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A review by valereads
Maurice by E.M. Forster
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Despite how old this book it (originally written 1913-14) it was an easy read. The writing was simplistic enough that it wasn't a difficult read but had enough depth to draw you in. The opening chapter was quite entertaining and gave us a good idea of who Maurice is when the book begins.
Unfortunately it took me a while to get properly into this book, the primary reason being I didn't like the main character. Maurice is, to put it bluntly, kind of a dick for a large part of the novel. The narrative is very much aware of this but I found it hard to empathise with his character until later in the story because of this. That said every character, and especially Maurice, felt like a genuine person even if they weren't ones you'd like to spend time with.
I found the commentary on class and society in this quite interesting. I wouldn't mind reading a more in depth analysis of it.
One issue I did have with this story was that I was not keen on the way that Clive's turnaround, so to speak, was presented. I am sure this was a product of the time but it did rub me the wrong way.
I did enjoy the way Alec and Maurice's eventual relationship was done and look forward to reading much fanfiction about them in future. However I felt the ending of the actual book was a little abrupt. I thought it would have used some kind of follow up with Alec and Maurice rather than ending where it did. Forster stated in his terminal note that an epilogue was attempted but he found that due to real historical circumstances he could not find a way to make it work that felt genuine and I have to concede that there was probably no other way he could have ended it especially considering the negative feelings he expressed about the future of gay people in society.
A dreary note to end the review on but a worthwhile read especially if you're looking to start reading more queer classics.
Content Warnings: homophobia, conversion therapy, blackmail
Unfortunately it took me a while to get properly into this book, the primary reason being I didn't like the main character. Maurice is, to put it bluntly, kind of a dick for a large part of the novel. The narrative is very much aware of this but I found it hard to empathise with his character until later in the story because of this. That said every character, and especially Maurice, felt like a genuine person even if they weren't ones you'd like to spend time with.
I found the commentary on class and society in this quite interesting. I wouldn't mind reading a more in depth analysis of it.
One issue I did have with this story was that I was not keen on the way that Clive's turnaround, so to speak, was presented. I am sure this was a product of the time but it did rub me the wrong way.
I did enjoy the way Alec and Maurice's eventual relationship was done and look forward to reading much fanfiction about them in future. However I felt the ending of the actual book was a little abrupt. I thought it would have used some kind of follow up with Alec and Maurice rather than ending where it did. Forster stated in his terminal note that an epilogue was attempted but he found that due to real historical circumstances he could not find a way to make it work that felt genuine and I have to concede that there was probably no other way he could have ended it especially considering the negative feelings he expressed about the future of gay people in society.
A dreary note to end the review on but a worthwhile read especially if you're looking to start reading more queer classics.
Content Warnings: homophobia, conversion therapy, blackmail
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism