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A Passage to India
Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different

A Passage to India Unknown - 2006

by E. M. Forster


About this book

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster is considered a monumental work of English Literature. The book tells the story of race and empire in India during the British Raj. A false accusation of sexual assault based on racist English assumptions forms the basis of the story. Dr. Aziz, a Muslim physician, is accused of assaulting a young woman during an expedition to Marabar Caves. The trial and ultimate consequences of the accusation expose the deep problems with British governance in India during this period, and the depth of feeling opposed to British rule among the Indian people. The book has received several awards, including the James Talt Black Memorial Prize in 1924, and is present on several lists of the best books of the twentieth century. 

From the publisher

Just below the surface of everyday life crouches the menace of misunderstanding. A common one springs up, then explodes into a destructive affair as cultures clash in turn-of-the-century British India. Delicate crafting, delicious prose and a biting irony help tell this classic tale, ranked among the greatest novels of the century.

First Edition Identification

The novel was first published by Edward Arnold, in London in 1924. The trade edition was comprised of 5,000 copies in a red cloth binding and a plain printed wrapper. A limited edition of 200 copies was issued as well in brown cloth, each numbered and signed by Forster. 

Signed copies of the red cloth edition in fine or near fine condition can range in value up to $4,000 or $5,000, with the limited edition in brown cloth demanding $5,000 and higher. First American editions are generally priced up to $2,000.   

Details

  • Title A Passage to India
  • Author E. M. Forster
  • Binding unknown
  • Publisher Books on Tape
  • Date 2006-01
  • ISBN 9780736662185

About the author

EDWARD MORGAN FORSTER (1879--1970) wrote six novels -- Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905), The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908), Howards End (1910), A Passage to India (1924). Maurice, written in 1914, was published posthumously in 1971. He also published two volumes of short stories; two collections of essays? a critical work(Aspects of the Novel); The Hill of Devi? two biographies? two books about Alexandria? and the libretto for Britten's opera Billy Budd.