Every month a group of willing and hungry readers gather to discuss a new book, have a nice chat and practice their English. New members are welcome!
This month's book of choice is A passage to India by E. M. Forster (1924).
E. M. Forster’s A Passage to India is a powerful exploration of friendship, colonialism, and the clash of cultures in British-ruled India. With its richly drawn characters and profound social commentary, this novel remains a cornerstone of 20th-century literature.
Set in the fictional town of Chandrapore, the novel follows Dr. Aziz, a Muslim physician, and his interactions with two English visitors, Miss Adela Quested and Mrs. Moore. Their attempt to bridge cultural divides is disrupted by a tragic misunderstanding during a visit to the mysterious Marabar Caves. The event ignites tensions between the British colonizers and the Indian community, unraveling friendships and exposing deep-seated prejudices.
Edward Morgan Forster was an English author. He is best known for his novels, particularly A Room with a View (1908), Howards End (1910) and A Passage to India (1924). He also wrote numerous short stories, essays, speeches and broadcasts, as well as a limited number of biographies and some pageant plays. His short story "The Machine Stops" (1909) is often viewed as the beginning of technological dystopian fiction. He also co-authored the opera Billy Budd (1951). Many of his novels examine class differences and hypocrisy. His views as a humanist are at the heart of his work. Considered one of the most successful of the Edwardian era English novelists, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 22 separate years. He declined a knighthood in 1949, though he received the Order of Merit upon his 90th birthday. Forster was made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 1953, and in 1961 he was one of the first five authors named as a Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature.