Introduction
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text

--Howards End

Explanatory Notes

I've already mentioned my thoughts on this book, and sadly, they haven't changed or improved. Im just relieved it's all over. I shall endeavour next to read 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' and then I can compare my experiences with both books and hopefully have a positive one the second time.

I'm afraid I'm going to end up saying most of exactly the same things as I said about A Passage to India, but I guess this one gets an extra star? I'm not sure if that's completely fair, but I rather think I might be mellowing in my old age - I'm starting to give stars for enjoyment. I hear that's what one ages.

So firstly, I was a little bit surprised to find myself liking this book at all, because Forster is rather snotty and British, and he does have a tendency to wax lyrical about the meaning of life and such in a way that, if I stopped to think about it, I'm sure I would find rather pretentious - though I found this much more grating in A Passage to India. What he is, however, exceptionally good at, and I wish he'd stick with it a bit more, is the wonderful observation of small things: of character, of setting, of habit.

This young man had been 'had' in the past - badly, perhaps overwhelmingly - and now most of his energies went in defending himself against the unknown. But this afternoon - perhaps on account of music - he perceived that one must slack off occasionally, or what was the good of being alive? Wickham Place, though a risk, was as safe as most things, and he would risk it.

Away she hurried, not beautiful, not supremely brilliant, but filled with something that took the place of both qualities - something best described as a profound vivacity, a continual and sincere response to all that she encountered in her path through life.

Her thought drew being from the obscure borderland. She could not explain in so many words, but she felt that those who prepare for all the emergencies of life beforehand may equip themselves at the expense of joy.

How marvellous! Perfection itself, that quote.

But the real reason, and the root of all reason, that I possess any fondness for Forster at all, is that he reminds me of Virginia Woolf. He's not as good, because Woolf sounds like herself all the time and Forster does only some of the time. But he does try. Only connect! Those words, and that sentiment, could have come from the mind of the master herself. And since I see Elizabeth doesn't seem to have reviewed this book, I suppose I'm obliged to mention To the Lighthouse. Here's the key:

Mrs Wilcox = Mrs Ramsay
Howards End = the house (can't remember if it had a name)

Those two are the key, though to be honest the direct correspondence finishes with Mrs Wilcox/Ramsay. Howards End overlaps a little with Wickham Place, and to an extent with all houses or homes or dwellings, which is one of the themes they both deal with rather beautifully. In fact, there's a passage about the demise of the Wickham place which is so incredibly reminiscent of the passage about the decay of the house in To the Lighthouse that I can't help but wonder if one was directly modelled on the other.

(Actually, the other thing Howards End [the house itself, not the book:] reminded me of is the cherry orchard in Chekhov's play of the same name. Similar symbolic value - times changing, &c., and of similar importance in the characters' lives.)

And of course Woolf and Forster are writing about the same themes, but I couldn't help feeling a bit cynical about Forster dealing with the struggle of women to gain independence, mentally, financially, socially, emotionally, because, I think though I'm not sure, I couldn't help but wonder the whole time if he was actually writing about homosexuality. I did think he did a better job of representing women here than he did of representing Indians in A Passage to India, because a fair bit of imperialism still managed to get through in that. Trouble is, he's not exactly subtle, is he? When Margaret says "She knew that Henry was not so much confessing his soul as pointing out the gulf between the male soul and the female" and "As a handsome young man, [the butler:] was faintly attractive to her as a woman... yet the skies would have fallen had she mentioned it to Henry" isn't it a bit much? I loved the slow dawning realisation I got as I realised that To the Lighthouse was far more than just a pretty bit of prose. In this one's face is rather rubbed in the stuff.

Though Forster does write about class, which I know Woolf has been criticised for not paying enough attention to - though personally I think those criticisms may be rather silly - and he does, I believe, a good job of it.

Money pads the edges of things... God help those who have none. You and I and the Wilcoxes stand upon money as upon islands. It is so firm beneath our feet that we forget its very existence.

And so it continues, rather brilliantly.

This did go on, I thought, a bit too long, and the end was mired in airy-fairy sentimentality, but despite everything I am still in love with it. Forster always surprises me like that.

4,5*

A E. M. Forster eu perdoo tudo, mas este livro é exasperante.
A crítica social e cultural de “Howards End” é necessária e acutilante...

