Passage to India

January 04, 2013

Do you enjoy a good story with juicy characters, pathos, and thought-provoking conversations? Then come join the Masterpiece Book Club at the North Independence Branch. On the 14th of this month, we will be sharing ideas on A Passage to India by E.M. Forster.

Published in 1924, A Passage to India is set during the height of the British Empire’s reign over India and the beginning struggles of that country to free itself from British rule. British Colonialism fostered mistrust between British citizens and Indian natives, and the book begins with a political discussion between two learned Indians on “whether or not it is possible to be friends with an Englishman.” The ideas generated by this discussion are then "tried by fire" when an Englishwoman accuses an Indian doctor of assault during a sightseeing trip to the Marabar Caves. As Forster himself commented, "I tried to show that India is an unexplainable muddle by introducing an unexplainable muddle—Miss Quested’s experience in the cave.  When asked what happened there, I don’t know."

Check out a copy of A Passage to India, and join in the discussion at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 14th!

Jan C.
North Independence Branch