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pigeomita's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
lydiaie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Death
heather_freshparchment's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Death
rieviolet's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I cannot fault Forster's writing style and I also think that he really has a way with portraying characters' feelings and thoughts. I found most of the characters quite unlikeable but they still felt very alive on the page.
I think that he is also quite good at making social commentary but, at least in this particular book, a lot of sharp analysis was counterbalanced by a lot of "not so good" analyis. Maybe it's because he focused on a culture that was not his own. In any case, as an Italian, I can say that his depiction of Italy evoked many different reactions in me: I was amused, perplexed and in disbelief, annoyed, striken and in sad agreement ("Italy is such a delightful place to live in if you happen to be a man", but then again such a comment could honestly be applied to most countries in the world). Overall, I think that it was quite a clumsy representation of the country and its people.
It was a bit of a up-and-down reading experience. I struggled in the beginning to get into the narration but, as the story progressed, I became more engrossed and wanted to keep on reading. However, that ending, I did not like it one bit. The shift in tone was so abrupt and the tragic final event was extremely upsetting and its consequences barely explored, but I could at least somehow understand how we got there (also keeping in mind the themes that the author explored here, and even more so in later books). And then, the final scene on the train with Miss Abbott and her confession. I'm sorry E.M. Forster but that made no bloody sense at all.
Not a terrible read but not one that I might want to revisit in the future, I'll stick with Maurice.
I think that he is also quite good at making social commentary but, at least in this particular book, a lot of sharp analysis was counterbalanced by a lot of "not so good" analyis. Maybe it's because he focused on a culture that was not his own. In any case, as an Italian, I can say that his depiction of Italy evoked many different reactions in me: I was amused, perplexed and in disbelief, annoyed, striken and in sad agreement ("Italy is such a delightful place to live in if you happen to be a man", but then again such a comment could honestly be applied to most countries in the world). Overall, I think that it was quite a clumsy representation of the country and its people.
It was a bit of a up-and-down reading experience. I struggled in the beginning to get into the narration but, as the story progressed, I became more engrossed and wanted to keep on reading. However, that ending, I did not like it one bit. The shift in tone was so abrupt and the tragic final event was extremely upsetting and its consequences barely explored, but I could at least somehow understand how we got there (also keeping in mind the themes that the author explored here, and even more so in later books). And then, the final scene on the train with Miss Abbott and her confession. I'm sorry E.M. Forster but that made no bloody sense at all.
Not a terrible read but not one that I might want to revisit in the future, I'll stick with Maurice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Kidnapping
Minor: Confinement, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Death of parent, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
backpackfullofbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
“Let her go to Italy”, he cried “let her meddle with what she doesn’t understand!”
“Don’t be mysterious, there isn’t time.”
“I seem fated to pass through the world without colliding with it or moving it.”
~
A repressed and privately dysfunctional British family inflict their “well breed” chaos onto the residents of an unsuspecting Italian town. When one of the members of the family decides to marry a most unsuitable Italian what can a family of self respecting busy bodies do but to endeavour to make themselves and everyone else miserable, for the sake of propriety.
~
I came into this with fairly high expectations as “A room with a view” (Forsters other novel set in Italy) is one of my favourites. It is fair to say that I was quite disappointed.
The characters in this book are much less eccentric and much more unlikable than those in a room with a view. Also, the action is much more dramatic but delivered in a more banal manner. Overall I would say that for a book with such high stakes melodrama it amazingly succeeds in being quite boring in places.
This was Forsters first book his writing definitely improved dramatically as time went on.
I do think that it has value if you want to asses his work as a whole, there are certainly similar themes in this and his other writing, but it wouldn’t be my first choice out of his writing.
~
I recommend this book if you are interested in how Forsters style evolved and developed. If you want to read just one of his novels I recommend a room with a view, which has similar themes but is much more enjoyable.
“Don’t be mysterious, there isn’t time.”
“I seem fated to pass through the world without colliding with it or moving it.”
~
A repressed and privately dysfunctional British family inflict their “well breed” chaos onto the residents of an unsuspecting Italian town. When one of the members of the family decides to marry a most unsuitable Italian what can a family of self respecting busy bodies do but to endeavour to make themselves and everyone else miserable, for the sake of propriety.
~
I came into this with fairly high expectations as “A room with a view” (Forsters other novel set in Italy) is one of my favourites. It is fair to say that I was quite disappointed.
The characters in this book are much less eccentric and much more unlikable than those in a room with a view. Also, the action is much more dramatic but delivered in a more banal manner. Overall I would say that for a book with such high stakes melodrama it amazingly succeeds in being quite boring in places.
This was Forsters first book his writing definitely improved dramatically as time went on.
I do think that it has value if you want to asses his work as a whole, there are certainly similar themes in this and his other writing, but it wouldn’t be my first choice out of his writing.
~
I recommend this book if you are interested in how Forsters style evolved and developed. If you want to read just one of his novels I recommend a room with a view, which has similar themes but is much more enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Child death, and Death of parent
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