No doubt she had disgraced herself. But she felt their whole journey from London had been unreal. They had no part with the earth and its emotions. They were dust, and a stink, and cosmopolitan chatter, and the girl whose cat had been killed had lived more deeply than they.

...os pensamentos e os diálogos das personagens são frescos e estaladiços, exprimindo as convenções e subvertendo-as em seguida...

“The two cases are different,” Henry stammered. His real retort was not quite ready. His brain was still in a whirl, and he wanted a little longer. “In what way different? You have betrayed Mrs. Wilcox, Helen only herself. You remain in society, Helen can’t. You have had only pleasure, she may die. You have the insolence to talk to me of differences, Henry?”

...as personagens desempenham os seus papéis sociais e ideológicos na perfeição, sem nunca deixarem de parecer pessoas de carne e osso...

Life’s very difficult and full of surprises. At all events, I’ve got as far as that. To be humble and kind, to go straight ahead, to love people rather than pity them, to remember the submerged—well, one can’t do all these things at once, worse luck, because they’re so contradictory. It’s then that proportion comes in—to live by proportion.

...há situações caricatas que me fizeram sorrir...

I am as scrupulous as any man alive, I hope; but when it is a case like this, when there is a question of madness—”
“I deny it’s madness.” “You said just now—” “It’s madness when I say it, but not when you say it.”

...mas em ponto nenhum o autor me convenceu que Margaret Shlegel, uma mulher impulsiva, culta, progressista e com um enorme sentido crítico, seria capaz de equacionar sequer o casamento com um homem conservador, ganancioso, mesquinho e frio como Henry Wilcox, de quem não precisa, que não lhe acrescenta nada e nem uma corte decente foi capaz de lhe fazer.

So deep already was her sympathy, that when he said, “I am asking you to be my wife,” she made herself give a little start. She must show surprise if he expected it. An immense joy came over her. It was indescribable. It had nothing to do with humanity, and most resembled the all-pervading happiness of fine weather.

Sendo o segredo em torno de Howards End o busílis deste romance, a relação entre estes dois seres de planetas diferentes foi o mecanismo encontrado pelo autor para criar tensão e fazer o enredo avançar até ao tão antecipado desfecho, mas foi penoso ver a adorável Margaret a submeter-se a um reaccionário do pior calibre.
O final, no entanto, é bastante satisfatório e justo, permitindo-me fazer as pazes com um dos meus autores preferidos.

I inflict all this on you because once you said that life is sometimes life and sometimes only a drama, and one must learn to distinguish t’other from which, and up to now I have always put that down as ‘Meg’s clever nonsense.’ But this morning, it really does seem not life but a play.

***New mini-series begins showing on Starz in the U.S. April 2018.***

”Discussion keeps a house alive. It cannot stand by bricks and mortar alone.”

n  n

I’ve fallen in love with the Schlegel sisters twice now in separate decades. I plan to keep falling in love with them for many decades to come. They are vibrant defenders of knowledge, of books, of art, of travel, of feeling life in the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and spleen on a daily basis. Margaret and Helen have a brother, Tibby, poor lad, who is plenty bright while at Oxford, but in the family Schlegel home, he is struggling to keep up with the thoughts expressed that keep expanding past him.

Compared to most people, they are rich. Compared to most rich people, they are poor. Their ancestors left them with enough capital to insure that they don’t have to work for the rest of their lives, can travel a bit, can go to the theatre, and can buy books as they need them. They are very attuned to their privileged position and are frequently tempted to reduce their capital by helping those in need. How much money do they really need or, for that matter, really deserve to have?

Improbably, the Schlegel sisters become friends with the Wilcoxes, a capitalistic family who have a different idea of money. Is there ever enough? Helen forms a temporary attachment to the younger Wilcox which throws each family into a tizzy as to the suitability of the match. Margaret begins a friendship with the wife, Ruth, that proves so strong that it throws a few wrinkles into the plot regarding Ruth’s family and the inheritance of Howards End.

Ruth passes away suddenly. ”How easily she slipped out of life?” Her insignificance in life becomes even more pronounced in her death.

