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sarahj13's reviews
433 reviews
A Room With a View by E.M. Forster
4.0
"The solitude oppressed her; she was accustomed to have her thoughts confirmed by others or, at all events, contradicted; it was too dreadful not to know whether she was thinking right or wrong."
Forster was known to write books that focused on class differences and that were a study on society and people. This is considered to be one of his lighter novels but that doesn't stop it from showing how the elites, and those who aim to connect with the elites, see others as "lesser than".
We follow our heroine, Lucy, on a trip in Italy accompanied by her much older cousin, Charlotte. The book starts with the cousin complaining about the rooms they've been given at the Bertolini and how there isn't even a view. Their rather loud musings are interrupted by an old man and his son who insist on an exchange of the rooms, but seeing how the old man seemed to have "no manners" and was so vulgarly outspoken, Charlotte is hesitant at first. Throughout their stay, the people around them make vague assumptions about the father-son pair just because of their unconventional ways, but Lucy can't help but think that they are rather nice people, while being repeatedly told not to "associate" with them. We witness Lucy's growth as she tries to free herself from the stifling expectations and "manners" of others to become a more authentic version of herself, true to her nature and true to the way she plays her piano.
The book is also well equipped with witty and hilarious dialogue and incredulous displays of manners and politeness. You're more than likely to be familiar with at least one type of character in your own setting. It's strange how a lot of the times when I read classic books with social commentary, I can't help but think how relevant they are, even to this day.
Forster was known to write books that focused on class differences and that were a study on society and people. This is considered to be one of his lighter novels but that doesn't stop it from showing how the elites, and those who aim to connect with the elites, see others as "lesser than".
We follow our heroine, Lucy, on a trip in Italy accompanied by her much older cousin, Charlotte. The book starts with the cousin complaining about the rooms they've been given at the Bertolini and how there isn't even a view. Their rather loud musings are interrupted by an old man and his son who insist on an exchange of the rooms, but seeing how the old man seemed to have "no manners" and was so vulgarly outspoken, Charlotte is hesitant at first. Throughout their stay, the people around them make vague assumptions about the father-son pair just because of their unconventional ways, but Lucy can't help but think that they are rather nice people, while being repeatedly told not to "associate" with them. We witness Lucy's growth as she tries to free herself from the stifling expectations and "manners" of others to become a more authentic version of herself, true to her nature and true to the way she plays her piano.
The book is also well equipped with witty and hilarious dialogue and incredulous displays of manners and politeness. You're more than likely to be familiar with at least one type of character in your own setting. It's strange how a lot of the times when I read classic books with social commentary, I can't help but think how relevant they are, even to this day.