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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is a 6 stars for me. The way Foster writes is so beautiful, is like butter, smooth.
Is such a beautiful written book as well as the characters.
I wanted to highlight several whole pages.
Is such a beautiful written book as well as the characters.
I wanted to highlight several whole pages.
Honestly, very wack. I know it’s a short story but i don’t like how fast paced it was. No real foundation, hardly any substance. I was more into the plot than the romance and the sex was cheap. There was too much casual vocabulary in a world set in this time period. So, thank you but no thank you. I had to finish it in text to speech form bc i couldn’t read it anymore.
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia
“… for they themselves became equal. Neither thought “Am I led; am I leading?” Love had caught him out of triviality and Maurice out of bewilderment in order that two imperfect souls might touch perfection.”
i feel like this is a controversial rating but this book really dragged on for me and there were many times while reading that i forgot what was even happening lol
I adored this. oh my god i don't know where to start?
the writing of it is beautiful and daring, careful and a reminder and almost like, immersive experience into the secrecy and undercover nature of being queer in those times. each of the characters were so well thought out and the main characters clearly took on lives of their own at some point.
i am first and foremost, an alec lover. i may change my tiktok name to (alec's version). he is lovely.
the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I want to badly to read more about their life after the end.
the thing that got me was the terminal note, there were some killer parts, it made me sob. the part where he says:
"Consequently the Wolfenden recommendations will be indefinitely rejected, police prosecutions will continue and Clive on the bench will continue to sentence Alec in the dock. Maurice may get off."
what if I throw myself off of something tall??
and then finally:
“it belongs to an England where it was still possible to get lost. It belongs to the last moment of the greenwood."
I'm adding this to the reread pile. I wonder what he would think of the world today.
the writing of it is beautiful and daring, careful and a reminder and almost like, immersive experience into the secrecy and undercover nature of being queer in those times. each of the characters were so well thought out and the main characters clearly took on lives of their own at some point.
i am first and foremost, an alec lover. i may change my tiktok name to (alec's version). he is lovely.
the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I want to badly to read more about their life after the end.
the thing that got me was the terminal note, there were some killer parts, it made me sob. the part where he says:
"Consequently the Wolfenden recommendations will be indefinitely rejected, police prosecutions will continue and Clive on the bench will continue to sentence Alec in the dock. Maurice may get off."
what if I throw myself off of something tall??
and then finally:
“it belongs to an England where it was still possible to get lost. It belongs to the last moment of the greenwood."
I'm adding this to the reread pile. I wonder what he would think of the world today.
While I can't say this was one of my favorite reads, I do want to say that I liked this book quite a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by how it ended given the time in which this book was written. It's not one that I'll be reading again, but I'm very glad this book exists.
I first read this book about 25 years ago and I loved and appreciated it even more this time.
challenging
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a classic I had put off for a long time because it would wreck me if I disliked it. But I realized it was likely I would dislike it simply for being a classic and bit the bullet anyway. And unfortunately, I was right to be concerned.
My apprehension with classics is that I won't understand the language itself, which, with this novel, I learned was not the case. I understand the language and sentence structure just fine; it's the syntax of paragraphs and overall ideas that I fail to grasp. Methods of thought and presenting those thoughts have obviously evolved since the time this was written - I found the prose itself droll and meandering. Perhaps if I had a more British sensibility of class, even historically, more of the themes would resonate with me.
As it were, I found Maurice a completely reprehensible character; not for his sexuality, but for his misogyny, his pretentiousness, his impulsiveness, his callousness, and more. And Clive was not much better. Being ensconced in their inner monologues for so long was wearisome and ultimately boring. As much as I wish it weren't the case, I strongly disliked this book.
My apprehension with classics is that I won't understand the language itself, which, with this novel, I learned was not the case. I understand the language and sentence structure just fine; it's the syntax of paragraphs and overall ideas that I fail to grasp. Methods of thought and presenting those thoughts have obviously evolved since the time this was written - I found the prose itself droll and meandering. Perhaps if I had a more British sensibility of class, even historically, more of the themes would resonate with me.
As it were, I found Maurice a completely reprehensible character; not for his sexuality, but for his misogyny, his pretentiousness, his impulsiveness, his callousness, and more. And Clive was not much better. Being ensconced in their inner monologues for so long was wearisome and ultimately boring. As much as I wish it weren't the case, I strongly disliked this book.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book was written 111 years ago in 1913. its writing style was a welcome challenge wrapped up in a compelling cast of characters who are not good people, but when together, are able to be beautifully defiant of their times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Classism
Minor: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Vomit, Medical content