My first introduction to Forster... He has a gift for personifying places, and I think that's one of my favorite things about this novel... India becomes a protagonist in the tensions between the characters. It's fascinating. ( )

"Marriage is too absurd in any case." ( )

Why I would say "read it": The book's descriptions of the difficulties that arise out of "cultures colliding" because of Imperialism (and to some extent within India itself), as well as the descriptions of British racism, which comes out subtly at times and quite overtly at others. Written in 1924, the book is ahead of its time and foreshadows the events that took place in 1947.

Why I didn't like it as much as others: the story was not all that interesting to me, and I thought the book could have been pared down. I also don't think the book is particularly well-written; among other things the descriptions of India's religious ceremonies were muddled and confusing.

Favorite quotes:
Persian grave inscription:
"Alas, without me for thousands of years
The Rose will blossom and the Spring will bloom,
But those who have secretly understood my heart -
They will approach and visit the grave where I lie."

"Trying to recover his temper, he said, 'India likes gods.'
'And Englishmen like posing as gods.'"

"....a poem should touch the hearer with a sense of his own weakness, and should institute some comparison between mankind and flowers."

"The train in its descent through the Vindyas had described a semicircle round Asirgarh. What could she connect it with except its own name? Nothing; she knew no one who lived there. But it had looked at her twice and seemed to say: 'I do not vanish.'" ( )

This 1924 classic by a friend of Virginia Woolf gave me nightmares; Dr. Aziz (Moslem), Cecil Fielding, and Adela Quested, English visitor, meet at the Marabar Caves for misunderstanding compounded upon misunderstanding in Hindu India; well written with great characterization and understanding that India cannot be understood by westerners. ( )

The tone is set for Forster's novel of social and racial disconnection in the opening paragraphs with a beautiful description of the fictional Indian town of Chandrapore. In the lowlands, near the river, the bazaars teeming with trash and filth obscure the view of anything else. All of its construction, whether temple or shanty, is in a state of near total decocmposition, with any thought of decoration or repair two hundred years gone. On top of a hill, protected by palm and neem trees, not only from the eyes of the lower town citizens, but also from any distasteful view of the lower town, lies the British civil station and settlement. Carefully ordered and lush with greenery, the enclave even features a sky which is painted with vivid and beautiful colors not found below. In the distance, rising up from the unyieldingly flay desert, the Marabar caves menace the whole town, both British and Indian alike.

Bound together by the politics of the day, the Bitish and the Indian peoples ache to break free from one another. Indeed, the various Inidian sects , Hindu, Moslem, and Christian, are united in one thing only, their hatred, fear, and envy of the ruling British class. This antipathy is particularly difficult or those who bridge the gap between the two socities, slippling back and forth for jobs in service to one another. Dr Aziz and Fielding are two such souls, set somewhat adrift between allegiance to their own and individual feelings of wonder and warmth for some of the people whom they serve. Aziz and Fielding attempt to build a friendship and reach out across the void that separates them. Given the deeply entrenched barriers between them, however, the efforts of Aziz and Fielding do not proceed without consequence. It is in the consequences of their friendship, of their individual efforts at reconciliation and understanding, that the message of Forster's novel rests. Is it possible to bridge such gaps? Is it possible to change group thought through individual action? And how is the individual who takes such action affected?

Forster's novel is not kind to either the ruling British class nor the Indian people, though he shines more affection on the latter. He seems genuinenly fascinated with India, its people, its culture, and its landscape. This is one of the reasons why the novel is so captivating. Aside from any deeper message, the book is a beautiful tribute to the diverse Indian world and the people who populate it. On another level, though, Forster's story is a subtle and detailed comment on disconnection, those that flow from all kinds of differences, differences in race, status, and religion. Though Forster's story is carefully constructed, his overarching message is rather blunt: human disconnectedness is largely a function of indvidual ego.

Highly recommended. Read this book for any of the previous reasons; read it for Forster's skillful writing; read it for his portrayal of India; read it for his deeper message. For all of these reasons, the book is well placed among the best literature available and well worth your time. ( )