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A review by carolynmariereads
Aspects of the Novel by E.M. Forster
5.0
"No English Novelist is as great as Tolstoy"
...as if I couldn't love E.M. Forster even more!!!
That fact that one of my favorite authors (Forster) has also read and loved the same books as I have just makes my heart sing!
Going into this book, I thought it was going to be a type of "guide to writing fiction." Well, I can happily say that I was very wrong.
I did know I would love this book because it's a written transcript of his Cambridge lectures. What I didn't expect was for it to feel like a love letter to other classic books and authors!
Something that made me smile, was how humble E. M. Forster was! He honestly didn't consider himself a "great" writer, which makes me adore him even more. I wish I could travel back in time and tell him just how great he was and still is! His books have impacted so many people and have stood the test of time. In these lectures he spoke about Dickens, Austen, the Brontë sisters, and so many more classic authors. What he didn't realize then, is that he is now among them! If only I could have been one of the many lucky people sitting in on these lectures. My dream of being an Oxford student came alive while reading.
Instead of instructing "how to write fiction" or "the art of fiction," he chose to consider what made a novel "a novel." These lectures weren't a "how to" but a "what is." By picking apart these "aspects," he shows us the beauty of narrative storytelling. To accompany these aspects, he selected certain books and read excerpts to prove his point. By doing this, he was able to illustrate each aspect and give them backing.
I not only found this incredibly inspiring as an aspiring writer, but as an avid read! This book can also be looked at as a curated reading list from Forster himself. I have added so books to my TBR because of his wonderful words about them!
What's better than getting book recommendations from one of your favorite authors?
...
Well know that I think about it, it would be even better to talk with them face to face!
*contemplates time travel*
...as if I couldn't love E.M. Forster even more!!!
That fact that one of my favorite authors (Forster) has also read and loved the same books as I have just makes my heart sing!
Going into this book, I thought it was going to be a type of "guide to writing fiction." Well, I can happily say that I was very wrong.
I did know I would love this book because it's a written transcript of his Cambridge lectures. What I didn't expect was for it to feel like a love letter to other classic books and authors!
Something that made me smile, was how humble E. M. Forster was! He honestly didn't consider himself a "great" writer, which makes me adore him even more. I wish I could travel back in time and tell him just how great he was and still is! His books have impacted so many people and have stood the test of time. In these lectures he spoke about Dickens, Austen, the Brontë sisters, and so many more classic authors. What he didn't realize then, is that he is now among them! If only I could have been one of the many lucky people sitting in on these lectures. My dream of being an Oxford student came alive while reading.
Instead of instructing "how to write fiction" or "the art of fiction," he chose to consider what made a novel "a novel." These lectures weren't a "how to" but a "what is." By picking apart these "aspects," he shows us the beauty of narrative storytelling. To accompany these aspects, he selected certain books and read excerpts to prove his point. By doing this, he was able to illustrate each aspect and give them backing.
I not only found this incredibly inspiring as an aspiring writer, but as an avid read! This book can also be looked at as a curated reading list from Forster himself. I have added so books to my TBR because of his wonderful words about them!
What's better than getting book recommendations from one of your favorite authors?
...
Well know that I think about it, it would be even better to talk with them face to face!
*contemplates time travel*