E. M. Forster based Howards End on his childhood home, The Rooks Nest, which had been owned by a family named Howard and referred to as the Howard house. Thus, the name Howards End is a not too subtle reference to that family home. I have to believe that it might have represented a lifetime longing he had for those childhood years he spent in that home. In the novel, Howards End goes beyond being an estate and becomes almost a character, a Shangri-La that I began to pine for from the very beginning of the novel. The Sisters have only brief contact with Howards End through the early part of the novel, and my trepidation grows as the plot progresses. Will they ever have a chance to consider the house a home?

n  n
Rooks Nest

The Schlegel’s befriend the Basts, who are certainly in much reduced circumstances compared to their own. By mere chance they are discussing the Basts situation with Henry Wilcox, who promptly puts doubt into their mind about the future validity of the company Leonard is working for. This sets off a chain of events that cause a series of ripples that change the course of several lives. There certainly is a word of caution in meddling in others’ affairs. Sometimes we can think we are helping, only to cause even more problems.

Improbably, Margaret and Henry Wilcox form a friendship that becomes romantic. The eldest Wilcox son, Charles, is not happy about the attachment. He and Margaret are so far apart in their views of how the world works or should work that they have difficulty communicating well enough to reach a point of mutual respect. ”They had nothing in common but the English language, and tried by its help to express what neither of them understood.”

Margaret’s odd relationship with Henry causes a rift between the sisters that is, frankly, painful to experience. Forster makes sure that I, as a reader, at this point can no longer be objective. The relationship between these siblings is a precious thing and to think of it torn asunder is impossible to accept. They know so well how to entertain each other, to finish each other’s thoughts, and share a general agreement on most things that other people who bump around in the orbit of their reality feel like intruders.

So the marriage between Margaret and Henry is unsettling to Helen and me for numerous reasons, but this statement might sum up how we feel pretty well: ”How wide the gulf between Henry as he was and Henry as Helen thought he ought to be.” There is probably someone we could feel is good enough for Margaret, but not just Margaret but Helen and this reader as well (see how invested I am?); for whomever either girl would marry would have to slip seamlessly into the state of euphoria that already exists in the Schlegel household.

Henry is not that person. ”He misliked the word ‘interesting’, connoting it with wasted energy and even with morbidity.”

It is becoming impossible to think that Howards End will remain nothing more than a shimmering presence in another reality.

n  n
E. M. Forster, portrait by Roger Fry.

The Schlegel sisters are really the best friends any reader could hope for. We would be so enriched by the opportunity to know them and practically giddy to be able to call them friends. It is unnerving that something so strong, like this relationship between sisters, can be so fragile. I haven’t discussed the fascinating nuances of plot that will add further weight to the interactions between the Schlegels, the Wilcoxes, and the Basts, for I want everyone to read this book and marvel at the words and thoughts that Forster tosses in the air for you to catch. I want you all to be as haunted as I have been, to the point that you, too, will have to go back to the place you first met these characters, these ghostly beings, and read and read again turning these phantoms into tangible beings you can almost touch.

”Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its highest. Live in fragments no longer.”

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
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I'd love to write one of those reviews with important quotes from the book, but since I couldn't decide which would be better I will just let my rating speak for itself.

n  It is the little things one bungles at. The big, real ones are nothing when they come.n

The last time I reviewed a novel by E.M. Forster, I wound up blubbering with praise; and now I find myself in similar circumstances. As with A Passage to India, I find Howards End exemplary in every respect: the themes, characterization, the prose, the pacing, the plot. I ought also to mention Forster’s versatility. Though rarely funny, Forster is capable of romantic lyricism, gritty realism, and flighty philosophy. Most convincing of all is his control. Nothing is overdone or heavy-handed—which requires a mixture of technique and taste. While exploring social problems, one never feels that the novel is being unduly interrupted; while constructing a character into an archetype, one never feels that the individual is lost; and the story, though carefully plotted, rarely feels predictable or contrived.

Yet Forster is not a great novelist for his skill alone. He is great because of his insight. More than any novelist I know, Forster is able to connect the inner with the outer life (which is the theme of this novel, and the source of its most famous quote: “Only connect”). Forster is able to show, in other words, how social and economic circumstances breed characters; and how even intelligent and well-meaning characters fail to escape the bounds of their class and nation. He shows, for example, how the money inherited by Margaret and Helen allows for their mental freedom; how Mr. Wilcox's business life molds him into a well-meaning shell; and how, despite his best efforts, Leonard Bast cannot help but be shaped by his poverty.

