Upon arrival, they got just the opposite.

Both women had asked for and been promised rooms with a view. The absurdity of this way of living is highlighted when Forester takes a young Englishwoman, Lucy Honeychurch (don't you love that name?), off for a trip to Florence in the company of her maiden cousin, Charlotte, who also serves as chaperone.Ī variety of English tourists are gathered in a small Italian pensione in Florence when Lucy and Charlotte arrive. Naturally, the middle class prefers its own company and so-called manners are merely an excuse to keep everyone else at bay. The middle class has its wits and its respectability to defend itself from the vagaries of a challenging world. If you only listen to one audio CD this year, you would do well to make it this one.įorester writes about an England that is long gone. Clearly, the combination of the two is that rare marriage of great writing brought to life by a talented actress. Forester's witty comedy of manners, or Joanna David's nuanced and entertaining reading of the book. It's hard to know which to praise more, E. But better avoid if Edwardian conventions and stuck-up English characters are not your cup of tea!

Would recommend if you enjoy a novel of ideas with comic undertones. What the novel is actually about: An examination of love, social conventions, religion and philosophy tied together by a (lukewarm) romance and heaps of humour.Ĭonclusion: I liked the novel but would have enjoyed the story even more if it had a stronger sense of setting and properly fleshed-out-characters instead of 'caricatures'. What I expected from the novel: A strong sense of setting, atmospheric descriptions of Italy, romance. The strange duo undertake a journey to Italy, where they make the most improper acquaintances, visit churches and museums and maybe, possibly, probably not fall in love. Lucy Honeychurch is a young woman governed by social conventions alas, it is not easy being a lady in the Edwardian era, least of all if one is travelling with a holier-than-thou spinster aunt who is constantly getting in one’s way.

Amazon view audio companion