The Connell Short Guide to E. M. Forster s: A Room with a View

Often described as E.M. Forster's most charming novel, A Room with a View has delighted readers ever since it was first published in 1908. Set in Italy and England, it tells the story of Lucy Honeychurch: will she marry the passionate individualist, George Emerson, or the sardonic aesthete, Cecil Vyse? Or will she refuse to marry at all? Forster tells the story of Lucy's internal struggle with subtlety and irony. The critic Lionel Trilling credits him with 'a curiously tough insight' - that 'clear ideas are perhaps a sign of ignorance, muddle the sign of true knowledge'.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. A summary of the plot
3. Narration in A Room With a View
4. What is the significance of travel in the novel?
5. Why does Lucy break off her engagement because Cecil won’t play tennis?
6. Music in A Room With a View
7. What kind of novel is A Room With a View?
8. Edwardian or Modernist?
9. A comic novel?
10. A Bildungsroman?
11. Why does Mr Beebe oppose the marriage of George and Lucy?


Relevant to pupils studying:
- AQA A Level English Literature A

About The Author

Michael Patrick Allen is a PhD candidate in English at Harvard University. He earned a Master’s from the University of Oxford for a dissertation on the poets W.H. Auden and Geo rey Hill. He is now at work on a study of transatlantic literary relationships.

About Connell Guides

Connell Guides are a series of 75 study guides to great literature and key historical events. The books are written by top academics from leading universities, and provide in-depth analysis of A Level and GCSE texts, helping students engage deeply with literature by encouraging independent thought and demystifying complex concepts - presenting them in clear, accessible terms.

Brilliant for students looking to widen their contextual and critical understanding of a text, discover niche 'wow-factor' points for essays and coursework, or simply brush up on their knowledge. They’re the perfect level-up for A Level / GCSE revision, and an excellent introduction to university study. Jam-packed with information you won’t find anywhere else.