Englishwoman Lucy Honeychurch is spending a holiday in Florence under the watchful gaze of her cousin and chaperone, Charlotte. The story begins with their realization that they discover their rooms do not, in fact, have the view that was promised to them initially. A father-son duo, the Emersons, also visiting Florence exchange their rooms with Lucy and Charlotte so they get their highly anticipated view. How very British and upstanding! The Emersons are an unconventional lot, and the friendship that arises between George (the son) and Lucy gives her an education she had not anticipated on the trip.

Lucy begins to see how confining her life is and the expectations placed on her by her family and society. Suddenly the desire for a "room with a view" turns into a much deeper meaning as she begins to see her life and her environment for what it really is. She is expected to marry the icky Cecil Vyse back home, despite her growing feelings towards George and another sort of life entirely.

The whole metaphor of the room and the view admittedly rocked my world a little bit. It's details like that I struggle to find in modern literature (and usually fail miserably), and what keeps me coming back to the classics. I'm slowly making my way through Forster's works, this being my second book, and I don't want to rush through him. I like knowing there are so many more to come.