A review by grete_rachel_howland
The Celestial Omnibus and other Stories by E.M. Forster

4.0

Having only known Forster as a novelist, I was surprised (though perhaps I should not have been) by the potency of these few short stories. Simple enough in their prose, their themes are, by Forster's own label, fantastic, and mysterious. I can see how more cynical readers might be inclined to roll their eyes at the romantic, humanist themes--indeed, they might seem to verge on the melodramatic for a modern audience--but I found the passion of Forster's convictions refreshing and inspiring. If there is anything to complain about with this petite collection, it's that, even in just six stories, the themes (the liberatory power of natural world, the way that the rules and categories of so-called civilized society destroy the human spirit, the proximity of both the very young and the very old to some hidden cosmic truth) become repetitive. By the sixth story, some novelty had worn off. Nevertheless, this collection one of my new favorites.