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kinbote4zembla's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abijoupansy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Audiobook narrated by Sam Dastor.
3.5***
In 1920s northern India an older British matron, Mrs Moore, arrives to visit her son, Ronny Heaslop, who is the British city magistrate of Chandrapore. She is accompanied by Miss Adela Quested, a young, naïve, somewhat repressed school teacher, who is to be engaged to Mrs Moore’s son. When Mrs Moore visits a local mosque she encounters Dr Aziz, a local Muslim doctor, and they become friendly. After a second meeting, he offers to take Mrs Moore, Miss Quested and a group of friends on a day trip to visit the famous Marabar Caves. At the caves something happens to frighten Miss Quested, with the result that Aziz is accused of a scandalous crime.
This classic explores class differences and the clash of cultures. Every character seems to have a preconceived notion of how “the others” should behave (or have always acted), and each reacts based on these preconceived notions. Their strongly held opinions on how “every Indian” or “all Hindus” or “those British” behave, think, and feel color all their interactions, with the result that no one sees clearly what is really happening. Even the “good” characters fall victim to their own prejudices, frequently without realizing it. Friendships are broken, and even when a character realizes his/her mistake there seems no way to undo the damage.
I have never visited India, but the novel gives me a sense of what it might have been like during the era of British Raj. Tensions are high with Indians chaffing under British rule. And yet there is a certain “romance” about the adventure of visiting this very foreign place.
Sam Dastor is merely adequate voicing the audio book. The voices he uses for the women are high pitched to the point of screeching. And several of the Indians don’t sound much better. I suppose he was trying to help differentiate the characters in those long back-and-forth conversations, but it just irritated me. 2** for his narration.
3.5***
In 1920s northern India an older British matron, Mrs Moore, arrives to visit her son, Ronny Heaslop, who is the British city magistrate of Chandrapore. She is accompanied by Miss Adela Quested, a young, naïve, somewhat repressed school teacher, who is to be engaged to Mrs Moore’s son. When Mrs Moore visits a local mosque she encounters Dr Aziz, a local Muslim doctor, and they become friendly. After a second meeting, he offers to take Mrs Moore, Miss Quested and a group of friends on a day trip to visit the famous Marabar Caves. At the caves something happens to frighten Miss Quested, with the result that Aziz is accused of a scandalous crime.
This classic explores class differences and the clash of cultures. Every character seems to have a preconceived notion of how “the others” should behave (or have always acted), and each reacts based on these preconceived notions. Their strongly held opinions on how “every Indian” or “all Hindus” or “those British” behave, think, and feel color all their interactions, with the result that no one sees clearly what is really happening. Even the “good” characters fall victim to their own prejudices, frequently without realizing it. Friendships are broken, and even when a character realizes his/her mistake there seems no way to undo the damage.
I have never visited India, but the novel gives me a sense of what it might have been like during the era of British Raj. Tensions are high with Indians chaffing under British rule. And yet there is a certain “romance” about the adventure of visiting this very foreign place.
Sam Dastor is merely adequate voicing the audio book. The voices he uses for the women are high pitched to the point of screeching. And several of the Indians don’t sound much better. I suppose he was trying to help differentiate the characters in those long back-and-forth conversations, but it just irritated me. 2** for his narration.
laz_'s review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
socorrobaptista's review against another edition
slow-paced
4.0
Algumas coisas neste livro me incomodaram sobremaneira: a condescendência inglesa em relação aos indianos, fossem Hindus ou Muçulmanos, o claro preconceito racial, uma evidente descriminação de gênero, e um total desrespeito pela cultura local por parte dos estrangeiros. Uma leitura difícil, uma escrita magistral, com muitas nuances impossíveis de serem descritas em uma simples resenha. Recomendo bastante.
colleengeedrumm's review against another edition
2.0
Give, do not lend; after death who will thank you?
And he mourned his wife the more sincerely because he mourned her seldom. Why could he remember people whom he did not love? They were always so vivid to him, whereas the more he looked at the photograph, the less he saw.
He thought no longer, "Can I get on with people?" but "Are they stronger than I?" breathing the prevalent miasma.
What does unhappiness matter when we are all unhappy together?
I consider not to be frightened the height of folly.
The accident was over, and his life, equably useful, distinguished, happy, ran on as before and expressed itself in streams of well-chosen words.
