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Howards End Audiobook
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(3.85) - 26 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In this vibrant portrait of Edwardian England and the many intricacies of class relations in English society during the turn of the century, two families with conflicting values are brought together by an inheritance dispute over a charming country house called Howards End. Sisters Margaret and Helen Schlegel and their brother Tibby place their values in civilized culture, music, literature, and conversation with their friends. Henry Wilcox and his children, Charles, Paul, and Evie, are concerned with the business side of life and distrust emotions and imagination. Through a series of romantic entanglements, disappearing wills, and sudden tragedy, the conflict over the house emerges as a symbolic struggle for England's very future.
Regarded by many as Forster's masterpiece, Howards End concerns the nature of class and social status and how they affect one's relationships and well-being—for better or for worse.
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"Reading the book in class was rewarding as we talked about far meatier subjects than I might have tackled on my own: the industrial revolution which brought aspirants like Leonard Bast and Jacky, too, into the city from the farm and made money for others like the Wilcoxes; the rise of feminism for those with time and education to embrace it; the mystical, ghostliness of Mrs. Avery, the housekeeper at Howard's End; changing morals with the rest of the cultural & social changes occurring; the altered landscape of London and affordable housing at the expense of the countryside and large estates; and what kind of future for Baby who is assured of money, education and WWII(portents of doom from Germany)."
— Featherbooks (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Nadia May’s diction is fine, and she uses some differentiation between characters.”
— AudioFile -
“Nadia May’s reading of Howards End appropriately focuses attention on the book’s cast of female characters and Forster’s feminist beliefs. May is as skillful in differentiating among these women as she respectful of their strengths and intelligence. Add May’s English accent, flawless pacing, and obvious fondness for the text and the result is a thoughtful and rewarding experience.”
— Library Journal -
“Howards End is undoubtedly Forster’s masterpiece; it develops to their full the themes and attitudes of [his] early books and throws back upon them a new and enhancing light.”
— Lionel Trilling, American literary critic -
“Howards End is a classic English novel…superb and wholly cherishable…one that admirers have no trouble reading over and over again.”
— Alfred Kazin, American literary critic
Awards
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One of Modern Library's 100 Best English-Language Novels of the Twentieth Century
Howards End Listener Reviews
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" Beautiful characters! I love Margaret and Helen. I was surprised to find that the author was a man- he writes with a great understanding of women, though some of Margaret's changes/acquieses seemed out of character. The story rose and fell enough to keep the plot lively and the lead to the finale was very interesting. Good book! "
— Jen, 2/17/2014 -
" Beautifully written. Kept going back and re-reading wonderful sentences. Great character development. "
— Michele, 2/14/2014 -
" I'm struggling between liking and not liking this book. I loved the peaceful rhythm and elegance of the language, and there are many passages that make you stop and reflect on the quality and importance of human relations in your life. However, I was disappointed by the ending. Maybe i'm too modern for this book after all. "
— Hanna, 2/5/2014 -
" A lovely novel with a wonderful setting and original characters, explores well the themes of ethics in a modern society and how it's paralleled through literary device. "
— Susie, 1/25/2014 -
" Near 5 star, but too tidy a denouement. Suddenly everyone lives in harmony "
— Ctb, 1/20/2014 -
" The main problem with this is that EM Forster thinks he understands women. He doesn't. "
— Charlie, 1/20/2014 -
" I'm too busy writng my dissertation on Forster to comment as yet... but it's coming! "
— Lois, 1/18/2014 -
" I love E.M.Forster's writing of jumps and skips. While A Room with a View is a nice romance, this book is an incredible look at class and property through a small group of characters. (The movie is awesome too.) "
— Amy, 1/14/2014 -
" Re-reading of this great novel about social change in England. The audio narration is as good as it is possible to be, but the novel does not lend itself well to oral reading because of the density of its ideas. Still, an enjoyable experience. "
— Beverly, 1/13/2014 -
" I loved this book, for the second time. It's full of funny insights about humans like myself. I just enjoyed reading it so very much! "
— Missy, 12/30/2013 -
" I did not read this novel expecting to enjoy it, but I was pleasantly surprised. While the world of the novel is broken, Forster arrives at something resembling redemption for both worthy and unworthy characters. "
— Bethany, 12/13/2013 -
" a very deep book, lots of symbolism, but very good. "
— Maggie, 12/11/2013 -
" BOOOOO-RIIIING!! So boring. It took me an entire month to read it. It didn't make any sense to me. What makes books Classics?? I heard this movie is good, so I'm going to watch it. But yikes...not my favorite. "
— Alea, 10/28/2012 -
" A transitional Modernist novel, with flickers of change and new styles of writing held back by the author's own intervening and anxiety about modernity "
— Sophie, 9/11/2012 -
" I liked the writing style but sadly couldn't like any of the characters much. I think this may work better as a film... "
— Kila, 6/15/2012 -
" Reading other Forster before Howard's End allowed me to really understand and appreciate the humor that he put into this novel. "
— Meghan, 6/6/2012 -
" One of E M Forster's best books in my opinion. Flawless and beautifully written. "
— Sophie, 12/16/2011 -
" Perfect. My favorite novel ever. Well okay, one of my favorites. "
— Taylor, 5/21/2011 -
" How can a fantastic book and a fantastic movie based on that book have completely different endings? "
— Jessica, 5/14/2011 -
" Near 5 star, but too tidy a denouement. Suddenly everyone lives in harmony "
— Ctb, 5/7/2011 -
" I'm glad I read it. It was a fun book. Then I watched the movie with Anthony opkins, Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave and Helena Bonham-Carter. "
— Vickie, 4/26/2011 -
" Meh. Didn't like it nearly as much as "A Room With a View." "
— Chrystie, 4/20/2011 -
" I really struggled with this. I was interested in the story but easily lost my way. Not sure I will read him again. "
— Linda, 4/17/2011 -
" Sicuramente una scrittura più matura rispetto a "Camera con Vista", belle descrizioni paesaggistiche. "
— Magda, 4/17/2011 -
" I absolutely loved this book and was sad when I finished it as I wanted it to go on longer.<br/>The writing was superb and flowed almost poetically at times.<br/>The story was endearing and I found the characters enchanting, except for Mrs Bast! "
— Kelly, 4/4/2011
About E. M. Forster
Edward 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.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.