Maurice: A Novel
Set in the elegant Edwardian world of Cambridge undergraduate life, this story by a master novelist introduces us to Maurice Hall when he is fourteen. We follow him through public school and Cambridge, and into his father's firm. In a highly structured society, Maurice is a conventional young man in almost every way--except that he is homosexual.
Written during 1913 and 1914, immediately after Howards End, and not published until 1971, Maurice was ahead of its time in its theme and in its affirmation that love between men can be happy. "Happiness," Forster wrote, "is its keynote....In Maurice I tried to create a character who was completely unlike myself or what I supposed myself to be: someone handsome, healthy, bodily attractive, mentally torpid, not a bad businessman and rather a snob. Into this mixture I dropped an ingredient that puzzles him, wakes him up, torments him and finally saves him."
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Community Reviews
I had to binge read this for my book club even though i had just got done telling the leader i was going to be pretty mia due to my intense curriculum this year.. but then it was voted for this book to be the first of the year and sooo.. i HAD to. I've had it in my wants t read since i was younger and just never got around to it. Happy i read it after Virginia Wolfe introducing me into the old style because it flowed way better after reading Orlando. (Which i had to put on hold for this but am almost done with and cant wait its been so good) But this book is definitely one I'll be rereading it because i want to pick up little things i might have not caught through the faster reading. I only do that for books that are good... so.. yeah, its good. lol
I'll come back and write a more detailed review later this year probably when i do that. It definitely had, down to the little details i did caught, (which was actually a lot) notice that it gave me a lot vibes of other sorts of gay relationship books.. its also surprisingly given me a lot of inspiration for my own novel which going into it i didn't think it would. I'm not sure why, because it is a lgbt novel lol but i just didn't ever let myself know too much past the most basic knowledge on this. (something i do when i know i want to check something out)
No matter what valid criticisms I read/have about this book (biggest one probably being: what exactly prompts Clive to faint in that moment? also: I think they happily self describe as misogynists?), this book will always mean so much to me. The endnote always makes me so emotional. The note about the Wolfenden report? :( Tears. And the last scene is so good. GAH!! It's not just the book itself, it's everything it represents that really gets me. A happier year indeed
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