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Sean Barrs 's Reviews > Howards End
Howards End
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Forster is the Jane Austen of the 20th century. He clearly read her novels and fell in love.
And this makes him rather unusual amongst his literary peers. He didn’t do anything new; he didn’t write with any particular passion or any attempt at breaking a literary boundary. His writing is relatively safe compared to the likes of Joyce or Woolf.
But in such safety a certain simple beauty can be found because Howard’s End is a novel about reconciliation; it’s about conflict and resolution; it’s about bringing people who are so radically different together. And I love this. I love the way he spends the entire novel showing how the two families (Wilcox & Schlegel) are so opposed in traditions and values; yet, for all that, he offers no comment on which way is right but instead brings them together in one big union at the end: it’s a celebration of life and love.
"Don't you see that all this leads to comfort in the end? It is part of the battle against sameness. Differences - eternal differences, planted by God in a single family, so that there may always be colour; sorrow, perhaps, but colour in the daily grey.�
The house, Howard's End, is at the centre of the action. It’s bequeathed by Mrs Wilcox to Margaret who (unlike the Wilcox’s) is the only one capable of seeing, and feeling, it’s true value. The remaining Wilcox’s decide to destroy the evidence and rent the house out because they want the money. And with this begins a discussion about the importance of death and life, about respecting wishes and understanding the importance of sentiments.
So the plot was immediate; it didn’t mess around and started flowing from the first page. And that’s kind of important with novels like this, novels that are largely about domestic life and the complications of class and money. The Wilcox’s are overly concerned with money and status (and acquiring more of it.) The Schlegel’s care about education, art, books and the passions of the soul. The two families become unlikely acquaintances and eventually friends (though not without an early embarrassment over an impromptu and insincere marriage proposal.)
It’s a nice easy read (a little lacklustre) but one is quite clearly content with its calm and subtle evocation of the variety of life.
And this makes him rather unusual amongst his literary peers. He didn’t do anything new; he didn’t write with any particular passion or any attempt at breaking a literary boundary. His writing is relatively safe compared to the likes of Joyce or Woolf.
But in such safety a certain simple beauty can be found because Howard’s End is a novel about reconciliation; it’s about conflict and resolution; it’s about bringing people who are so radically different together. And I love this. I love the way he spends the entire novel showing how the two families (Wilcox & Schlegel) are so opposed in traditions and values; yet, for all that, he offers no comment on which way is right but instead brings them together in one big union at the end: it’s a celebration of life and love.
"Don't you see that all this leads to comfort in the end? It is part of the battle against sameness. Differences - eternal differences, planted by God in a single family, so that there may always be colour; sorrow, perhaps, but colour in the daily grey.�
The house, Howard's End, is at the centre of the action. It’s bequeathed by Mrs Wilcox to Margaret who (unlike the Wilcox’s) is the only one capable of seeing, and feeling, it’s true value. The remaining Wilcox’s decide to destroy the evidence and rent the house out because they want the money. And with this begins a discussion about the importance of death and life, about respecting wishes and understanding the importance of sentiments.
So the plot was immediate; it didn’t mess around and started flowing from the first page. And that’s kind of important with novels like this, novels that are largely about domestic life and the complications of class and money. The Wilcox’s are overly concerned with money and status (and acquiring more of it.) The Schlegel’s care about education, art, books and the passions of the soul. The two families become unlikely acquaintances and eventually friends (though not without an early embarrassment over an impromptu and insincere marriage proposal.)
It’s a nice easy read (a little lacklustre) but one is quite clearly content with its calm and subtle evocation of the variety of life.
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Reading Progress
November 7, 2018
–
Started Reading
November 7, 2018
– Shelved
November 7, 2018
– Shelved as:
modernist-movement
November 18, 2018
– Shelved as:
4-star-reads
November 18, 2018
–
Finished Reading
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Lorna
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rated it 5 stars
Nov 07, 2018 12:00PM
I love Forster's books so much that I have reread them all, over and over, wishing he had been a more prolific writer. I know each phrase so well and with each read I see more and more in them. So it is a complete mystery to me why A Passage to India is such a hard slog for me too. In fact I really dislike it. It seems so tedious and boring. I am hoping, if I try it again every five years, perhaps I will reach a certain mature that will open my mind and I will suddenly get it. What compounds the mystery to me is that it is his bestseller, the book of his that is on everybody's shelf.
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This is an utter masterpiece. The best of Froster for sure.
Lorna wrote: "I love Forster's books so much that I have reread them all, over and over, wishing he had been a more prolific writer. I know each phrase so well and with each read I see more and more in them. So ..."It felt a little clunky to me and, as you say, boring. This just flows perfectly and doesn't mess around in comparison. Maybe a passage isn't just the same as his other fiction.
Mec wrote: "This is an utter masterpiece. The best of Froster for sure."Only me second Forster, though Im going to read A Room With A View next year for sure.
Well, that’s the sort of book we all long for😊great review!
Hi Boodragon Sean, I have this book for ages on my Kindle but never really got into it. After your review I must give it another try. All the best Peter
I’ve never read Forster. I watched the film version of a passage to India and didn’t like it very much. However, Howard’s end sounds very interesting. Thank you for the review.
Thank you for your beautiful book review.
I loved your comments about reconciliation. I would love to quote some of your informative review in a project on Howard's End I am working on (with attribution). Might that be possible?
"One big union at the end"??? You and I did not read the same book, I fear.
Your review makes me want to read this book. Thanks, Sean.
