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5/5
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After reading this book, I sighed, stared at the wall, and thought, "What just happened?" Then sadness hit me. I felt sad about the ending, wondering why that happened and why their friendship couldn't be the same as before. I asked myself these questions.
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This book is set against the backdrop of 1924-25 British India and deals with the question of whether a Britisher and an Indian can become good friends. While this question might not bother us today, it was a significant issue at that time. Think of it like asking if an Indian and a Pakistani can become friends, and you can feel the confusion in your heart. Throughout the story, we come to understand the answer to this question. There are quite a few characters in this story, but my favorite is certainly Mrs. Moore, a kind, old British lady who proves that despite differences in thoughts, values, and upbringing, one can be friends if they have a lively spirit.
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Dr. Aziz reminds me of all the Indians, with our hospitality and the way we get so excited if a foreigner praises our culture even a little bit.
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Aziz and Mrs. Moore's friendship reminded me of Victoria and Abdul's friendship. I always admired their beautiful relationship. If you don't know about them, you must watch the movie "Victoria and Abdul." It's based on the real-life events of Queen Victoria and her Indian friend Abdul.
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Mr. Fielding is the type of person I aspire to be when it comes to friendship. I admire how much he believes in his friend, to the extent that he stands with them and goes against his own race and people.
Spoiler ahead
- At the end, the conversation between Aziz and Fielding almost made me cry. I wanted them to reconcile their friendship and become carefree like before, but their values and life experiences were keeping them apart. This is not the real story, but there must have been many Aziz and Fielding-like friendships in British India that were lost because of some differences. I hope now they are best friends after seeing India and Britain flourishing on their own, from sky.
- Few of my favourite lines of this book are :-
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So you thought and echo is India?
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I sometimes think we are merely passing figures in a godless universe.
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Last paragraph and last conversation between Fielding and Aziz :-
“Why can’t we be friends now?” said the other, holding him affection-
ately. “It’s what I want. It’s what you want.”
But the horses didn’t want it —they swerved apart; the earth didn’t want
it, sending up rocks through which riders must pass single file; the temples,
the tank, the jail, the palace, the birds, the carrion, the Guest House, that
came into view as they issued from the gap and saw Mau beneath: they
didn’t want it, they said in their hundred voices, “No, not yet,” and the sky
said, “No, not there.”
by sugar_pop23