Wit and intelligence are the hallmarks of these two probing portraits of the English character written by E.M. Forster. Both are stories of extreme contrasts--in values, social class and cultural perspectives. Romantic relationships lead to conventional happiness in the delightful social comedy A Room with a View , and to unexpected scandal in the richer, deeply moving novel Howards End . Howards End , which rivals A Passage to India as Forster's greatest work, makes a country house in Hertfordshire the center and the symbol for what Lionel Trilling called a class war about who would inherit England. Commerce clashes with culture, greed with gentility. A Room with a View brings home the stuffiness of upper-middle-class Edwardian society in a tremendously funny comedy that pairs a well-bred young lady with a lusty railway clerk and satirizes both the clergy and the English notion of respectability. Quintessentially British, these two novels have become twentieth-century classics. With an introduction and bibliography by Benjamin DeMott.
Actually I have more than one edition of both of these stories. Room With A View is totally wonderful but I have to say that I read the book, watched the movie and then read the book again. After I had watched the new version of the movie I had to go back and watch the old one (Merchant and Ivory) to clear the newer out of my head-though some may prefer that one. Howards End is probably a better,more substantial story but RWAV is so perfectly balanced and beautiful. I like both. Also just finished reading Where Angels Fear to Tread and it is kind of wacky! The author was just learning how he wanted to write on that one. The movie would be pretty funny.
A Room with a View
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
If you loves reading a love story, this book is an interesting one. It gives us a clear picture of middle-class life in England on hundred year ago. We can see the inportance that was given to social position and appropriated behaviour. Besides, it is a good gramma that can learn and applied it for daily life. This book is about the girl who struggle to make sense of her feelings towards the two very different men in her life. Let us find out what does she do for this problem?
No wonder Forster was in the Bloomsbury Group!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
These have to be the best books which Forster wrote- witty, satirical and enjoyable. The message of 'only connect' and the portrayal of 'the undeveloped heart' of the English middle classes are brought to the fore. With symbolism, excellent characterisation and enthralling plots, these 'bildungsroman' show Forster to be an erudite and consummate writer.
Magnificent, Beautiful and wonderful
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
Forget Dickens, forget Austen, for the most English of authors Edward Morgan Forster was , to me, the most gifted English author of all time. He wrote in wonderful sentences with Beautiful words. 'Room with a View' starts at an English Guest house in Florenece. Lucy Honeychurch and her cousin Charlotte are among the guests, and are given a room with a view by the Impulsive Emmersons, George and his father. Lucy is the central character, and shortly witnesses a murder, but is immediately comforted by George Emmerson who later kisses her on on outing to the hills. The story then returns to England and the Emmersoms have taken residence near Lucy Honeychurch's house. This is not only a wonderful love story, but a first rate tale of Social comedy. 'Howard's End' is in the same vein. It starts with the words ' Only Connect' which everyone should adhear to.The Wilcoxes are pragmatic, stoic, and Enlgish to the Backbone. The Schelegl's are Half-German, Cultural and artistic. So what happens when such opposites meet? Helen Schlegel falls for Paul Wilcox, but it is her sister Margaret's relationship with both Mr and Mrs Wilcox which is the heart of this book in which you will find that opposites do attract. Forster also wrote only three other novels - ' Whre Angels fear to tread', 'The Longest Journay' and 'A Passage to India'. A lesser known work is 'Maurice' , a tale of homosexuality which could be his own. 'Where Angels..' , 'A Room..' and 'Howard's End' were made into top rate films by Mercahnt Ivory. ' A Passage..' was the last film David Lean ever made. But it is the book where the ture beauty of Forster shines.
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