However, if the novel has a message, it is this: even if the inner life is powerless to change material circumstances, it is ultimately the more important aspect of life. This is because, when a tragedy strikes, and mere business acumen or worldly knowledge will not suffice, it is emotional fortitude that is required. Mr. Wilcox has a sort of false strength—a fragile ego he hides behind, a sort of masculine bluff which is easily shattered. Margaret, by contrast, is able to endure tragedies because of her self-knowledge. She is not afraid of the darker aspects of her mind; thus she can look with equanimity upon herself and others, accepting their flaws while seeing their potential. This is what Forster means by “connect”: connecting “the beast” with “the monk”—that is, admitting one’s desires instead of hiding behind a false screen of decency. Only so can we achieve self-knowledge.

يفتتح الأديب روايته بجملة " ما عليك إلا أن تربط بين الأشياء " ، وأول خيوط الرواية هو الحدث القصير الخاطف الذي وقع لهيلين ، لحظة حب عابرة لكنها تركت في داخلها ندبة وأثرا لايُمحى .
ترى لماذا بدأ الأديب بجملة يطلب فيها ضرورة الربط بين الأشياء؟ ترى ما هي تلك الأشياء ، وما هو الرابط القوي بين الشخصيات والمنزل والأحداث الصغيرة ، وهل يمكن للحظة حب خاطفة أن يكون لها هذا التأثير الهائل والخطير على سير الأحداث ، وعلى العلاقات بين أفراد كل من العائلتين اللتين جمعت بينهما الرواية في نسيج مدهش ، كأنك وأنت تقرأ ترى أمامك مشاهدا متتابعة اشبه بحلقات متسلسلة لا يجب أن تفلت منك حلقة أو تفصيلة حتى لا تنفرط منك الروابط بين الابطال والشخصيات المرافقة لهم .
الأحداث تبدأ عند عائلة ويلكوكس ومنزلهم الريفي ، في العزبة المعروفة بنفس الاسم ، لتعرف دون جهد أن العائلة لها ثروة عظيمة ونفوذ كبير ، حتى أن المكان يُعرف بهم وباسم منزلهم الكبير ، الذي يتخذ طابعا ريفيا كما نراه في الأعمال الدرامية التي تصف لنا طبيعة الحياة في إنجلترا في بدايات القرن العشرين وما قبل الحرب العالمية الأولى .
إذا تخيلت صورة للسيد ويلكوكس ، ستراه رجلا تخطى الخمسين ، رجل أعمال كما ينبغي أن يكون ، ثري واثق من نفسه حد الغرور ، شديد الاعتداد بنفسه فخورا بما حققه بكده وتعبه وترحاله ، مما أتاح له امتلاك عدة منازل في أحياء مختلفة ، يحرص على أن يشب أبنائه على نفس مبادئه ، لكنهم في سبيل تحقيق ذواتهم لا ينشغلون بنداء قلوبهم ، الابن الأصغر ونظرا لوسامته يوقع فتاة صغيرة في شباكه ، فتسقط فورا أسيرة مشاعرها تجاهه ، لكنها فورا تدرك حقيقته وأنه لا يمتلك قراره ، وأنها ليست بالنسبة له سوى رغبة عابرة ، وما لبث أن تبرأ منها ، حتى يتحرر ويقرر السفر ليبني مستقبله بعيدا عن عائلته وفق رغبة أبيه ، فالأب لديه مشاريع في نيجيريا فرض على ابنه الشاب أن يتولى إدارتها ومتابعة سير العمل بها ، حتى يضمن استمرار نمو أعماله وثروته .
**
سطور روايته يقدم لنا الأديب جملا فلسفية ووصفا لشخصياته يجمع بين الحب والغضب والسخرية ، فهو مثلا يصف تفكير السيد ويلكوكس وخطته لإحكام السيطرة على هيلين لإخضاعها للعلاج بأنه تفكير قطيع الذئاب ، أي لا مكان فيه للمشاعر والرحمة والرفق ، بينما يصف استبسال مارجريت لإنقاذ شقيقتها بأنه أشبه بالقتال الذي طالما اعتادت خوضه في سبيل حقوق النساء ، ويقول عنها :" كانت تقاتل الرجال في سبيل النساء " .
