Maurice is one of my favorite classics so I was intrigued by this sequel inspired by the original. Now I realize that I much prefer the idea that Maurice and Alec “still roam the greenwood,” as Forster said.

I thought a novel focused on Alec would be worthwhile because we don’t spend too much time with him in Maurice. I don’t think this added anything valuable to the original story, and I thought it read like fanfiction most of the time, which I suppose it is, in a way. It becomes a bit cheesy, incorporating “characters” like Edward Carpenter and his partner, George, who already inspired the creation of Maurice and Alec so I don’t necessarily understand the addition of these characters. The ending also felt cheesy. They already had a (groundbreaking) happy ending in the original, which again, left enough mystery while guaranteeing they remained together and in love so that also felt unnecessary to me. I thought a modern sequel, where queerness can be openly portrayed, would benefit their story, but I felt they only lost the beauty of their original ending. “Roaming the greenwood” implies a great sacrifice that these men make for their freedom to love each other. It’s an outright rejection and abandonment of class, England’s laws against homosexuality, and society as a whole. It’s a much more powerful suggestion than the life this sequel gives them, which only cheapens their sacrifice for each other.