I would call this a...fair exploration of human nature. There is a particular situation, and through that particular situation, we see the extent of a few characters' true natures. A couple of them are changed by the experience--the others are not. For its day (pre-World War I), it was probably more than fair. However, by today's standards, as a woman, I found it more than a little dated. I don't know what women were really like back then, since I'm not 100 years old--perhaps they did get a bit hysterical over being yelled at--but women today generally don't start crying at the drop of a handkerchief, or get shrill and weepy because things aren't going their way. That portrayal of women was a bit off-putting...but I'm willing to forgive it, because it's old, and because I really enjoyed other parts of it.

Also, I still think it's a worthwhile read. It's still interesting, and I found parts of it enjoyable. Other parts drag, but much of it is interesting and often enjoyable. It was sometimes even a little funny, but overall, rather depressing, by nature of the situation the book deals with. I'm glad I read it, but it's not exactly a picnic, so don't read it if you're looking for happy fun times. This is what Jeeves would call 'an improving book.' It's for building character. So it's definitely a good thing I read it, because I sure could use some.

4,5 estrellas

Primera novela de E.M. Forster y solo puedo decir personalmente que se supera así mismo. Forster siempre trata en sus novelas el tema de personas que rompen con los convencionalismos que regían tan estrictamente en la Inglaterra de principios de siglo XX; personas que se revelan de una u otra forma y que finalmente salen perjudicadas ya sea física, moral o socialmente.


San Gimignano, 1898 by Edith Ridley Corbet

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Ok, this isn’t a masterpiece! But 5 stars because I enjoyed it hugely. Unusual plot showcasing the culture clash between the warm, emotionally connected Italians and the frigid hypocritical English, very much Forster’s core theme.

It was his first novel and compresses a lot into its relatively short length - it’s more of a novella. Forster achieves this through his assured dialogue: every short utterance reveals his characters’ personalities (and there is quite a cast).

Descriptions of Italy are ravishing, and his set piece scenes are gorgeous. A scene at the opera was a stand out for me, but everything he writes is emotionally evocative. The novel feels very cinematic and I’m not surprised it’s been filmed.

This was his first novel and a very accomplished one. He was 26.

32nd book of 2022

E. M. Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread has some themes in common with his later work A Room with a View which I reviewed a while back, in that both revolve around the English in Italy. However, unlike A Room with a View this novel is much bleaker and has very little by way of character redemption.

As for the story, the novel opens with a wealthy English Widow named Lilia Herriton taking a trip to Italy with her friend and traveling companion Caroline Abbott. Upon making it to Italy, Lilia meets and falls in love with a much younger and poorer man named Gino. Gino is not of noble or high society birth, and so Lilia's immediate family feels she should have nothing to do with him, and what's more, he is Italian, which is a major problem for the Herriton family. When the time comes to return to Sawston, the family home, Lilia declares to Caroline that she will be staying behind, rather than returning home, in order to be with Gino. Caroline returns to Sawston alone, much bothered by Lilia's actions.

Upon her arrival at the family home, the Herritons are horrified to hear of the newest developments between Lilia and Gino. Almost immediately after Caroline's return home, the Herritons send Lilia's brother-in-law, Philip to Italy in order for him to speak some sense into Lilia and bring her home before she does something disastrous for herself and her family name by marrying a man far younger than herself, and much below her social status. However, by the time Philip arrives on the scene in Italy, Lilia has already married Gino. The family is furious. Soon after her marriage, Lilia becomes pregnant with a child. This news sends shockwaves through the Herriton family, as they bring it upon themselves to figure out the fate of the child. Lilia dies during her labor, however, and so leaves Gino with a son. When the news reaches Sawston of the birth of Lilia's child, and the news of Lilia's death, Caroline decides to return to Italy in order to save the child from what she can only imagine will be a horrible childhood. The Herritons decide to send Philip back as well, and this time his sister, Harriet comes along with him. Together, the two of them try to rescue the name of Herriton, as they are very much afraid that much damage has already been cast upon them by Lilia's reckless behavior.

