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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Of all the books set in India during the Raj, this would be my least favorite. To me the tone and feeling of the book was almost identical to Burma Sahib, but A Passage to India doesn't have the depth of that book, much less that of The Covenant of Water. It's just too thin a slice of India of that time, particularly compared with other historical novels set in that time/place. My favorite book of all time, "A Fine Balance" is set in the time period after Partition, so doesn't really compete here.
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Just because you were made to read — no, study — a book in school does not mean that it’s supposed to be any good, much less enjoyable.
Written nearly a century ago, A Passage to India by EM Forster was no doubt a ground-breaking book for its time. While everybody else depicted #India either as this fantasy, romanticised wonderland filled with exoticism, ancient wisdom and mystery, or as a savage, disorganised place that needs to be civilised, Forster was more interested in critiquing modern European culture and society, and the impact of imperialism on India. That, in itself, makes this book an important milestone in anti-colonial #literature.
The problem with this book is that it’s not very interesting.
Look, maybe it’s me. I am a modern person living in modern times with a fairly modern reading appetite. Goodreads tells me that the majority of the books I consume were written after 1940, and maybe there’s a reason for that. There’s a way that writers used to write that just does not sit well with me. It’s not the pace, nor the tone, nor the choice of words, nor the structure of the stories. It’s a permutation of all of the above that somehow makes for a tedious, plotting read.
A Passage to India takes its own sweet time to get anywhere or say anything. I do consider myself a well-read person, but even I had to re-read passages in this book multiple times to understand what’s happening or who’s saying what. While there are criticisms of the Europeans’ attitudes and their treatment of the local Indians, Forster himself seems to make a distinction between Muslims and Hindus, the latter being of a lesser class of Indians than the Muslim minority. Yes, it’s that problematic.
And because it was written in 1924, you shouldn’t expect the depiction of women to be any better.
Anyway, I reached nearly to the halfway point and gave up. It’s a #classic and I can see why it’s studied in schools, but it’s also not worth my time.
Just because you were made to read — no, study — a book in school does not mean that it’s supposed to be any good, much less enjoyable.
Written nearly a century ago, A Passage to India by EM Forster was no doubt a ground-breaking book for its time. While everybody else depicted #India either as this fantasy, romanticised wonderland filled with exoticism, ancient wisdom and mystery, or as a savage, disorganised place that needs to be civilised, Forster was more interested in critiquing modern European culture and society, and the impact of imperialism on India. That, in itself, makes this book an important milestone in anti-colonial #literature.
The problem with this book is that it’s not very interesting.
Look, maybe it’s me. I am a modern person living in modern times with a fairly modern reading appetite. Goodreads tells me that the majority of the books I consume were written after 1940, and maybe there’s a reason for that. There’s a way that writers used to write that just does not sit well with me. It’s not the pace, nor the tone, nor the choice of words, nor the structure of the stories. It’s a permutation of all of the above that somehow makes for a tedious, plotting read.
A Passage to India takes its own sweet time to get anywhere or say anything. I do consider myself a well-read person, but even I had to re-read passages in this book multiple times to understand what’s happening or who’s saying what. While there are criticisms of the Europeans’ attitudes and their treatment of the local Indians, Forster himself seems to make a distinction between Muslims and Hindus, the latter being of a lesser class of Indians than the Muslim minority. Yes, it’s that problematic.
And because it was written in 1924, you shouldn’t expect the depiction of women to be any better.
Anyway, I reached nearly to the halfway point and gave up. It’s a #classic and I can see why it’s studied in schools, but it’s also not worth my time.
When I downloaded this ebook to my kindle I thought I would be reading a book about travel. It's not just about traveling by train between England and India. It is also about the oppression and drama between the British in power in India and the natives. We see what happens when some tourists try to *see* the real India. There is a lot of social drama mixed in with some humor.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A passage to India is definitely convoluted and complex. The story comes perhaps second to the ideas and ideals of the narrative.
Descriptive and powerful even today, but not a very easy read due to the sheer volume of dialogue and discussion.
3/5 for enjoyability. 5/5 for writing
Descriptive and powerful even today, but not a very easy read due to the sheer volume of dialogue and discussion.
3/5 for enjoyability. 5/5 for writing
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
This was the first book I was able to finish for my English class. While parts were confusing and it was not the most "action-packed" book, I enjoyed reading it to a pretty high extent. The language is very nice and the way Forster described some parts was utterly comical. I wish I didn't have to rush through the book but at least I got to finish it.
Some portions were beautifully written, particularly the landscapes; but I felt the characters to be confused, and diluted by uncertain pulpiteering.