A review by karaklos
Howards End by E.M. Forster

3.0

Howards End has been in my book collection for some time and despite hearing so much about it, this was my first reading of it. I have very mixed feelings about it. The plot is interesting and surprising as the story unfolds. The themes: love, infidelity, social class, feminism, and socialism are all relatable and relevant today. The challenge I had with the book is the constant philosophizing of the themes and existence in general. Some of the philosophizing was very meaningful and thought-provoking (Death destroys a man; the idea of Death saves him) but a lot of it I felt myself trudging through. The funny thing about this is that major events (e.g., a murder) occur in the book and it felt like Forster dedicated 2 paragraphs to the murder (meanwhile spending countless pages on philosophizing). The other odd thing is the book is told by a somewhat snarky 3rd person omniscient narrator but once in awhile there’s a pesky little “I” to thrown in a little confusion. Lastly, the ending is wrapped up very quickly and without an explanation of the decisions and events made in the last year.