A Room With A View

Written by E. M. Forster

Narrated by Geoffrey Giuliano and The Crush

A Room with a View is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian-era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society at the beginning of the 20th century. Merchant Ivory produced an award-winning film adaptation in 1985.

The Modern Library ranked A Room with a View 79th on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century (1998).

Edward Morgan Forster OM CH was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly A Room with a View, Howards End, and A Passage to India. He also wrote numerous short stories, essays, speeches, and broadcasts, as well as a limited number of biographies and some pageant plays.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Icon Audio Arts
• Release date: Nov 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798887675329

E. M. Forster

Edward Morgan "E. M." Forster (1879–1970) was an English novelist, short-story writer, essayist, and librettist. Many of his novels, including A Room with a View, Howards End, and A Passage to India, examine class difference and hypocrisy in late 19th-century and early 20th-century British society. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twenty times.

Reviews for A Room With A View

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found Lucy a bit wishy-washy, although a fairly realistic version of a girl in her late teens at this time. For me, the most interesting part of this novel was the relationship between Lucy and Miss Barlett, although I do admit to a soft spot for Mr. Emerson Sr. :)

The British tourists were pretty insufferable, but it felt true to life.

[theloislevel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, I think I'm going to be teaching this book this year. I see the themes that make it a good one to teach to adolescents. I have a little trouble reading it, though, unless I'm not tired and have no distractions...I tend to get a little lost in the words!

[sometimeunderwater · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read this and 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' in quick succession. This is definitely the 'nicer' of the two: sweet happy ending, young love story. It risks becoming schmaltzy, but avoids it through great writing and very human characterisation. You can see Forster's influence on English literature, trickled down to Smith and Hollinghurst, etc.

[shirleybell · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable enough read, quite funny in places, and not quite what I expected. I was a little disappointed that the character of George was not fully explored, so that it was difficult to see what it was that Lucy was attracted to - apart from the kisses, of course.

[baswood · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Muddling through with E M Forster, whose wit is at its sharpest in this superb novel. The simple tale of a young woman whose spirit is awakened after a trip to Italy, which leads to her rejection of a "good" marriage, which Forster transforms into a novel that explores many aspects of life and society for the upper middle classes in England at the turn of the 20th century.The novel was published in 1908, when 19th century mores were still prevalent, but under attack from a rising middle class. This is only one of the many recurring themes in the novel. There is the struggle for individuality, the barriers between the social classes, a religious community losing its grip and of course a woman's place in a changing society. These heavyweight themes are all there for the observant reader to discover, however they are presented with such a lightness of touch and such good humour that the the reader is more likely to gasp with pleasure than to become embroiled in a serious discussion of the human condition. That is the art of this novel.Forster's dialogue is brilliant and witty throughout and his keenly observed characters are so well rounded that when they do or say surprising things (and many of them do) we are not surprised. The most obvious examples are Cecil Vyse's acceptance of Lucy's rejection of him and her subsequent assessment of his character; "His voice broke, I must actually thank you for what you have done - for showing me what I am." Then there is Mr Beebe who we have come to think of a reasonably progressive and tolerant parson, whose belief in celibacy allows him to take pleasure in broken marriage engagements. Forster's favourite character and one that I think he uses to speak through is the old Mr Emerson. A free thinking socialist whose sometimes outrageous comments signal major issues for the characters. "Beware of muddle" he says "life is glorious but it is difficult" Many of the characters are in a muddle, feeling their way through, most of them trying to do right, but all of them constrained. Lucy and George do break free, but it does not lead to happiness ever after. Life and world event intervene as Forster makes clear in an appendix written in 1958. Surprisingly enough the most underdeveloped character is George. We hear about him mainly through his father Mr Emerson, who relays to us his sons thoughts and personality. Whenever George appears he is largely silent or boisterous or just is. Perhaps this is what Lucy loves.Forster's ability to conjure up the effects of landscape and surroundings on his characters is brilliantly evident. Here is Lucy unchaperoned at last and exploring Florence. She is restive and thinking about not wanting to be a "medieval lady". She comes into the Piazza Signora where a dramatic event is about to happen:" Nothing ever happens to me she reflected,as she entered the Piazza Signora and looked nonchalantly at its marvels, now fairly familiar to her. The great square was in shadow: the sunshine had come too late to strike it. Neptune was already unsubstantial in the twilight, half god, half ghost, and its fountains plashed dreamily to the men and satyrs who idled together on its marge. The Loggia showed as the triple entrance of a cave, wherein dwelt many a deity, shadowy but immortal, looking forth on the arrivals and departures of mankind. It was the hour of unreality............."The notorious male nude bathing scene is vibrant and full of youthful vigour and Forster describes the lush green sward freshened after rain. "The three gentlemen rotated in the pool breast high after the fashion of nymphs in Gotterdammerung". Homo erotic? maybe, but no more so than D H Lawrence's wrestling scene in Women in Love and this naked bathing scene ends in farce and high spirits. As in A Passage to India and Howards End a carefully organised social event goes awry and leads to an event that will be life changing for those involved. In Passage to India it was Mrs Quested in the caves of Malabar, here it is an excursion to a wild mountain picnic spot above Florence. The ingredients are all here: The Emersons have been mistakenly included in the outing although by this time they have been more or less ostracised by the rest of the English group. They are not the right sort. The journey up in horse drawn cabs is fraught with difficulties and Mr Emerson argues with the others over the cab driver's dalliance with a girlfriend. They arrive in high dudgeon and wander off on their own. In a scene reminiscent of Mrs Quested in those caves, Lucy slipped down a terrace and lands at the feet of George:"This terrace was the well-head, the primal source whence beauty gushed out to water the earth.......For a moment he contemplated her as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face, he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. The bushes above them closed. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her." Unlike the scene in the Marabar caves there is no mystery here. George comes forward and kisses her, but still the consequences are enormous for both of them.This is a relatively short novel: just 200 pages and the events take place within a one year time span. There is however so much to enjoy and so much to ponder over that its the sort of book you end up flicking back through almost as soon as you have read it: for the sheer pleasure and joy of reading

