A PASSAGE TO INDIA BOOK REVIEW



“A Passage to India” is a classic novel written by E.M.Forsters and published in 1924 and which is composed of three parts, MOSQUE, CAVES and TEMPLE in 306 pages and set in the fictional city of Chadrapore in India, which at the time was a colonial possession of Britain. This is a compelling tale about the relations between British and Indian people in that country. It’s also about the necessity of friendship and about the difficulty of establishing friendship across cultural boundaries. Forster’s narrative centres on Dr Aziz, a Muslim Indian who works as an intern at the English hospital whose attempt to establish friendships with several British characters has disastrous consequences. The other main characters are, Mrs Moore, mother of Ronny Healsop, visiting Chadrapore to oversee her son’s engagement. Ronny Healsop, the English Magistrate of Chandrapore. Cyril Fielding, English principal of the Chandrapore high school, middle aged and unmarried. Adela Quested, a young woman visiting India to possibly marry Ronny Healsop. Hamidullah, a Cambridge-educated barrister, he serves as Aziz’s best friend. Mr Turton, the English city collector of Chadrapore and Professor Narayan Godbole, an elderly Brahman.


Adela Quested has come to India to meet her possible future husband, Ronny Healsop. Mrs Moore has also accompanied her, being Ronny’s mother. When they arrive they’re ardent to see the “real” India and are therefore enthusiastic to take up Aziz’s invitation to visit the Marabar Caves. However, due to a hallucination or another person Adela is “insulted” in one of the caves and makes her accusation against Aziz, consequently he’s arrested and Mr Fielding helps to defend Aziz. During the trial, the charges are dropped by Mss Quested, but the gulf between the British and native Indians grows wider than ever and Fielding comes to the aid of Adela. Because of this, Fielding’s friendship with Aziz has deteriorated and Fielding hopes that the two can remain friends. The novel ends on an ambiguous note. “Why can’t we be friends now?” he says at the end. “It’s what I want.” But India answers: “No, not yet” and the sky says, “No, not there”.


Overall, the vocabulary used in the book is quite formal and simple. Likewise, it has an easy reading because the sentences follow the normal order of English and the majority of the words are concrete. Although, there are also some Anglo-Indian colloquial words and it’s saturated with prejudiced and racist comments.


In conclusion, I could get into this wonderful book because is brilliant, absorbing and gripping. Therefore, I’ve enjoyed reading it and I truly recommend it.

Jose Javier Flors