بينما نجده في نفس الوقت يتعاطف مع لينارد رغم تصرفاته الرعناء ، ونجد أيضا أنه يكره جاكي حبيبته ، ويصف لنا الشخصيات الثانوية وصفا بديعا مثل السيدة فريدا موزباخ ابنة عم الفتاتين ، التي تميل للتفكير العملي ، ولكنه واقعي لذا فهي تحيا حياة مستقرة أكثر منهما ، ونجدها عندما تقارن بين نوعين من الرجال تميل لتمثيلهما باثنين من الرسامين ، واحد "بوكلين " تشاؤمي لوحاته تميل للجدية والحزن والألوان فيها تميل للقتامة والظلام ، لكن مثل هذا النوع من الرجال الجاد الصارم المتجهم لا تميل له النساء ، رغم أنه قادر أكثر على الإقدام والتضحية والجرأة وتقديم المبادرات الجادة لكسب قلب الفتاة التي يحبها ، أما الثاني فهو بنيامين ليدر المرفه الذي تنطق لوحاته بالإشراق ومعظمها تجسد المناظر الطبيعية الساحرة بألوان زاهية مبهجة ، لكنه لعدم شعوره بمعاناة الناس ويعيش في برج عاجي ، وغالبا أمثال هؤلاء تكون مشاعره متجمدة ، مثل الطعام المحفوظ لا مذاق له .
**
الرواية غنية بالصراعات النفسية لأبطالها ، وغنية أيضا بالأحداث ، الغريب أن مسار الحياة يتغير تماما عند بطلتي الرواية من مجرد صدفة عابرة في البداية وصدفة ثانية في المنتصف وهو حادث أخذ هيلين لمظلة لينارد باست بالخطأ ، وذهابه لاستردادها مع أختها ، ليتعرف عليهما ، فتتوثق المعرفة بهما من اللقاء الثاني ، ويغير هذا من شخصيته ويحرضه على التمرد على الحبيبة التي تساكنه "جاكي " عندما يكتشف أنه كان غبيا عندما تبنى فكرة أن يصلح خطأ غيره ، ومخالفة رغبة أهله .
والحدث الثالث الذي أيضا يغير حياة مارجريت هو صداقتها بالسيدة ويلكوكس ، ثم وفاة السيدة وترمل زوجها ، والوصية التي كتبتها ومحاولة أبنائها وزوجها مخالفتها والالتفاف عليها ، وعدم تنفيذها ، لكن أيضا يفاجئنا الأديب هنا بتغييره لدفة المشاعر ، وكيف تشاء الصدف أحيانا ما لا تنجح خطط البشر في تحقيقه !
فلا عجب إذن أن نرى تغير الأحداث بداية من الوصية التي تكتبها السيدة ويلكوكس لمارجريت قبل وفاتها ، ثم تطور العلاقة بين الأرمل والفتاة الناضجة ، وزواج ابنته ، لتلتقي الأحداث وتتجمع كل خيوطها مرة أخرى في نقطة البداية ، مع تغير الأشخاص وكيف رأينا أن الأشخاص وتفكيرهم يساهم في إحداث تغيير كبير في المكان ، فهناك من البشر من يضيفون الكثير برجاحة عقلهم وصبرهم وثباتهم في المواقف القاسية مثل مارجريت ، التي أصبحت هي صاحبة الكلمة الأولى والأخيرة في حياة الرجل صاحب الأملاك ، كما دبأت الأحداث في المنزل الريفي هواردزإند. نجدها أيضا انتهت عنده وهو في حال غير الحال
**
منذ البداية أعجبتني شخصية مارجريت بكل أخطائها وحماسها ، ، ثم يفسر لنا سبب تباين شخصيات الأشقاء الثلاثة ، الفتاتان وشقيقهما تيبي
الفتاتان اللتان من أب ألماني وأم انجليزية ، كانا تميلان أكثر للجانب الروحاني والخيالي أكثر من الجانب النفعي المادي الذي كانت ألمانيا تتبناه ، فالأب كان أمله -بعدما جاء إلى لندن وتزوج من أمهما – أن تنقشع سحب المادية التي تخيم على وطنه الأول في الوقت المناسب ، وأن ينبثق نور الفكر الهاديء من جديد " .
لذا ليس غريبا أن نرى ميل الفتاتين للصالونات الأدبية والفنية ، وهنا في هذا الجزء يلقي لنا الأديب بإشارة حول اختلاف شخصية كل منهما عن الأخرى ، فمارجريت الكبرى لم تكن تجذب انتباه الحاضرين مثل أختها هيلين التي تفوقهما جمالا وحضوراً ، والتي تميل لإغراء الناس ، وكانت إذ تغريهم على استعداد هي نفسها للوقوع في حبائل الإغراء ، أما مارجريت فكانت تمضي إلى هدفها رأساً وتقبل الهزيمة بين الحين والحين على أنها جزء من اللعبة .
**
اقتباسات من الرواية :" ليس تبكيت الضمير من الحقائق الخالدة ،إنه أشد وسائل الإصلاح إتلافا ، فهو يمزق الأنسجة السليمة مع المسمومة ، إنه سكين تصل إلى أعمل مما يصل إليه الشر ، وقد دفع لينارد إلى عذابه دفعاً وخرج طاهرا لكن موهناً ، فالطهر لا يعني هدوء النفس " .
**
ما على الخير وإما على الشر"
" إن العلم يفسر الناس ولكنه لا يستطيع فهمهم ولعله يستطيع بعد قرون طويلة قضاها بين العظام والعضلات ، أن يتقدم صوب معرفة الأعصاب ، ولكن هذا لن يحقق له فهم الإنسان أبداً" "

