A Passage to India, Chapters 17-26

So, it seems that Adela did indeed make her way down the mountainside, and in such a panic that she blindly scrambled through patches of cactus and had to be treated for that on her return to “civilization” (which subsequently becomes much less civilized!).  This is one of several “blind alleys” that the author has led us into, plot-wise, that might be intended to add suspense; but that leave me feeling merely disconcerted instead.  It doesn’t make me less likely to read more of his works – I’m still greatly entertained – but it does give me the impression that the plot line wasn’t clearly worked out in advance or, worse, was altered mid-stream, either through the whims of a dictatorial editor, or the author’s own prevarications.

At one point, I thought we were about to be treated to an intriguing re-telling of To Kill a Mockingbird, complete with a long, dramatic court scene.  Having the accuser recant almost at the beginning of the trial hurtles us into new territory, as has similarly taken place already in this tale.  Personally, I don’t find that objectionable, but I think many readers would. 

But a lot of the action that takes place here is revealed to us after the fact, through a character’s Oh-By-The-Way remark to another character.  Again, this is not objectionable to me, but it seems to indicate sloppy plot construction, and one wonders again if we’re seeing the hand of an over-bearing editor.  Was the original manuscript two or three times as long?  Looking at other works by this author, we see that this is one of the longer ones, as it is.

The central characters, as well as many of the secondary characters, continue to be well-defined and well-developed, with perhaps the exception of Adela herself.  At times flighty and even scatter-brained, or otherwise thoughtful and discerning, we get the impression there’s something loose rolling around upstairs.  That may have been a necessary plot device to give us the drama of the recanting on the witness stand, but it’s hard to feel any sympathy for her, and her function in this story makes it necessary that we relate to her in some meaningful way. 

Earlier, I wondered whether the author understands the Indian Mind as well as he thinks he does.  Now I’m having similar doubts about his understanding of the Female Mind!  Most male authors simply refrain from pretending too much to understand the way women think, and most authors would do well to avoid trying to explain the way a foreigner thinks.  Forster may have over-estimated his abilities in both areas.  Still, it makes for a good read, and wherever this story ultimately takes us, I find myself anticipating a very interesting conclusion.

Our book for July will be "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls. 

Special thanks to Susan K.-C. for recommending this one!