[john257hopper · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read this purely because of the Italian setting, though only the first section is set there, in Florence. A lot of action then takes place "off-set" as it were in Rome, before the setting transfers to England. I found most of the characters rather irritating and the situations esp in the England section very dull, though there are a few funny moments due to the ridiculous snobbery of some of them.

[echoesofstars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about an English young woman, Lucy, who is caught in the battle between propriety and passion. Overall, Lucy has little say in the matters that concern her life. At first, she does not reflect deeply on the events that happen to her and because of her. It is not until she witnesses a murder that she begins to think about the events that happen to her and how she interacts with and shapes them. However, she only understands herself and her actions through discourse with other people, who easily influence her frame of mind with emotional appeal or intellectual argument. At one point, Mr. Beebe observes that if Lucy were to live with as much passion as she plays the piano, both her life and the lives of those around her would be much more interesting. Although she ultimately alienates her family to pursue the man whom she loves, even this decision is not reached without the strong influence of Mr. Emerson. In this respect, although the author's definition of passion won over propriety, I was sincerely hoping that Lucy would be able to throw off all the harnesses of well-meaning advice and reach her own conclusion of what do do with her life. I was also disappointed with the rather abrupt and mostly happy ending. In my opinion, although Lucy grew in self-awareness, she never truly discovered herself apart from the influence of others.

