Review by reabetswe_monaledi - A Room with a View

reabetswe_monaledi 's review for:

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“Love felt and returned, love which our bodies exact and our hearts have transfigured, love which is the most real thing that we shall ever meet, reappeared now as the world's enemy, and she must stifle it.”(162)

A Room with a View by E.M. Forster was the perfect read for a few rainy days in autumn. It follows a tale as old as time: a young girl (Lucy Honeychurch) in love with one boy (George Emerson), but engaged to another (Cecil Vyse). Its locals of a Florentine spring and English summer—with a subsequent autumn—make for an intimate backdrop to a subtle love triangle.

Though mostly reserved, with gentilities one can attribute to its publishing in 1908, its timidity can be quite endearing. Forster pens so well the slow bloom of juvenile affections and the kindling of unfamiliar emotions in a world where one is to know their place and behave in kind. The most basic but powerful of rebellions: first for autonomy, second for love. The subjects of class, gender and society add to it in a wonderful way. Perhaps cliche, but I especially loved the use of seasons as a juxtaposition to Lucy’s journey. The rooms, the views, what they mean to her, and how they connect to the people around her.

Overall a much enjoyed read.

Content Warnings