However, once the Herritons arrive in Italy, they soon fall under the magic of the small Italian town Monteriano and start to lose their original passion for ridding their family of any association with the country. During their time in Italy, Philip and Harriet learn that Gino has formed a very deep love for his child, even though he showed many signs of aggression, he seemed to be a man who was truly capable of love. The Herritons decide to drop their mission and return home, feeling both a strong love for Italy and not wishing anymore to deal with Lilia's past. Harriet is not so sure if this is truly the best thing to do, however, and so she kidnaps the baby from Gino in order to smuggle him safely back to Sawston, but disaster strikes when the carriage the baby is put in crashes and the child is killed. The death of Lilia's baby at the hands of Harriet sends her into a mental breakdown, one she never recovers from. Upon delivering the news of the child's death, Gino lashes out and attacks Philip, however, Caroline is able to calm Gino down and mediate peace between the two men. Philip, until this confrontation with Gino, had often been accused of not truly living, but rather treating life as a game that must simply be played out, but changed, into someone who found his capacity for depth of emotion.

The novel ends with a final declaration of love that can never be uttered. Philip, upon his return home to Sawston with Caroline, realizes his deep love for her, however, Caroline delivers a passionate declaration of love as well, however, one not for Philip, but for Gino. Philip is left heartbroken.

Where Angels Fear to Tread is quite a bleak story. But it is also one of immense depth and brevity. It is one that I know I will come back to again and again throughout the years. Five stars.

Video review live on my youtube channel. Link https://youtu.be/Lk0QZf9dOFQ

Beautifully written; few writers limn class and its transgressions better than Forster. The story unspools delicately, and when tragedy strikes there's as much bewilderment in the characters as the reader. It seems almost too heavy a burden for such a filigreed tale.

I try to sprinkle "classics" into my reading. Wow - this one, for me, was just close to awful. I truly did not enjoy the story, the characters, or the writing. I thoroughly could not get into this one.

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101st book of 2022.

2.5. I mean, it's okay. Forster was only 26 when this was published so this really is an early work. The plot is a bit melodramatic and dialogue heavy for my liking. I recently bought a bundle of Forster's novels (having only before this read A Room With a View) so I thought I'd start from the top, as I'm often wont to do. I've been unwell today and Thursday is my day off work anyway, so this entertained me enough to read it all today (not that it's long); but I won't remember it with much fondness.

My favorite quotation from the book: "He had known so much about her once -what she thought, how she felt, the reasons for her actions. And now he only knew that he loved her, and all the other knowledge seemed passing from him just as he needed it most."

I like Forster, and his portrayal of small people living in a small world, suddenly expanded by travel and exposure to people living passionately. Not as heartbreaking as some of his other novels, not as emotionally gripping as some other authors' similar stories, but certainly an excellent novel.

I went to see the film with somebody who is seriously Anglo-Saxon. So when we came out, we fell on each other. He was appalled at the way Italians respond to grief. I was appalled at the way the Anglo-Saxons do it.

Not that I am a whole-hearted supporter of that Italian way of being emotional. Part of the reason I took up knitting was to learn to control my Italian 'fly off the handle and get it over and done with'. That isn't necessarily the wrong way to deal with things, but it certainly isn't always the best either.

Yeah, well. I've just gotten my Italian citizenship and passport. With that and my Australian citizenship/passport, I hope to have the best of all worlds. Slow to anger and quick to forgive. That'd be perfect.

Erm, 3 months to read this 160 page book? I did have a lot going on, but I did find it initially intriguing. However my usual disappointment in aristocratic stories has not been corrected, and my aversion to comedic novels of this period has been heightened. How does anyone laugh at this plot? Maybe this wasn’t the Forster to start with.

rating: i’m an indecisive person and always rate books highly so you’ll just have to wait to see what i will decide on ( although it will probably be close to 4 stars