A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

[cathmom]

I am reading this book myself while nursing the baby. Does anyone here like it? Can anyone tell me what the point of it is? I am about halfway through and so far it's been pretty lame. Am I missing something that would really make me appreciate it???

Help!

[cathmom]

Well, I just read another 20 pages or so and now something has finally happened (at page 180ish!). We'll see how it goes from here.

[Mrs Mungo]

It's mostly about the racism inherent in colonialism. Some of it is subtle and some of it is not.

[Jane in NC]

Adding to Mrs. Mungo's comments: A Passage to India is a commentary on the British Imperial State that was created in India, warts and all. Personally I think that you can read the book as a political novel or one of transformation (Adela). The friendship between Mrs. Moore and Aziz demonstrates that bridges can be constructed despite different world views/philosophies, but those bridges can be tenuous.

Wonderful writer, great book--perhaps your circumstances are not the best for this novel at the moment?

Jane

[Jennifer3141]

We just read Passage in our monthly classics book club. Almost no one liked it. It's a very slow start, perhaps too slow for today's society? But it does get better when theings start happening, even though it isn't particularly happy.

Jen

[JFS in IL]

I did not care for the book at all, when I read it years ago. I read it after seeing the film - which I could not understand. Book did not help much.

[cathmom]

It's mostly about the racism inherent in colonialism. Some of it is subtle and some of it is not.

Racism is not one of my favorite topics - perhaps I should pay more attention when I choose books!

[cathmom]

Adding to Mrs. Mungo's comments: A Passage to India is a commentary on the British Imperial State that was created in India, warts and all. Personally I think that you can read the book as a political novel or one of transformation (Adela). The friendship between Mrs. Moore and Aziz demonstrates that bridges can be constructed despite different world views/philosophies, but those bridges can be tenuous.

Wonderful writer, great book--perhaps your circumstances are not the best for this novel at the moment?

Jane

You are probably right about my circumstances - my baby is only a week old!

I don't see how Adela transformed any. (?)

There were some turns of phrase I really liked, but I would have to read other novels by Forster before saying "wonderful writer." And great book - sorry, no.

[cathmom]

We just read Passage in our monthly classics book club. Almost no one liked it. It's a very slow start, perhaps too slow for today's society? But it does get better when theings start happening, even though it isn't particularly happy.

Jen

The only book I have ever read with a slower start was Sense and Sensibility, where finally on p. 150 they moved! Very, very little happens in P to I - even the main event is basically nothing.

I will have to agree with your book club - I didn't like it much.

[cathmom]

I did not care for the book at all, when I read it years ago. I read it after seeing the film - which I could not understand. Book did not help much.

One film I do not need to see!

Thanks everyone for your comments! They helped me get through the book!

[Mrs Mungo]

There were some turns of phrase I really liked, but I would have to read other novels by Forster before saying "wonderful writer." And great book - sorry, no.

My favorite is A Room With a View but it explores some of the same themes. Not racism really but the themes regarding ladies and the societal restrictions on them, what makes a good woman, how a woman keeps her place in society, etc. It's probably the lightest of his novels.

[lovelearnandlive]

I didn't like it either. I did finish it because I really wanted to like it and was hoping it would grow on me or redeem itself in the end. I just didn't really like any of the characters and never cared enough what happened to them, I guess. :confused:

[nmoira]

My favorite is A Room With a View but it explores some of the same themes. Not racism really but the themes regarding ladies and the societal restrictions on them, what makes a good woman, how a woman keeps her place in society, etc. It's probably the lightest of his novels.And the basis for one of my favorite movies...

[Mrs Mungo]

I didn't like it either. I did finish it because I really wanted to like it and was hoping it would grow on me or redeem itself in the end. I just didn't really like any of the characters and never cared enough what happened to them, I guess. :confused:

I may have mentioned this before but in my Lit major days I was always getting comments on papers that my expectations of characters in novels were too high. I hate it when characters don't seem to learn anything or evolve by the end of the story, HATE. At least with books such as The Great Gatsby pretty much everyone gets it in the end, that's my preference. I know it's not how the world works but it's how it *should* work, darnit!

[CactusPair]

I didn't like the movie at all (boring), but I love the book. The character of Mrs. Moore is fascinating to me. I find the book as a whole subtly terrifying, just buzzing with tension and confusions. The "incident" involving Aziz and Adela and the whole aftermath is deeply disturbing.

For a "fun" treat while nursing a small babe, try The Sheltering Sky. Just kidding. A very weird book, one of the weirdest I've read. I love it, but I can't believe I read it when I did.:confused:

Maybe something like Emma , Persuasion or P&P might be in order for right now.:001_smile:

[lovelearnandlive]

I may have mentioned this before but in my Lit major days I was always getting comments on papers that my expectations of characters in novels were too high. I hate it when characters don't seem to learn anything or evolve by the end of the story, HATE. At least with books such as The Great Gatsby pretty much everyone gets it in the end, that's my preference. I know it's not how the world works but it's how it *should* work, darnit!

I hate it too! Especially with a book like Forster's where the plot is sloooooow, and the main point of the novel centers on the dynamics of the characters' relationships, of course we should expect a lot from them.

And you're right. If an author is going to write boring, annoying characters into a book, the least they can do is give the reader a little bit of a payoff at the end - either make the characters interesting or give them what they deserve! :smash:

[cathmom]

I didn't like the movie at all (boring), but I love the book. The character of Mrs. Moore is fascinating to me. I find the book as a whole subtly terrifying, just buzzing with tension and confusions. The "incident" involving Aziz and Adela and the whole aftermath is deeply disturbing.



Mrs. Moore *was* interesting, but then she disappears from the novel and dies at sea. I was like, huh? Yeah, great move, get rid of the one character I like!

[Staci in MO]

I haven't read but the first twenty pages of Passage to India (and that was several years ago), but a friend who loves all things literature was telling me how struck she was at the similarities to the two stories. Did anyone else notice this?

[lovelearnandlive]

Mrs. Moore *was* interesting, but then she disappears from the novel and dies at sea. I was like, huh? Yeah, great move, get rid of the one character I like!

:lol:

[lovelearnandlive]

I haven't read but the first twenty pages of Passage to India (and that was several years ago), but a friend who loves all things literature was telling me how struck she was at the similarities to the two stories. Did anyone else notice this?

You're friend is right! Yes, the plot lines are similar in that they center on the supposed assault of a white woman by a man from a discriminated-against minority group and all of the events/biases/blame throwing that follow.

But what a difference between the two writing styles! To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorite books, one that I read over and over again. I love it because the characters are so wonderful, especially Scout and Atticus. Scout's precocious innocence and her inability to understand the biases and bad behavior of the adults in the story gives such a great voice to the novel. And in my opinion Atticus is the best father figure in the history of literature.

Thanks! I probably never would have made that connection on my own.