E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India, edited by Oliver Stallybrass with an introduction by Pankaj Mishra, delves into the intricate dynamics of colonialism, faith, and cultural misunderstanding through a masterful narrative set in the Indian town of Chandrapore. Adela Quested and her elderly companion Mrs Moore arrive in Chandrapore, eager to explore ‘real India’ beyond the confines of their restricted English community. Their encounter with Dr Aziz, a cultivated Indian Muslim, sets off a chain of events that culminate in a scandal, drawing violent passions from both the British and their Indian subjects. This edition, published by Penguin Classics on August 30, 2005, includes the Abinger text and notes, along with four of Forster’s essays on India, a chronology, and further reading suggestions. E.M. Forster (1879-1970), a noted English author and critic associated with the Bloomsbury group, offers a poignant exploration of individual lives caught between political and cultural conflicts. If you enjoyed A Passage to India, consider exploring Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, also available in Penguin Classics.

Forster’s work is celebrated for its lucidity and profound insight, as noted by Anita Desai: ‘His great book … masterly in its presence and its lucidity.’