[ffortsa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had the great pleasure of listening to this via an Audible recording by B.J. Harrison, whose narration was wonderful. It's an early Forster, in which he delightfully skewers Edwardian upper middle class manners. A young woman takes a tour of Italy, with a rather purse-lipped older cousin/chaperone, and of course falls in love, to her own dismay, flees, makes bad choices, and then good ones.The characters are vividly different, and include sneering expats, an inappropriately wild female novelist, a clergyman, a pair of older British spinsters, and even a rather un-Italian pension proprietress. The writing is equally vivid. What is most striking to me is how Forster makes us privy to the thoughts of our heroine Lucy Honeychurch (what a name!). We hear her testing her conventions and emotions, as Italy shows her the possibilities of generous feeling, as well as the dangers of passion. Back home, she struggles to re-adapt to the expectations of society, but plans go delightfully awry.I've rarely laughed out loud walking uptown listening to a novel, but I did several times listening to this.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The introduction in the edition I read describes this as a "sunny novel." It is indeed--the first draft was Forester's first try at a novel, written when he was young, and very much in league with youth, and a youthful spirit. The light tone, the focus on romance, the good-humored social criticism and gentle social satire reminds me very much of Jane Austen, even if Forster was as far removed from her Regency era as his Edwardian is from ours. I had a smile on my face from the very first pages at how sharply drawn were Miss Lucy Honeychurch, a young Englishwoman visiting Florence and her companion Miss Bartlett, spinster martyr and chaperone. Even just reading the chapter headings was illuminating and amusing. One of the most revealing, I think, was In Santa Croce with No Baedeker. Baedeker was the popular travel guide of the day, which told you just what proper reactions you should have to the art around you. Lucy through much of the novel will be peering at the social Baedker of the reactions of her fellow British around her trying to decide just how to act rather than looking into her own heart. As much as anything else, this is her coming of age novel. Oh, and yes, romance. Her love interest to my mind isn't drawn all that strongly or appealingly. I didn't fall in love with George Emerson in the way I have the romantic heroes of Austen or Bronte or Gaskell. He's shown as rather impulsive and immature and not all that articulate. His father comes across more strongly as a character than he does. For all that, it's still is a strong appeal to let love be--and the ending gives more grace to certain character than I would have expected. It's a novel lovely and lyrical and warm.

[ithilwyn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been a very long time since I've read this book, so I think a lot of my continued affinity for it is based on the film. It's a wonderful film and, as I recall, a delightful book to read.

[cindywho-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Listened to the Classic Tales podcast version. Not bad.

[lethalmauve · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Every time I try to write a review about this small book something holds me back and I end up writing nothing about it. It has been 5 months since I read this so I will most likely depend the review on my memory of emotions.I shall start by telling a personal story about that one time when an old lady from church visited my mother's house for some house-to-house prayer related to the Virgin Mary. She greeted me with a "Why are the windows closed?" which I mindlessly answered with "Why should they be opened?". Apparently, she perceived my response as rude while I wondered what was there to see outside these closed windows other than my grandfather's kitchen and cats stretching their bodies along the pavement. As absurd as this story was I can't help but make a connection of these windows to E.M. Forster's A Room with a View. Short and semi-sweet. A story of a lady torn between a dull, pretentious man of high class who she did not feel the least bit in love with and another man of lower class without the expected societal upbringing. Like finding a room with a view, it was, for her, a breath of fresh air, this another man, and made her realize that another perspective of things existed. Unfortunately, although it had made some of its point on happiness and the uncertainty of the future amidst the promise of love, the story unfolded much too quick for my taste and left no room for the right kind of development and romance. I honestly would have liked this better if it was longer, polished, more room for love to breathe, blossom, and grow.

[elphaba71 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A fantastic book about a girl, Lucy, who is torn between love and duty - between truth and hypocrisy. The first part Set in florence and england at the turn of the century in the second part. As the story opens out, Lucy learns to acknowlage her true feelings. A wonderfully written warm love story.

[michaelbartley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

the story of a young woman in the victora age coming to find herself and her own voice. it is a classic for good reason worth reading

[kristykay22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Funny, romantic, and pointed, with a bit of turn-of-the-century girl power sprinkled on top, A Room with a View is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Lucy leaves her close-knit family in the English countryside for "must do" trip to Italy, chaperoned by her needy and trying older cousin, Charlotte. Once installed in a pension in Florence run by a trustworthy Englishwoman, the two are disappointed to find that they have been given rooms that look out over the courtyard instead of over the river. An eccentric gentleman and his son, the Emersons, offer to trade their rooms with lovely views and after a lot of hemming and hawing over the propriety of such a thing, the ladies agree. Lucy is caught between her romantic and independent nature, and the desire to please her family and do what is correct in the eyes of Edwardian society. She is a bit undone by the unconventional George Emerson, a feeling which comes to a head in a spectacular field of violets and a last minute flight of the ladies to Rome. Part II brings us back to Lucy's home, along with an ill-matched fiancé that no one really likes that much. When the Emersons come back into Lucy's life, she finds herself deeper and deeper in a muddle that is partly her fault, and partly the fault of English society. Forster's characters are nicely written and, while he does hit you over the head with the moral of the story a bit, the warmth and humor that comes through, particularly in the relationship between Lucy, her mother, and her brother, keep the book from being dogmatic or cliched. A fun classic!

