A Passage to India

Rating:
Summary: Forster's Masterpiece a Timeless Classic
Review: Sadly, "A Passage to India" will probably never seem dated, because the racial and religious problems that plagued India nearly a century ago continue to do so today. That's a testament, though, to just how compelling E.M. Forster's novel was and is.

Two English ladies, one young and strong willed and the other her elderly chaperone, visit India with the intent of fully immersing themselves in Indian culture--unlike their compatriots, who segregate themselves from the Indians and relegate them to little more than a slave class. However, during a cave exploration, something inexplicable happens to both of them and they find themselves unhinged from the experience. What follows is a sad story about the clash of two cultures that form immediate and unshakable assumptions about each other.

Forster has been criticized for being somewhat one-sided in his portrayal of the English-Indian conflict, painting the English as belligerent, pompous bullies and the Indians as lovable and continuously wronged. I suppose that criticism is valid to a reader looking for clinical fairness, but as Forster himself is recorded as saying, he was sick of fairness at the time he wrote this novel and composed his story instead from the heart. I can completely understand this sentiment. In any conflict, when one side is so decidedly dominant and thus has all the advantages, fairness seems like an almost irrelevant concept. What Forster has done here is fashioned a compelling story populated by perhaps some of the most psychologically complex characters ever put to the page.

Which is both good and bad. On the one hand, fully trying to understand the inner workings of these characters' minds makes for a very interactive reading session. On the other, Forster makes his characters almost TOO realistically complex, so that I feel that I can't fully understand any of them. Whether intentional on Forster's part or not, this pretty much works overall for the novel, since it is about people who can't fully understand one another. But I would be lying if I didn't say that it also makes the novel at times somewhat frustrating, and ever so slightly dry.

Don't let this criticism overshadow the praise I have for this novel, however. It's a towering achievement of 20th Century literature and deserves the esteem it has won from the literary community.

Rating:
Summary: ECHOES OF THE RAJ
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Very confusing
Review: I had to read this book in 10th grade for my history class and it was one of the worst, most confusing books that I have ever read in my entire life. For one, it was very difficult to understand who was talking because Forster's narration was incorrectly phrased, in my opinion. Secondly, all types of foreign vocabulary was introduced to me, and lastly--Forsters whole way of writing was just too complex. Then to add to all this, the story was not interesting at all. Who (but boring people, of course) cares about those boring people anyway. Maybe I didn't like the book because it was so difficult and I was not grasping the deeper meaning behind it. All I know is that this book was certainly not my cup of tea.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I've read in ages.
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: I read this book when I was thirteen and fell in love with it. It is my favorite classic that I have read yet. It is a story of racial tensions in the steaming, exotic land of Chandrapore, India, where the British have a Cantonment with clubs, and the natives have villages with muddy roads and mosquitoes, and are expected to submit to the will of their dominators. Yet in the early 1900's, at the time Gandhi was still in South Africa, after two centuries of British rule, the native people, Hindus and Muslims alike, are growing tired.

When Adela, a young woman engaged to a British magistrate, and Mrs. Moore, the magistrate's mother, come to India to plan for the wedding, they are hopelessly enthralled and terribly naive. When Dr. Aziz, a young Muslim physician, meets Mrs. Moore in a mosque, he is charmed by her reverence in that she took off her shoes upon entrance. From here, a great friendship is formed. Adela, too, desires to befriend the natives, yet her efforts are regarded with contempt by both British and Indians, as both sides know and agree that it is impossible to be friends with both natives and Europeans. Only one has suceeded in that account, and his name is professor Fielding, known as Cyril by his students. A single, eccentric college professor, Fielding teaches Hindu and Muslim university students, while still mingling with British socialites. When he meets Adela, he too, scorns her aspirations. Thus, he also warns his Muslim friend, Dr. Aziz, not to bring her to the Marabar Caves.

It was supposed to be a very simple excursion to one of the most beautiful sites in local India. Aziz had not really meant it about taking Adela and Mrs. Moore there--had thrown it out as a casual suggestion--but being British, Adela and Mrs. Moore take him at his word. The trip turns to disaster, though, when a mysterious figure tries to rape Adela in one of the caves. Since no one has seen the attacker and no one can account for Aziz's whereabouts, he is soon blamed. In a climax that is chilling yet realistic, A Passage To India shows us what the best and worst of human nature and human prejudice can lead us to.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book never grabbed me the way I had hoped it would. None of the characters is particularly engaging, and indeed some are barely tolerable. This is a 360 page book that reads like a 600 page book. I'm not what you'd call a plot-junky, but this book was just too slow and too boring. There are only three or four memorable scenes in the whole book, and only one of them possesses any dramatic tension. I think Forster set out to make a statement about relations between colonial power and colonized people. Certainly he accomplished that, but then again he could have done it in a page or two. Instead he threw together a mediocre work of literature to demonstrate his point.

Rating:
Summary: Dry Read, Full Aplication
Review: I knew I wanted to read A Passage to India when I heard about it. That's where it ended--as soon as I started to read it. The book was long, and tedious, begging for more action. As I trudged through the book and finished it, I realized that its significance lies not in entertainment, but in the thought provoking questions it raises. This is its one area that totally redeemed my painful experience.
The book focuses on the racial tension during the British occupation of India in the early 1900's. The story develops emotions and feeling within its characters based on their perceptions of others through distorted racial prejudice. It raises the question: Is it possible for the natives to befriend their English occupiers?
When two women, Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested come to India, they seek to see the "real" India. They soon befriend Dr. Aziz, who is Indian. As Aziz shows them the country, racial tension soon creeps in. Much attention surround the Marabar Caves, and from this the central crisis arises. The fleeting romance between Adela and Mrs. Moore's son Ronny, plays an integral role in the racial accusations brought against Aziz.
Relationships prove to be the focus of the novel, and shows what prejudice does to them. This theme is one still being fought in the Middle East as Western influences clash with Muslim Arab culture. Can we be friends?

Rating:
Summary: The most painfull classic ever written
Review: This book is what is known as a 'reading classic', not because of it's ability to entertain the reader to the point that the book can't be put down, but rather because of it's masterfull structure and poetic style. Unfortunately, Forster lacks so much imagination in creating the story it is unbelievable! Forster (...) fell in love with an Indian living in England prior to writing the book. This young man would tell Forster about India and it's culture fascinating him to the point he had to write a book about it. This is what A Passage to India is about and nothing more, the writers fascination with Indian culture during British rule. The story is painfull, I repeat, PAINFULL! absolutely nothing happens, there is no climax, nothing worth ever remembering. Unless you are an English professor forget it! Shooting oneself in the foot would be less painfull than reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: realistic and intriguing
Review: Beautifully woven and written story about the relationships between a small group of Indians and English and the larger issues preventing durable relationships among them. Offers an realistic and intriguing picture of British colonialism and colonists in India.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: This story is light, funny and adventurous. Unfortunatly it is written in a very heavy hard-to-read manner. Very uninviting - had to force myself to read it.