E. M. Forster’s celebrated social comedy explores romantic intrigue and prim propriety among a colorful cast of Edwardian characters. Lucy Honeychurch, a young English woman traveling in Italy with her stuffy chaperone aunt, finds herself constrained by the claustrophobic influence of her British guardians and attracted to the free-spirited George Emerson, whose family’s radical politics make him entirely unsuitable. Sharing a spontaneous moment of passion with him in the Italian countryside, Lucy is soon at war with the snobbery of her class and her own conflicting desires. Back in England, she is courted by a more acceptable, if stifling, suitor and soon realizes she must make a final choice between convention and passion.
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"A longtime fan of the Merchant Ivory film adaptation, I feel like I'm reading this book a little late in life. And even though I was familiar with the plot and characters through the movie, I found myself charmed anew by the language and extra insites into place and thought. Just lovely."
— Bryce (4 out of 5 stars)
“One of the most esteemed English novelists of his time.”
— Times (London)“Forster’s keen observation of character informed the work [A Room with a View], which reflected the author’s criticism of restrictive conventional British society.”
— Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature" I am not sure how I feel about this book. I liked the story but the style of writing confused me, the story was not very clear. But it was a good story "
— Leah, 2/19/2014" Listened to the Classic Tales podcast version. Not bad. "
— Cindy, 2/14/2014" I did end up liking this ok. "
— Christina, 2/9/2014" Painfully slow and boring. The first 100 pages were brutal. The ending picked up a little bit and sped things along but overall not that good. "
— Brian, 2/1/2014" I decided that this summer I'm going to read two books at once - one contemporary novel and one classic on cd. I started with this and what a great start! Oh how I adored George. A very good commentary on being trapped in one's roles and expectations. "
— Caitlin, 1/29/2014" Doug tricked me into reading this book by playing a recording of it on one of our many trips to Bethlehem to visit my sister. After listening to a few chapters I felt obliged to finish reading it, especially because I have read Howard's End, and even though I didn't feel that I completely understood it, I had a suspicion that Forster was saying very important things about how people get on with each other in "civilized society". My mother was a librarian and she would approve of me reading EM Forster (Nancy Drew books were forbidden in our house when I was a kid). Anyway, I got from the Spark Notes that Room with a View was one of Forster's earlier works, and gives a picture of a society transitioning from the uptight Victorian to the slightly more liberal Edwardian. I can see that, and found the book interesting and worthwhile. One of these days (for mom), I'll read "a Passage to India". "
— Mary, 1/4/2014" Listened to an audio. I saw the Merchant-Ivory film a long time ago and couldn't really make much of it at the time, so I want to see it again--the book was delightful. So smart and so very contemporary in so many ways. "
— Sara, 1/2/2014" I loved this book! The narrative is so fantastic and at no point did I feel bored with the story. It is the perfect balance between a romance and an insight into English society in the early 20th century. Highly recommended. "
— Charlotte, 12/21/2013" Loved it the whole way through! "
— Tani, 12/7/2013" One of the best books I have ever read. It's so thoughtful and lovely that I had to reread a few of the chapters multiple times. The social commentary is interesting, much like Gaskell's North and South, but half a century later. "
— Jamie, 11/21/2013" This was a little different than what I expected but it was a good book. "
— Christa, 9/2/2013" Very English. Loved the language. Kinda wonder why such a big deal was made of this back in "the day". "
— Diane, 8/3/2013" I've read this book fast, but somehow this book didn't enchant me. Just showed differences between Victorian England and Italy, where many things were far from English. "
— Anna, 1/13/2013" I saw the movie first, and like it so well I wanted to read the book. I am glad I did, the movie was good, but the book was better. "
— Joni, 1/12/2013" I have spent most of the rest of my life trying to improve the view from my rooms. Though I must say I have only or twice once requested a different hotel room than the one I was assigned. "
— Cyndy, 12/9/2012" A quick, easy read. A glimpse into the English standards around the turn of the 20th century, and what goes wrong with you follow your heart. Witty banter and conniving characters give life to the story. "
— Alexandra, 11/14/2012" I absolutely loved this novel. It flows with ease, the characters are amusing and Forster is a beautiful writer. I would definitely recommend it. "
— Kimberly, 8/25/2012" gave us all a view when we neededit "
— Jill, 7/15/2012" I saw the movie before I read the book. It was okay, not horrible. "
— Christen, 12/9/2011" Read under protest, having enjoyed the film in my teens, loved it & subsequently tired of it. Found it very funny, & also that the film re-played itself in my head - not bad after 25 years. Now have a yen to see the film again. Thanks to book club. "
— Jenny, 8/11/2011" After having this book on my "To Read" list for several years, I finally read this past week. More of a criticism of society in England at the turn of the century than a good read, I cannot say it stood the test of time! "
— Marilyn, 6/9/2011" one of my very favorite books "
— Patty, 6/2/2011" Lovely. Almost as good as HOWARDS END. Not quite. But really very sweet. "
— Taylor, 5/21/2011" Lucy - so many decisions<br/><br/>Cecil is funny "
— Caroline, 5/15/2011" I enjoyed the story - kinda' silly, but it moves smoothly enough. I liked the movie too. I think I'll get the movie in and watch it again. "
— Carly, 5/15/2011" Have read several times, always get a new twist from it. "
— Jessica, 5/14/2011" According to the reviews people seem find this a charming WASP comedy-drama. I found it to be <em>très ennuyeux</em>. "
— Sophie, 5/12/2011" A lot of great quotes in this book. Even though Forster died in 1970, this story has the feel of the classics written 100 years earlier. "
— Dave, 5/10/2011" Loved this book. I wish I could go to Florence right now and see the view. "
— Wendy, 5/9/2011" Very English. Loved the language. Kinda wonder why such a big deal was made of this back in "the day". <br/> "
— Diane, 5/9/2011" it's hard for me to have favorites, but this may be one of my all time favorites. "
— ~stacy, 5/2/2011" You can keep your Darcy... I'll take George Emerson. "
— Kate, 4/29/2011Edward Morgan Forster (1879–1970) was an English novelist and short story writer. He also wrote numerous essays, speeches, and broadcasts, and some biographies and pageant plays. Many of his novels focus upon themes of class difference and hypocrisy. His best-known works are his novels, particularly A Room with a View, Howards End, and A Passage to India. Forster was twenty times nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Frederick Davidson (1932–2005), also known as David Case, was one of the most prolific readers in the audiobook industry, recording more than eight hundred audiobooks in his lifetime, including over two hundred for Blackstone Audio. Born in London, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and performed for many years in radio plays for the British Broadcasting Company before coming to America in 1976. He received AudioFile’s Golden Voice Award and numerous Earphones Awards and was nominated for a Grammy for his readings.