Reviews

Howards End by E.M. Forster

khornstein1's review against another edition

5.0

OK, so this was on my shelf of "to be finished" books from 1989!! Yes, you read that correctly. I had about 200 pages to go.

Amazingly, I was able to pick it up and thanks to memory of the film, and Wikipedia, construct the beginning of the book in my head. I thought in this day and age that I might find Forster a stuffy old has-been from the land of dead White males but honestly, this book has everything going for it: incredibly developed characters, good plot, a depiction of England before WWII, great dialogue, lots of inter-personal psychology and a good deal of thought around class difference and hypocrisy. Not to mention, it also has real estate drama!!

"Only connect..." a thought that would serve us well in 2018.

delina2983's review against another edition

slow-paced

2.5

I'm sorry… I tried. This book just didn't do it for me. I struggled from the beginning to get into the story, the characters etc, and it just didn't work for me. Pity, as I actually really enjoyed ‘A Passage to India’. But there you go. 

e_clair301's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Overall, an interesting book. There was a taste of magical realism that I don’t think meshed well with the characters. 

jennybpenny's review against another edition

4.0

"She paced back into the hall, and as she did so the house reverberated. 'Is that you, Henry?' she called. There was no answer, but the house reverberated again. 'Henry, have you got in?' But it was the heart of the house beating, faintly at first, then loudly, martially. It dominated the rain."

elenavillan's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

janellejoy's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ljrr's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

jadew2000's review against another edition

Found the story boring :( Shame because I loved A Room With A View….

kimberlymichelle's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Karen Cass is an excellent narrator.
The book is quite clever and witty but you need to be in the right mood to linger with these characters. It’s more philosophical than entertaining unless you are able to laugh at  humanity and society at its most distressing.
Plenty of fodder for lively book discussion.

hay_jude's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I had read and enjoyed novels by Forster previously but not for a long while. I thought I had read this novel before but realised I hadn't when I started it. It was interesting to read in the context of recent novels I have been reading by Virginia Wolff which talk about some of the same issues - feminism and class from a later vantage point, about 20 years after Forster's novel was written. I thought the characters, especially the women in this novel were very well described and grew fond of the Schlegel sisters in particular, especially Margaret. At the time women were actively campaigning for the vote and Margaret and her sister Helen are well-educated and interested in social issues. Having said that, they are not sure how to treat Leonard Bast, a working class man who is seeking to educate himself , who they encounter at a public lecture. They seem to see him as a project but their interference in his life, although well-intentioned ultimately ends badly.The Wilcoxes were obviously harder to like, particularly Henry. It felt like Margaret having not expected to find love, was prepared to forgive his many faults at more or less any cost which was frustrating at times. Although her strength of character was evident in the stand she took regarding Helen and her wishes prevailed by the end. I also had a bit of a problem with the way the Basts were portrayed in the novel. Leonard in particular seemed to be caught between trying to improve himself and railing against his status but lacking the confidence to achieve what he wanted. He somehow didn't come across as fully formed I suppose Forster was making a point about the  powerlessness of those without money and the double standards that were operating at the time in terms of the way people were judged. In that way his take on class seems ahead of its time