books to read list. It is a must, especially for Classic lovers and those interested in British rule India!

It's a pleasure to hear E.M. Forster's A Passage To India brought to life under the studied British accent of Sam Dastor: it offers a fine performance which brings to life the story of Adela Quested, who arrives in India prepared to marry a British magistrate and soon finds an attraction in a doctor who offers to show her the 'real' India. Her involvement with him will change her life and end the British rule in India in this lively classic which is pure audio pleasure.

I wasn't particularly looking forward to reading A Passage to India. Forster, in my mind, seemed to suggest implausible romance, pretty scenery, and Helena Bonham Carter, and I'd never actually bothered to read one of his books.
Now I can hardly wait to read another. I absolutely loved this book, without quite knowing why it was so magical. I do know that I found the first chapter absolutely perfect, as it allows the reader to go into a "descriptive section" daze, and then jerks are attention suddenly back to the Marabar caves. And with the exception of one or two patches that dragged a little but were soon over, I found the rest of the book equally magnetic.
I enjoyed Fortster's deftness in portraying all the characters, not so much as individuals, but in terms of how they felt about each other. In particular I loved the relationship between Fielding and Aziz, while understanding completely the dislike each had for aspects of the others character.
The ending is marvelous. So often books that hold your interest like this just peter out, but it's refreshing to find an author like Forster who understands that what makes for an ideal conclusion is to give the readers a taste of what they want, and then hold back the last little bit.

Forster writes late in the book,"...composed in English to indicate His universality." But does using English really make one belong? In the book, all the primary characters communicate with one another in English but miscomprehension abounds; there is a disconnect. The disconnect is both vertical and horizontal: a disconnect between the English and the Indians but also one among the English and among the Indians. And, here, there, moments of reaching out to the other interrupt the prevailing tension.

This is the first Forster book that I've read completely. I have seen all the movie adaptations of his books (except A Pssage To India) and have enjoyed them thoroughly. But an attempt at reading A Room With A View wasn't at all successful (stopped twice at chapter 3) and I gave up (perhaps a little too hastily) reading any of the books themselves. Recently however, I have become intrigued with Indian authors and books about India and suddenly, A Passage to India popped into my mind and I picked up a copy. Forster's prose reminds me of F. Scott Fitzgerald's in its
nuanced simplicity although the former can at times become somewhat abstract. Forster conveys the complexity of colonial India but the read was spectacularly easy, aided by many humorous points. Halfway through the book, I was so impressed by the book and wondered if it had made it onto the Modern Library's best 100 works of fiction in the 20th century. And it did.

I think this book was great. It shows the way life was in India during the British control. It was good. It couldnt of been more correctly writen. Forester was a great writer that captured the essaence of india.

E.M. Forster's 320-page novel probes the intimate workings of the human heart and mind, especially when brought into the stark, Victorian contrast of cross-cultural prejudice. Set in India during the Raj (British imperialsim at its height and worst), the story reveals how Anglos strive to maintain a proper distance from the natives they felt destined to rule. The frustrated Indians--themselves fragmented by religion and caste--struggle in various ways to be accepted as fully-accredited persons by the dominant race, who dismiss them categorically as "niggers." Each sub-society seeks to perpetuate its social survival, for self-image is precious to all members of humanity. Still the Anglo community has a long memory of perceived disloyalty, while that of Indians is even longer. Despite decades of uneasy coexistence between the Masters and the Conquered, sparks of rebellion quickly ignite when fanned by the flames of confusion, false accusation, racial bigotry and social polarization.

The two naive Englishwomen who have booked passage to India should have read a manual on social survival skills; it simply will not Do to upset the proven status quo--however it seems tipped in the favor of Western power. The herd instinct must prevail or all is lost; woe to those Anglos who defy experience and tradition in dealing with treacherous, scheming, unreliable or childlike natives. Whom to trust and whom to defend--whom to choose as a loyal ally, a friend or even a life's partner? How can one make these critical decisions in an atmosphere of mutual suspicion,
cultural snobbery and religious extremism?

The normally straightforward British lifestyle is suddenly complicated in a myriad ways as soon as one is transported to the steaming sub- continent. What is it about India which brings out the worst or hidden weakness of the British? Is it safe, wise or even possible for natives to seek lasting relationships with Anglos?
Will it ever be an equal partnershp? Can the East truly accept and peacefully coexist with the West and vice-versa? This is a novel of deep instrospection, as readers are forced to analyze the devastating ripples of human error and frailty. Despite many instances of captivating dialogue and fast-paced events, PASSAGE TO INDIA remains a classic psychological novel.

E.M. Forster is a masterful writer. This book is my favourite of his novels, although all of them are excellent. This is as much a novel as a composition, in fact one of the few books I know that can be read for the beauty of its language; it is almost musical in its form. But it is also much more than that: The story is compelling, the characters are vivid, and political themes hover in the background and are treated in a masterful manner - although they are by no means central to the novel. This book should be standard reading for all who love classic English novels.

This is an accomplished novel. Beautifully written and interesting, it portrays a very believable world of people who quite probably no longer exist. Everything is visualized, from the tedious monotiny of the 'proper British sort' of the early 20th Century to the haunting menace and lingering sense of doubt that such a shallow and repressed existence must struggle with. Add to that the mysterious and incomprhensible alien nature of a foreign society the lead characters never imagined and the force of the book can take on a fascinating sociological spin.

Of what I've read, this is my favorite book by Forester, an author whom I regard as a pretty and absorbing writer of generally dull moments. This book simply succeeds in keeping the reader rivited on numbness in the face of catastrophe more consistantly than Howard's End or A Room With A View.

I had to read this book as a recommendation by my tenth grade English teacher for an Independent Study project. I was excited about reading it; everyone says it's good and I think India is interesting. However, having read the book thoroughly, even the confusing first half, I am not sure what the focus was supposed to be. Other reviewers said it was a look at the culture of India, my English teacher said it was a portrayal of different kinds of people, some people say it's the mystery of the trial concerned with racism and prejudice... I am not sure what I am supposed to be left feeling at the end of the book.

This was not a "bad" book - I am glad I read it and I would recommend it to others. It doesn't have an exciting plot or particularly likeable characters, but Forster has good insight into society and what makes people make and break friendships. I was left feeling confused on almost every level from this book, but in some ways it was an eye-opener. It should not be read to learn about India, since Forster seems to mention customs and interesting places offhandly and as a matter of course; it should neither be read as an investigation into what makes people tick. If you want to save yourself confusion, don't read it at all.

However, I liked the book because it was puzzling. I had to really think to figure out why there were such problems between Aziz and his English friend Fielding. I finished this book last night, and it has helped me understand something, though I can't yet put my finger on what.