A Passage to India, Chapters 1-7

For me, this is the first time reading E. M. Forster.  The stodginess that I, out of habit, always seem to expect out of the classic (or is he merely “established”?) British authors is, as nearly always, quite absent.  For some reason, I’m always mildly and pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to read.  Well, of course; a difficult book doesn’t usually become a classic because a classic, almost by definition, appeals to a wide range of readers.  Passage is very accessible, and even lacks most of the “Britishisms” that make some of the old English masters seem quaint.

The general premise here is simply the clash of cultures brought about by the English occupation of India in the late 1800’s.  Though not told in first person, we get very vivid images of how the characters of both sides think and feel about the situation in the relatively backwater town of Chandrapore.  One caveat: somewhere in the back of my mind, I can’t help being a little suspicious that this story, told by an Englishman, might perhaps slant the truth toward them at least a little.  Does an Indian, reading this book, see glaring examples of ethnocentrism in the writing?  I have to suspect at least a little of that!

To be fair, the various Indian characters are very much not stereotyped, and disagree with one another much even on key issues.  Ditto for the English.  The characterizations are superb, not overly descriptive, but revealed through dialog as in most good writing.  The main Indian character (not too heroic a hero), Aziz, is a pretty complex individual, and we feel we know people a lot like him.  The female characters escape stereotyping as well; more so, in my opinion, than, for example, Pride and Prejudice and other classics by female British authors from the same era.

The cultural conventions of the setting are effectively shown, perhaps even accurate.  From my other readings of India, I have gathered that the country is, and has long been, a place of bribery, or a least “tipping” to the point of bribery.  (See Yanni’s excellent autobiography in which he arranges to perform at the Taj Mahal.  A harrowing account!) This cultural quirk is not overlooked in Passage, and many lesser ones are revealed.  Exactly what I was hoping for from a story set in India!

Next segment: Chapters 8-16.