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arthurian's review against another edition
4.0
one of those books you need to push yourself forward as it gets off to a slow start, for a purpose, detailing the minute details of the different characters' lives and communities to show the cracks, fissures, problems with everything that's been said and portrayed thus far halfway into it.
as an anticolonial novel written in the early 20th century, i think it was a successful and complex narrative. the whole idea that yhe problem is not necessarily individuals but the oppressive nature of imperialism that categorizes everyone and turns them into a servant to the empire is a reoccurring theme in the novel without turning it into a "white man's burden" narrative. i just wish forster's narrator avoided making distinctions between the oriental vs occidental mind, it feels awkward and very 20th century when it is an unnamed, omniscient narrator which is making this distinction instead of the characters with their biases.
as an anticolonial novel written in the early 20th century, i think it was a successful and complex narrative. the whole idea that yhe problem is not necessarily individuals but the oppressive nature of imperialism that categorizes everyone and turns them into a servant to the empire is a reoccurring theme in the novel without turning it into a "white man's burden" narrative. i just wish forster's narrator avoided making distinctions between the oriental vs occidental mind, it feels awkward and very 20th century when it is an unnamed, omniscient narrator which is making this distinction instead of the characters with their biases.
tipsy_barstool's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
esshgee's review against another edition
3.0
3 1/2 stars. I read this a long time ago, and I most likely enjoyed it more then, because I found it difficult to concentrate on the story this time around. Probably not a great book to read in lockdown. I usually really enjoy the slow, descriptive style of writing such as this, but at the moment I am not focussing as well as usual. So I give this 3 1/2 stars with the proviso that I may indeed increase the rating when I read it next time :)
jenniehunt's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gargantua's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
helenjreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
mumblesnore's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
emziesreads's review against another edition
challenging
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75