Maurice
ISBN: 0393086577
EAN13: 9780393086577
Language: English
Pages: 256
Dimensions: 1.4" H x 8.3" L x 5.6" W
Weight: 1.05 lbs.
Format: Hardcover
Publisher:
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Book Overview

This Description may be from another edition of this product.

Set in the elegant Edwardian world of Cambridge undergraduate life, this story by a master novelist introduces us to Maurice Hall when he is fourteen. We follow him through public school and Cambridge, and into his father's firm. In a highly structured society, Maurice is a conventional young man in almost every way--except that his is homosexual.

Written during 1913 and 1914, immediately after Howards End, and not published until 1971, Maurice was ahead of its time in its theme and in its affirmation that love between men can be happy. Happiness, Forster wrote, is its keynote. In Maurice I tried to create a character who was completely unlike myself or what I supposed myself to be: someone handsome, healthy, bodily attractive, mentally 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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Maurice

Book Reviews (9)

5
  |   9  reviews
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5
   I HAVE LOVED THIS BOOK FOR 27 YEARS
THIS BOOK SAVED ME, IT BECAME MY LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS. In 1988, I HAD KNOW IDEA THAT EDWARDIAN COULD TEACH ME ANYTHING, I WAS HAPPILY PROVONG WRONG.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
5
   A Novel Before Its Time
The Edwardian language and dialogue posed for me some challenges. Forster's outsider view of life leads to great insight into the three main characters of the novel. While the intimate scenes in the book are only alluded to with words like sharing... the feelings are clear and have more impact due to the lack of physical detail. This book is an important work in the lgbt literature because it presents a happy ending for the protagonists at a time when homosexual acts were criminal.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
5
   Complex and beautiful story
This book chronicles the coming-of-age story of a young man at the turn of the 20th century who discovers he loves men. At the time in Britain, a criminal relationship between two men was not only frowned, but was also subject to sexual prosecution. The story touches this aspect but focuses more on the inner life of someone who feels like he is on a roller coaster of emotions - self-loathing, joy, intense attraction and eventually a triumph of sorts. The language is riveting, but the story is antiquated.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
5
   Beautifully written
A painfully honest remark on being gay in the 1900s is very well written, very apt. E.M. Forster successfully captures the utter alienation, confusion, revulsion and uncontrollable lust of Maurice and ends by gracing us with a triumphant end, as even in the 20th century Forster was sick and tired of homosexuality cheated by a happy ending in fiction. Truly a novel before its time!
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
4
   Ahead of Its Time
This novel was far ahead of its time in the portrayal of Maurice's relationships, his self-discovery and his healthy relationships with other men. Forster created a compelling and honest character that the reader can only feel compassion for. This is a must-read for those who enjoy classical literature.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
5
   Enjoyable
E.M. Forster has an extraordinary way of writing simply enough for the 2020 reader to paint the picture he is describing with his words. He has the ability to create emotion and shut it off within a paragraph, as one slams a door. Nightly '', I found myself walking away from the book with a need to digest the events of the novel. I found common moments from Maurice that were used as inspiration in more relatable coming of age stories and movies.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
1
   Amazing book if only I could have read it all.(missing page)
This review is based on the condition of my item and not the work itself. My book is missing a page, the back cover is nearly torn and the spine is splitting in half. This does not line up with the condition that the seller provided.
 
Recommended to buy: No
4
   A good work that holds up.
I was exposed to E. M. Forster in college and I loved reading him and enjoyed his characterizations and motivations. I did not know at the time that Forster was gay, when it was very problematic. Maurice wrote Forster, but could never publish it in his lifetime. After his death, it came to light at a time when momentum was beginning for gay rights. It defies the restrictive convention that gagay '' stories had to end in misery. Maurice has a happy ending, making Forster's point that happiness is achievable in love in any way. As usual, the story is sprinkled with Forster's cogent observations on the class and the often silly conventions of society. It is rooted in a specific place and time, so that some readers may find its descriptions somewhat dated, but I think there is enough universality there to address questions we still ask.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
5
   Great read
Forster had a great insight into human nature and gave the characters believable personalities that made me want to continue reading about them. Homosexuality was taboo in his day, and sadly we have not come so far that it is no longer a state with which people struggle and fear being rejected. Self-loathing and suicidal thoughts plagued Forster's main character...100 years later, young men and women still harbour these feelings for the very same reasons.
 
Recommended to buy: Yes
1

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