[jonfaith · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The inhabitants of Windy Corner (as well as Pensione Betolini) are left pale and perforated after Forster's serial needling. Forster can only stop heckling his characters long enough to appreciate the song of the season's and the subtle currents of music.

[gracez-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had mixed feelings about this book. Basically, I enjoyed it. I didn't want to put it down once I got to the last 70 pages, and it had that rush at the end, so for the most part I thought it was good. But there were some points which I thought were sexist (obviously not entirely unexpected), for example with a number of statements like "so illogical are girls", which contrasted with all of the talk about Lucy making her own choices and doing what she wanted to do, which certainly had feminist and even suffragette hints. That said, I definitely enjoyed it and would still recommend it.

[nordie_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

shortish book full of silly mis understandings and English manners disguised as politeness (especially in their disguise of the English Abroad) that gets Lucy engaged to Cecil, only to be confronted with George. George, the awkward Englishman she met on holiday in Florence, who kissed her in the violets, and who she's in love with really but it takes her ages, and a return to England, to realise she's in love

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful story. It has such a modern, progressive feel to it. Hard to believe it was written in 1908. A true romance recognizing the impact of physical attraction.

[michellech_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Eh gads - a time when unbecoming behavior was such a big deal. A slowly unfolding story of a young woman, Lucy Honeychurch, traveling through Italy (with a chaperone, of course) who encounters an unconventional and socially unacceptable father and son. The pair, Mr. Emerson and George, appeal to Lucy and she finds their views on life/love unrestrained and more real than what society prescribes. Back in England Lucy encounters the Emersons once again but this time as an engaged young woman. I love the subtlety of the story as Lucy breaks out of the societal constraints and terminates her engagement to follow her heart. I would imagine that Lucy was definitely an exception and not the rule during this time period. This was a book that I read slowly, enjoying each line and a true favorite to be re-read. You have to also chuckle a bit with a chapter titled, 'How Miss Bartlett's Boiler Was So Tiresome".

[wunder-62679 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

If this is the best of Edwardian literature, then it is a period to avoid. We have cardboard cutout characters with no personality and no development. They have sudden revelations, but most of the time they are trying to sort out who to snub. They argue about coincidences in a plot almost entirely made up of accidental meetings. For a while, I thought the whole thing was a massive, tiresome satire, but I think it isn't that ambitious. It is some sort of tiresome morality play about convention and status, I guess.

[mmillet_7 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Forester's timely classic centers around a young girl, Lucy Honeychurch, who takes a trip to Italy with her spinster cousin, Charlotte, and there meets some other English travelers including Mr. George Emerson. Lucy is young, impressionable and used to being told what to think and what to do. However, while in Italy, she and George witnesses a murder (a dispute over 5 francs!) and she begins to slowly understand that life is more than just doing and feeling the things society says you should. George, I think, sees this potential for true emotion in Lucy. He himself is on the brink of some sort of change and sees Lucy a woman who can understand the complicated emotions he is experiencing. But Lucy is scared, she doesn't quite want to leave her safe world behind and so leaves Florence and her unsettling encounter with George. Upon returning to England, her trip seemingly behind her, Lucy accepts the proposal of one Cecil Vyse, a young man who she also spent time with in Rome. No one really likes Cecil and for all his professed modernism and intellectualism, he really just wants to keep Lucy on a pedestal. Thankfully, she finally wises up after another unsettling encounter with George Emerson in which she finally makes choices for herself and no one else.All this happens with such subtle humor and wit. Forester is a master at understatement and descriptiveness at the same time. He paints the scenes of historic Florence with as much precision and beauty as he does Lucy's country home in England. I want to ramble through the woods at her house and see the church and pond. He makes it all come alive and it's beautiful. And the names in this book, they are undeniably English! Lucy Honeychurch, Windy Corner, Cecil Vyse - I mean, doesn't he just sound like a wimp? What's more is Lucy's transformation into a woman who can take charge of her own life and decides what she wants - even when those around her my be hurt by her choice. A beautiful book with so much insight and wit. I loved it.

