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thatchickengirl23's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Medical content
yilliun's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Giovanni’s Room but make it English and more academia vibes.
So tender and sweet while set against the harsh realities of LGBTQ+ relationships of the late 19th/ early 20th centuries.
So tender and sweet while set against the harsh realities of LGBTQ+ relationships of the late 19th/ early 20th centuries.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Outing
Minor: Sexual content
andrewhatesham's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This book pleasantly surprised me.
I originally added Maurice to my TBR because of the interesting background story, that's what got my attention. Forster wrote this in 1914 but it wasn't released until 1971, the year after he died. This book is so explicitly gay that it couldn't safely be published in its time.
Maurice is about a gay man in the early 1910s, struggling to come to terms with his sexuality, and dealing with queer romance. The novel also explores themes of religion and class.
I won't spoil anything, but the specific detail that is apparently the main reason why it couldn't be published – it's just sad. And ironic.it has a happy ending, or at least can be interpreted as happy. Apparently this would have been more acceptable if it had ended with suicide... how awful!
As I was putting together a loose TBR for autumn (it's only the end of August, I'm an early prepper), I took this book into consideration, reading the first few pages to help me decide. Well, I was instantly pulled in, only taking a few days to finish the whole book. Maurice is pretty fast paced for a classic. The writing style is sweet at times, but not too wordy. It also feels very... contemporary for its time, if that makes sense? Rather than having an almost universal "old timey" feel. It's kind of like how The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton absolutely screams 1960s, with certain terms and phrases that don't show up much in other eras, as far as I know.
In addition to the writing style being more fast paced and accessible than I had expected, Maurice is surprising because it's even more explicitly gay than I had imagined. If I were around in the 1970s and read this, I'd be gobsmacked! Can't even imagine what it would have been like if it were released in 1914. Of course, this is very tame compared to more recent pieces of queer media, thankfully we've come a long way since the early 1900s.
Now, let's get into what I didn't like. While I think the somewhat plain language is okay, I felt that the plot needed more room to breathe, maybe ~20 pages longer to flesh things out better? Particularly the last act, which was originally even shorter?! Not everyone will agree, but it uses a certain trope that is a huge turn off for me as a reader. The trope:insta-love, aka love at first sight. Ack! It's just not believable, and makes it hard to identify with the characters, especially with a new character being introduced late on in the story. I'm a slow burn fan
Overall, I didn't connect deeply with this book, but it was entertaining to read, and I appreciate its uniqueness.
I would recommend Maurice if you like: queer history, academic settings, morally gray characters, ambiguous endings.
I originally added Maurice to my TBR because of the interesting background story, that's what got my attention. Forster wrote this in 1914 but it wasn't released until 1971, the year after he died. This book is so explicitly gay that it couldn't safely be published in its time.
Maurice is about a gay man in the early 1910s, struggling to come to terms with his sexuality, and dealing with queer romance. The novel also explores themes of religion and class.
I won't spoil anything, but the specific detail that is apparently the main reason why it couldn't be published – it's just sad. And ironic.
As I was putting together a loose TBR for autumn (it's only the end of August, I'm an early prepper), I took this book into consideration, reading the first few pages to help me decide. Well, I was instantly pulled in, only taking a few days to finish the whole book. Maurice is pretty fast paced for a classic. The writing style is sweet at times, but not too wordy. It also feels very... contemporary for its time, if that makes sense? Rather than having an almost universal "old timey" feel. It's kind of like how The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton absolutely screams 1960s, with certain terms and phrases that don't show up much in other eras, as far as I know.
In addition to the writing style being more fast paced and accessible than I had expected, Maurice is surprising because it's even more explicitly gay than I had imagined. If I were around in the 1970s and read this, I'd be gobsmacked! Can't even imagine what it would have been like if it were released in 1914. Of course, this is very tame compared to more recent pieces of queer media, thankfully we've come a long way since the early 1900s.
Now, let's get into what I didn't like. While I think the somewhat plain language is okay, I felt that the plot needed more room to breathe, maybe ~20 pages longer to flesh things out better? Particularly the last act, which was originally even shorter?! Not everyone will agree, but it uses a certain trope that is a huge turn off for me as a reader. The trope:
Overall, I didn't connect deeply with this book, but it was entertaining to read, and I appreciate its uniqueness.
I would recommend Maurice if you like: queer history, academic settings, morally gray characters, ambiguous endings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny
Minor: Sexual content and Classism
redheadorganist's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual content
fanboyriot's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
♡ Gay Classic
♡ Good Humor
♡ Angst with a Happy Ending
I genuinely didn’t think I would like this book as much as I did. I’m not a big classics reader, but this book was so lovely and truly iconic for its time. Also the fact a gay book written in 1913 has a happy ending leaves no excuses for the gay books here in 2024 being so sad.
The author really brought the characters to life so well, setting up the perfect atmosphere, and writing a compelling queer love story before it was accepted to do so. It’s a shame the author didn’t get to see how well loved his book would be.
Spice Level: 🌶️ (1/5)
Angst Level: 💧💧💧 (3/5)
POV: Third Person
Release Date: 1972
Rep: Gay (Main Character), Queer (Side Characters)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, and Sexual content
erynlasbelin's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
I love this book more than I could possibly say.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Outing, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Medical content
affectionatelyrs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Such a beautiful, tragic story. Makes me ache for my queer family members in spirit who still have to live the way Maurice and Clive did in the 1900s. Alec is my beloved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Classism
Moderate: Misogyny and Outing
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol
torismazarine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
Moderate: Grief and Outing
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, and Sexual content
kstacy91's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexual content
espiargrant's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This novel was a quick read, although my interest waned slightly in the middle, which slowed things down. I feel as though a fair amount of this book went over my head, as I don't often read classics, which makes this difficult for me to rate. But as far as classics go, it was quite palatable.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and the characters felt complex and layered. However, some of the changes they undergo occur a bit too quickly to be believable. I think that Alec Scudder should have been introduced earlier in the story to give his character and his relationship to Maurice more room to develop.
Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a short, emotional, queer coming-of-age classic.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and the characters felt complex and layered. However, some of the changes they undergo occur a bit too quickly to be believable. I think that Alec Scudder should have been introduced earlier in the story to give his character and his relationship to Maurice more room to develop.
Ultimately, I'm glad I read it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a short, emotional, queer coming-of-age classic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Sexual content