"Perhaps I ought to," said the girl, indifferent to what she did, but desirous of being amiable.
I am very glad you are not coming, which sounds strange, but you are treating me with true frankness, as a friend.
They had started speaking of "women and children" - that phrase that exempts the male from sanity when it has been repeated a few times.
Responsibility is a very awful thing, and I've no use for the man who shirks it.
It was what to be expected when a man mixes himself up with natives; always ends in some indignity.
You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds in this country.
In space things touch, in time things part.
The human race would have become a single person centuries ago if marriage was any use.
There are different ways of evil and I prefer mine to yours.
But presently they too entered the world of dreams - that world in which a third of each man's life is spent, and which is thought by some pessimists to be a premonition of eternity.
People whom I respect very much believe in ghosts.
Honesty gets us to heaven.
Although her hard school-mistressy manner remained, she was no longer examining life, but being examined by it; she had become a real person.
Truth is not truth in that exacting land unless there go with it kindness and more kindness again, unless the Word that was with God also is God.
We exist not within ourselves, but in terms of each others' minds-a notion for which logic offers no support and which had attacked him only once before.
How is stomach, how head?
Fielding was a blank, frank atheist, but he respected every opinion his friend held: to do this is essential in friendship.
With Egypt the atmosphere altered. The clean sands heaped on each side of the canal, seemed to wipe off everything that was difficult and equivocal, and even Port Said looked pure and charming in the light of a rose-grey morning.
Observe, I don't say to what do you turn, but to what do you return. Every life ought to contain both a turn and a return.
You are so kind and friendly, but always I detect irony beneath your manner.
They smiled wistfully, each spying the thought in the other's heart.
He could only express pathos or venom, though most of his life had no concern with either.
And never to look backward. It is the only healthy course.
And he mourned his wife the more sincerely because he mourned her seldom. Why could he remember people whom he did not love? They were always so vivid to him, whereas the more he looked at the photograph, the less he saw.
He thought no longer, "Can I get on with people?" but "Are they stronger than I?" breathing the prevalent miasma.
What does unhappiness matter when we are all unhappy together?
I consider not to be frightened the height of folly.
The accident was over, and his life, equably useful, distinguished, happy, ran on as before and expressed itself in streams of well-chosen words.
"Perhaps I ought to," said the girl, indifferent to what she did, but desirous of being amiable.
I am very glad you are not coming, which sounds strange, but you are treating me with true frankness, as a friend.
They had started speaking of "women and children" - that phrase that exempts the male from sanity when it has been repeated a few times.
Responsibility is a very awful thing, and I've no use for the man who shirks it.
It was what to be expected when a man mixes himself up with natives; always ends in some indignity.
You can't run with the hare and hunt with the hounds in this country.
In space things touch, in time things part.
The human race would have become a single person centuries ago if marriage was any use.
There are different ways of evil and I prefer mine to yours.
But presently they too entered the world of dreams - that world in which a third of each man's life is spent, and which is thought by some pessimists to be a premonition of eternity.
People whom I respect very much believe in ghosts.
Honesty gets us to heaven.
Although her hard school-mistressy manner remained, she was no longer examining life, but being examined by it; she had become a real person.
Truth is not truth in that exacting land unless there go with it kindness and more kindness again, unless the Word that was with God also is God.
We exist not within ourselves, but in terms of each others' minds-a notion for which logic offers no support and which had attacked him only once before.
How is stomach, how head?
Fielding was a blank, frank atheist, but he respected every opinion his friend held: to do this is essential in friendship.
With Egypt the atmosphere altered. The clean sands heaped on each side of the canal, seemed to wipe off everything that was difficult and equivocal, and even Port Said looked pure and charming in the light of a rose-grey morning.
Observe, I don't say to what do you turn, but to what do you return. Every life ought to contain both a turn and a return.
You are so kind and friendly, but always I detect irony beneath your manner.
They smiled wistfully, each spying the thought in the other's heart.
He could only express pathos or venom, though most of his life had no concern with either.
And never to look backward. It is the only healthy course.
whosevita's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting perspective on british colonialism in India, the Indian struggled between Hinduism and Islam, Indian culture and the role of women and women liberation. Probably wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for my bookclub but now I can say I have.
emmile's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75