As a girl, I think I'm supposed to like this book? Well, I found it interesting but a bit floppily characterized-- NOBODY in the entire universe behaves like George. I don't care what you say about it-- nobody does. He's like some kind of transcendentalist puppet. Apparently, Forster based him off of someone he admired/loved? I'm not sure. It may explain why George is such an unrealistic fellow. Even his faults are supposed to be charming, for christ's sake.

Also: can't beat Forster for beautiful description and interesting character conflicts, even if the characters involved are George-style ideological megaphones. I enjoyed those parts of this book a LOT. All in all, I think I still prefer Passage to India, though. That doesn't mean, however, that you shouldn't all go out and read this book right away. You all SHOULD. It's mandatory if you speak English and have a soul, apparently. And no wonder-- it's fine fine stuff. ( )

I love love love this book.
The first part in Florence is quite dull and boring but it is meant to be so and the second part is simply divine! I would finish a chapter with a smile and an uncontrollable delight. The characters are so perfectly themselves and they interact wonderfully and the plot winds with an uncontrolled perfection I didn't think possible. And it's not simply escapist fiction - Lucy must decide between two suiters - which is really a metaphor for her choice to embrace sensuality and passion and truth or to embrace dusty death. This is relevant because Cecil is so retrograde - medieval is the word used - and he is basically and old fashined style relationship which would chain Lucy as a possesion to Cecil, like in Medieval times. The other fellow offers an egaletarian marriage of equals where Lucy can flourish as a woman and not as simply a possesion. I give it my highest recommendations! ( )

Truth! Beauty! Love! ( )

This is the first book I've read by Forster, and now I'm looking forward to reading the rest of his novels. In seeing the movie several times, I sort of assumed I had read this before. I'm glad I did not continue in that assumption. The writing, humor, romance, characters, descriptions of beauty and philosophy, were all wonderful. Sometimes we read books at the perfect time in our lives. The scenic descriptions and the theme of being true to oneself were perfectly aligned with my own mood and perceptions. ( )

A Room with a View is neither enigmatic nor ironic. It is just a pretty, simple love story. Forster addresses the reader halfway through to point out the obvious, to let us know that he has made the ideas transparent on purpose. WE all know who Lucy really loves. It is only Lucy who doesn't know because that's how she wants it to be. We have all had those experiences of lying to ourselves.

Lucy is a girl on the edge of adulthood, discovering a new world around her, with no one there to tell her how to feel about life. She still believes the world is a beautiful and exciting place. Until she witnesses up close the worst that life can be. Suddenly she seeks the familiar, the comfortable. She goes back to that safe place of following someone Else's ideas of the world. But when she finally lets go of these others, she is free to feel on her own. I was Lucy once. We have all been Lucy at some point in our lives. Forster is letting us know that it's a choice to seek beauty. It's a choice to see it. Life is going to be ugly with or without us but it's up to us to find the loveliness that makes life worth living. It is a timely message, at least for me. This book goes back on the shelf to await a thorough reread. ( )