[nemoman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Florence is one of my favorite cities and a recent article in the NYT caused me to finally read this book. The novel has three aspects, While in Florence the book serves as somewhat of a travel book with Forster's evocative descriptions taking me back. The novel also functions as a comedy of manners, in that it is difficult to understand how constipated Victorian mores could be. Finally, the book triumphs as a romantic novel as the heroine does alright in a Dickensian ending. At times I had to force myself to continue slogging through the text. Forster obviously was trying to convey a break by the modern with Victorian times; however instead of touching this theme gently, he hit it with a sledgehammer. I do not recall the Merchant-Ivory film being faithful to this text, so I will have to watch it again,

[philsyphe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A book of two halves, the being Italy, the second England.Set in the early 1900s, Lucy, the central character, is a young woman being taught the correct way to behave in society by the likes of her mother, her older cousin, and religious persons.In contrast, she meets Mr Emerson and his young son George, both of whom "tell it like it is", encouraging her to do the same.This is my first taste of E. M. Forster's work and I am impressed with his characterisation and plotting skills. He injects humour into scenes were you sometimes don't expect it, such as Lucy arguing with her fiancé, when she accuses him of not liking her mother because of her attitudes to social behaviour and puddings.The narrative did occasionally lapse into a somewhat bland tone, but overall I found it entertaining.

[helenliz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's something rather nice about this comming of age tale. There's snobbery and all the usual hypocrasy that attends society, and it's displayed by enough people. But Eventually Lucy fnds her feet, and gets her man.

[klarsenmd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this timeless classic love story. It has a sophisticated wit and unforgetable characters.

[amerynth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have a very vivid memory of reading E.M. Forster's "A Room with a View" while sitting in a tent somewhere on a camping trip out west. So, I thought this was a probably a re-read for me.... but now I think I just made that memory up. I was certainly familiar with the plot, as the Helena Bonham Carter movie was on endless repeat on HBO when I was young so I knew I loved the story.The novel tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch, who lives in the repressed Victorian age where young women do what they're supposed to rather than following their passions. She gradually and quietly wakes up as the story progresses.This book was straight up my alley... the writing is great and full of marvelous little insights. Nostalgia may have pushed this up a bit to 5 stars for me, but it's a book I definitely wouldn't mind reading over again.

[japaul22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This charming book completely suited my current mood. The heroine is Lucy, who we first meet on a trip to Italy with her spinster cousin. There are, of course, competing suitors to marry Lucy, but though the outcome is predictable, all the characters were interesting and memorable and the travel scenes a lot of fun.

[andreablythe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

While traveling in Italy, a young Victorian woman Lucy Honeychurch hopes to explore and learn about the artwork and architecture of the area. Instead she has a brush with violence that leads her into a an intrigue with a young man. She flees her passion, traveling from Italy back to England, where she must learn to listen to her own heart. I was impressed with Forster's take on his characters, making them complicated and interesting and often funny. I especially enjoyed his portrayal of Lucy, who's independent spirit is hidden deep down beneath her layers of appropriate behavior. Forster treated her as a person and even advocates a level of equality between a man and a woman, especially in romantic relationships, hinting that the kind of man as protector role which puts women down is a backwards kind of ideology. Forster is compassionate about his characters, showing depth of soul and potential for redemption even in the antagonists whom other writers might villainize. On top of that Forster's writing style is gorgeous with crisp clean prose. He weaves in metaphor beautifully without resorting to the kind of over the top sentence construction that can be confusing and is often seen in older works. The simplicity of style makes for a smooth and easy read. I loved it. More Forster, please!

[stephanie_m-868484 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have no idea when I started this audiobook, but I'm pretty sure it was last autumn. (So I picked a random date). I turn to it for a few hours a night, when I don't have any library audiobooks to listen to. It's a slow, calm novel of an earlier time when things may seem much easier to us all, now. It's also one of my all-time favorite movies, especially because Helena B. Carter, Daniel Day Lewis, and Julian Sands (who was quite the hottie way back when).
Now I've finished this audiobook for the first time, and it's almost exactly like my favorite movie, but with a lot more conversing in it. And Julian Sands' character had black hair, which is weird to me. Probably because the whole time I listened to this audiobook, I pictured the movie in my head. Almost every scene. And now I have to go watch the movie again.....
If you love period novels, please give this novel or audiobook a try. It's well worth it. 4 stars.