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A Passage to India (The Abinger Edition of E.M. Forster, V. 6) Hardcover - 1978

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. 

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 (The Abinger Edition of E.M. Forster, V. 6)
  • Author E. M. Forster
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Publisher Holmes & Meier Pub
  • Date 1978-06
  • ISBN 9780841904699

About the author

E. M. Forster (1879-1970) was a celebrated writer, public intellectual, and human rights activist best known for A Room with a View, A Passage to India, Howards End, and the posthumously published love story Maurice. The author of six novels and dozens of short stories and essays, Forster was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in seventeen different years. Forster's combined works reflected his deep commitment to "curiosity, a free mind, belief in good taste, and belief in the human race."