A young woman
brought up in staid Edwardian England learns to trust her own heart
over propriety in E. M. Forster's A
Room with a View.
The seeds of Lucy Honeychurch's awakening are planted in romantic
Florence, where, when the book opens, she and her chaperone, her older
cousin Charlotte, are traveling. The Emersons, a British father and son
staying at the same pensione, overhear Lucy and Charlotte lamenting
that their rooms don't have the promised view and offer to exchange
rooms. As the story progresses, it is clear that the view the Emersons
offer is more than the literal one: It's a view of life that's less
restrained and conventional, more complex and genuine. Lucy is
intrigued but not so much as to reject convention. She runs off to Rome
when George Emerson, the son, impulsively kisses her.
George repeats the transgression back in England, where the Emersons
rent a cottage near Lucy's home. This time Lucy, who's become engaged
to a snob, confronts George. He's been brought up to express himself
honestly, and he not only pours out his love but says that she loves
him. Lucy is preparing to run away again when an encounter with Mr.
Emerson brings her to an awareness of her true feelings.
A Room with a View
is a high for anyone craving a good love story, but it's more than a
romance: It's a lesson in not fearing emotions and in being genuine.
The characterization is wonderful, including fussy Charlotte, Lucy's
spirited younger brother and pragmatic mother, and especially Mr.
Emerson, whose simple kindness and frankness are mistaken for
boorishness by mannered society. Forster considered A Room with a View
his "nicest" book, and it remains a favorite among his fans.
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