Books with author E. M. Forster

This award-winning novel about a conflict between a British woman and an Indian man amid the stirrings of rebellion against empire is “a revelation” (The New York Times). One of Time magazine’s 100 best English language novels published since 1923,one of the Modern Library’s 100 great works of twentieth-century English literature, and thewinner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize “By the time the great Edwardian novelist, in this last and best of his novels published in his lifetime, addressed himself to the British presence in India, his moral sense was more fully equipped than ever. Mindful of the imponderables of human conduct, alert to all the reciprocal misjudgments and the wearying false appraisals we make as a matter of course, he looked at empire and saw its weak foundations. Adela Quested is a British visitor to the Raj who is anxious to know ‘the real India.’ On a visit to the Malabar caves an assault of some kind does or does not happen to her, perhaps at the hands of Dr. Aziz, the solicitous Indian Muslim who has arranged the trip. Has she imagined things? Is he not what he seems? In his other great novel, Howards End, Forster directed us to ‘only connect.’ What he demonstrates here, in a story of the greatest and saddest subtleties—and comic subtleties, too—is how nearly impossible that is to do.” —Time

One of E. M. Forster's most celebrated novels, A Room With a View is the story of a young English middle-class girl, Lucy Honeychurch. While vacationing in Italy, Lucy meets and is wooed by two gentlemen, George Emerson and Cecil Vyse. After turning down Cecil Vyse's marriage proposals twice Lucy finally accepts. Upon hearing of the engagement George protests and confesses his true love for Lucy. Lucy is torn between the choice of marrying Cecil, who is a more socially acceptable mate, and George who she knows will bring her true happiness. A Room With a View is a tale of classic human struggles such as the choice between social acceptance or true love.

What makes this masterpiece a pure delight for contemporary readers is its vibrant portrait of life in Edwardian England, and the wonderful characters who inhabit the charming old country house in Hertfordshire called Howards End. This cozy house becomes the object of an inheritance dispute between the upright conservative Wilcox family and the Schlegel sisters, Margaret and Helen, sensitive and intuitive women loved by men willing to leap wide social barriers to fulfill their ardor. Through romantic entanglements, disappearing wills, and sudden tragedy, the conflict over the house emerges as a symbolic struggle for England’s future. Rich with the tradition, spirit, and wit distinctively English, Howards End is a remarkable novel of rare insight and understanding. As in his celebrated A Passage to India, E. M. Forster brings to vivid life a country and an era through the destinies of his unforgettable characters.

When Adela Quested and her elderly companion Mrs Moore arrive in the Indian town of Chandrapore, they quickly feel trapped by its insular and prejudiced 'Anglo-Indian' community. Determined to escape the parochial English enclave and explore the 'real India', they seek the guidance of the charming and mercurial Dr Aziz, a cultivated Indian Muslim. But a mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar caves with Aziz, and the well-respected doctor soon finds himself at the centre of a scandal that rouses violent passions among both the British and their Indian subjects. A masterful portrait of a society in the grip of imperialism, A Passage to India compellingly depicts the fate of individuals caught between the great political and cultural conflicts of the modern world.

Forster connects personal relationships with the politics of colonialism through the story of the Englishwoman Adela Quested, the Indian Dr. Aziz, and the question of what did or did not happen between them in the Marabar Caves.Forster was President of the Cambridge Humanists from 1959 until his death and a member of the Advisory Council of the British Humanist Association from 1963 until his death. His views as a humanist are at the heart of his work, which often depicts the pursuit of personal connections in spite of the restrictions of contemporary society. His humanist attitude is expressed in the non-fictional essay What I Believe (reprinted with two other humanist essays – and an introduction and notes by Nicolas Walter – as What I Believe, and other essays by the secular humanist publishers G. W. Foote & Co. in 1999).Forster's two best-known works, A Passage to India and Howards End, explore the irreconcilability of class differences. A Room with a View also shows how questions of propriety and class can make human connection difficult. The novel is his most widely read and accessible work, remaining popular long after its original publication. His posthumous novel Maurice explores the possibility of class reconciliation as one facet of a homosexual relationship.Sexuality is another key theme in Forster's works. Some critics have argued that a general shift from heterosexual to homosexual love can be observed through the course of his writing career. The foreword to Maurice describes his struggle with his homosexuality, while he explored similar issues in several volumes of short stories. Forster's explicitly homosexual writings, the novel Maurice and the short story collection The Life to Come, were published shortly after his death.Forster is noted for his use of symbolism as a technique in his novels, and he has been criticized (as by his friend Roger Fry) for his attachment to mysticism. One example of his symbolism is the wych elm tree in Howards End. The characters of Mrs. Wilcox in that novel and Mrs. Moore in A Passage to India have a mystical link with the past, and a striking ability to connect with people from beyond their own circles.

Forster’s novel was likely influenced by his own travels abroad in Italy and Europe. Additionally, the novel is set in the Edwardian period of English history, during the first decade of the 20th century. This was a transitional moment for Great Britain, as the nation moved gradually from the strict, somewhat repressive norms of Victorian society toward the full-blown modernity of the 20th century. The conflict between old and new in this historical moment is a prevalent tension throughout the novel.

FINALIST IN THE WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS 2017For Mallow, every day is a Bad Hair Day.Wearing a wig means Mallow can hide her hair loss. But now someone’s sending her creepy messages. It’s a race to stop them before everyone discovers her secret.Losing her hair was hard enough – but will she lose the people she cares about too?A touching mystery about family, friendships and being different, from the award-winning author of Shadow Jumper.Bad Hair Days is perfect for older children and young teens.PRAISE FOR BAD HAIR DAYSBad Hair Days not only gives the reader an insight into how it would feel to deal with the emotional impact of hair loss, but it is a story about the importance of family and friendship all tied up in a great mystery story. It is a perfect read for teens. Stressy Mummy BloggerINTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHORQ: How did you decide to write for 10-14 year olds?A: When I was about 11-14 years old I loved reading action & adventure stories and mysteries. Being totally involved in the story and trying to figure out what was going to happen next was great fun, and for me this was the age when I first became really aware of how fantastic it was to read a well-written, gripping story. I wanted to recreate that feeling in my first book, SHADOW JUMPER - to be action-filled and a page-turner but to also tackle contemporary themes and issues. I hope I've also achieved that in BAD HAIR DAYS, although it's a book about emotions and growing up too.Q: Why did you decide to write about hair loss?I don't have personal experience of this distressing condition, but I am drawn to writing about people who are different, and I wanted to explore how they cope with the challenges, particularly relationships with family and friends, and bullying. I wanted to convey how difficult it must be to be a teenager living with hair loss, but also how strong friendships and family can really help.Q. Is this book for boys or girls?Both! The issues in the book effect both boys and girls. If you love a mystery adventures, then Bad Hairs Days could be the right book for you, your child or grandchild. And I'd love to know what you think of it, so do leave a review on here if you liked it.Please visit my website for more information about my books and writing. See details in the About Author section below.J M Forster is the awarding-winning writer of mystery books for 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 year olds, books about social and family issues, action and adventure stories, teen mysteries, fantasy, teenage adventure books for girls, teen books for boys, books for boys 9-12, children's books age 9 - 11.