That book you meant to read is still on your shelf.
E.M. Forester is considered to be a quintessential author of his time, who captured the struggle and the character of the Edwardian period of England. His life span was long, from 1879 to 1970. His books and short stories continue to inspire and engage.
His circle of friends and colleagues included Christopher Isherwood, the poets, Auden and Seigfried Sassoon, Irish author Forrest Reid, and the composer Benjamin Britten to name a few.
Some little known facts: he was a conscientious objector during WWI, declined a knighthood, wrote a couple of short stories that would be considered Science Fiction, and was nominated 16 times for the Nobel prize in literature. What Forester is best at is the conflict within his characters striving to fulfill their hopes and coming up against Edwadian hypocrisy.
This week I’m recommending two of his works. The first is Howards End.
So much of what Forester writes about, especially in this book, resonates with today’s views on nature, industrialism, greed, and the devouring machine of a capitalistic society. The book pits three specific groups against each other: the materialistic vs the bohemian artist, vs the working poor. No matter how modern we claim to be we still have the vestiges of a ridiculous social order distorting our lives.
The second book is Maurice. Published posthumously, this was written directly following Howards End around 1914. The book circulated amongst his closest friends but did not see the public eye until after his passing, along with a collection of short stories titled The Life to Come. Here are Forester’s own words on the novel:
“Happiness is the keynote. I tried to create a character who was completely unlike myself or what I supposed myself to be: Someone handsome, healthy, bodily attractive, mentaly torpid, not a bad businessman, and rather a snob. Into this mixture I dropped an ingredient that puzzles him, wakes him up, torments him and finally saves him.”
For those unaware, Forester was a homosexual all his life. Having a queer perspective allowed him to see the pathos and longing of his generation with a different and perhaps clearer eye. If you’re looking for a film version to go along with his works, none have matched the team of Merchant and Ivory for their understanding of the spectacle, and the humanity of his work.
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