From the Bookshelf of Never too Late to Read Classics…

A Room With a View

E.M. Forster

Start date: June 15, 2016

Finish date: July 14, 2016

Discussion: "Let us Chat a Moment!"

Why we're reading this: Came in second in the poll!
[close] Came in second in the poll!

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 6 topics — 19,571 comments total

"Let us Chat a Moment!"

* (❛‿❛?)) Daily Happenings!
By Lesle , Appalachain Bibliophile · 4088 posts · 662 views

last updated 4 hours, 45 min ago

What Classic are you reading now?
By Lesle , Appalachain Bibliophile · 5879 posts · 2075 views

last updated Sep 27, 2025 04:43AM

What Members Thought

May 19, 2021 Anu rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, world, feminism, challenge_travel

"Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice. " - A quotable phrase and in this book, a slice of Lucy's life has been chronicled for us to sigh, laugh, ruminate and worry over as she becomes more self-aware and courageous.

Now, I wasn't expecting A Room with a View to be as romantic as it was but I was pleasantly surprised. I do prefer the Austenian leading man archetype - intelligent, aloof, stoic, honest (somewhat brusque), sincere and ultimately willing to improve himself, someone "Life is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice. " - A quotable phrase and in this book, a slice of Lucy's life has been chronicled for us to sigh, laugh, ruminate and worry over as she becomes more self-aware and courageous.

Now, I wasn't expecting A Room with a View to be as romantic as it was but I was pleasantly surprised. I do prefer the Austenian leading man archetype - intelligent, aloof, stoic, honest (somewhat brusque), sincere and ultimately willing to improve himself, someone the heroine respects immensely and can look up to almost as a mentor. However, George Emerson was exceedingly endearing with his blundering ways and sometimes melodramatic nature. The interaction between our protagonists is limited - but the superb observations and witticisms tell the reader everything that is unsaid between them. While my teenage self would have been elated with the sappy ending, my older jaded self saw it as one of the few flaws in an otherwise invigorating story.

When it comes to summing up human nature and personality traits succinctly with scathing humour - E.M. Forster is peerless. "Miss Bartlett assumed her favourite role, that of the prematurely aged martyr - there was no need for blathering paragraphs to explain her behaviour, upbringing and status, this one phrase said it all. Similarly, Forster's opening lines about Cecil Vyse "He remained in the grip of a certain devil whom the modern world knows as self-consciousness, and whom the medieval, with dimmer vision, worshipped as asceticism. " not only gave away his pretentious comportment but also the disdain the more modern Edwardian folks felt about their previous generations.

I adored the social commentary wrapped up in this light-hearted story of young Lucy finding her way to true love and freedom. Undoubtedly, the lives of women in the Edwardian era was nothing to be envious of - always treated as less than equal and as the author puts it "Their mission was to inspire others to achievement rather than to achieve themselves." Even so, a book does not have to be broody and depressing to express one's critical view of this period - as this book proves. The sexist and patronizing views of women have mainly been expressed via Cecil Vyse and Mr. Beebe whereas the more palatable and liberal views via the Emersons.

Moreover, this book also shines a light on the progressive and feminist views held by Forster as in the end, all is well for Lucy - "A rebel who desired, not a wider dwelling-room, but equality beside the man she loved."

...more

Like · see review