"Howard's End" strangely reminded me of several Jane Austen's books. Same themes of blending of classes ("Emma"), sisterly love ("Sense and Sensibility"), and witty humor. However this book was not as compelling as any of Austen's.

As much as liked this complex story of relationships between three families belonging to three different classes of pre-war England; as much as I enjoyed the exploration of turn-of-the-century issues of women's equality, great disparity between rich and poor, social immobility, etc.; as much as I appreciated Forster's impeccable command of language, just like with his other novels, I failed to truly connect with his characters and the story.

Some characters were very hard to understand (Ruth Wilcox, for example - what is so special about her apathy and inertia?), the significance of Howard's End evaded me, and mainly, I wasn't sure what was the main point of this book - to emphasize importance of mutual understanding between people of all classes, ages and world views? I am not sure...

I think there were simply too many ideas crammed into one book, and thus it lacked a major theme what would pull the story together and make it more compelling.

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

Having studied this book in detail many, many years ago, I was keen to revisit this classic. Not only from a literary perspective, but also for the nostalgic element of remembering what I was doing at the time! I wasn’t overwhelmed by the story when I was younger and I can’t say that has changed now. However, reading this was a pleasant trip down memory lane but one that I will probably permanently shelve.

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

A love letter to England, Howards End mixes drama, comedy, and philosophy to explore ideals, moral character, and class in the early 20th century. While certain ideas, such as the importance of balancing the pragmatic and the ethical, don't feel modern, there are enough universal truths and quirky plot twists to make it well worth reading.

Among English elites, Howards End was among the most discussed books of its decade. Forster hung with the Bloomsbury Group which included novelist Virginia Woolf, economist John Maynard Keynes, and writer Lytton Strachey.

Forster's books experienced renewed popularity in late 1980s and 90s in the U.S. and England through movies based on Howards End, Room with a View, and A Passage to India.

I read Howards End because it was assigned as part of Close Reads, a podcast that I'm part of. The book came through a personal recommendation by Wendell Berry. Given that recommendation, I was surprised to dislike the first half of the book. Berry recommended it. Why was it not resonating with me?

But by the end of the book, Howards End had turned around. The conclusion of the book provided a compelling picture of England's (hoped-for) future and a satisfying finale for characters who were often groping for meaning and motive in their life.

Having said that the conclusion is satisfying, the first half of the book trudges. I kept complaining, "Where are we going? What is this book about? Will we ever learn about these characters?" Other readers might chide me: "Easy, cowboy. Forster is attempting something new with his novel." I commend novel approaches to novels. But this novel novel — stripped of plot points and deepening character arcs — proved a slog. One critic complained that Forster didn't write characters, he wrote points-of-view. I agree with the complaint.

Once he returned to more typical methods, Howards End gathered steam and provided powerful social critique. So, in the end, H.E. is worth the read. Provides rewards to the patient reader.