FREE BOOK "Howards End by E. M. Forster" buy acquire text iphone ipad view reader
By TealWolf
Jessica Hardy—not sure why, but I just can’t stop thinking about her.
Reader discussion: Howards End
Public reader discussion about Howards End in the WeRead Catalog by E. M. Forster.
I finished ‘The Remains of the Day’ a few days ago, and it’s going to stay with me for a long time
By CrowSlow5783
Honestly, it feels like I’m hitting that “getting older” stage and suddenly I’m more into stuff that’s a bit more grown-up than I used to be. I never thought I’d end up reading a book like this. I only grabbed it because of an Audible special offer. Before that, I just figured it was the kind of “everyone’s supposed to read this” thing my high school teacher would shove at us 😄 I usually go for plot-driven fiction—I still have this childish belief that good fiction should be full of adventure and exciting stuff, not a deep dive into one person’s head. But this one really threw me off. I didn’t expect to connect with a butler who worked for the big fancy aristocrats during WW2. It surprised me. And I guess that’s why it hit. I’m in my mid-40s too, stuck in a dead-end job, replaying missed chances and regrets. I know what it’s like to feel trapped by everyone’s expectations. I also totally get that weird ache of losing someone and then having “normal” human stuff feel strange or distant. The whole lost love + happiness thing? Yeah, that was painfully relatable. So, for me, it really spoke to me. Spoilers—some folks might call the ending depressing, but I don’t see it that way. I’d like to think the main character finds some peace in himself and maybe ends up with a better way of looking at life. Anyway, you can tell I’m not Kazuo Ishiguro. I definitely don’t have that kind of writing talent. Thanks for reading my messy thoughts. I’m just really happy I’ve got a place where I can talk books—there aren’t many people around me who actually get into this stuff. What did you think?
Howards End by E.M. Forster, first US printing (title/copyright pages missing, but printing still discernable from the presence of chapter titles, which were removed from subsequent printings). Recent find at a local used book store for $5
By Frog-Roast
There’s also this neat little tipped-in page from the publisher that explains how they came up with the chapter titles without the author’s input, since they couldn’t really reach him in time before it went to press. Forster apparently didn’t care for the titles, and they got dropped in later printings. I’ve also seen that the first printing comes in two different states, and I need to check my bibliography a bit more to be sure which one this copy is.
What's the meaning of "Only connect!" in Howards End by E.M. Forster?
By brokenClock7
I haven’t read the book yet, but that “Only connect” line really stuck with me. I’m trying to figure out what it could look like in everyday life, like how to actually “connect” stuff instead of keeping everything separate. I saw a few breakdowns of the quote, but I’d rather hear what others think—what does this mean to you in practice?
I feel tricked (in a very inventive way) by Howards End. Do we think this was the author's intent? SPOILERS
By BalanceCandle14
I kept getting the sense in *Howards End* that something big and really awful was coming at the end. It felt like it was being set up to hit Margaret (or maybe Helen), like the book was basically telling you she wasn’t going to get the chance to enjoy whatever future she was imagining—like when she falls into that whole idea of Howards End and then we get that hint she’ll never see it again when she leaves. So I was expecting death, or at least her marriage to blow up. Then the ending happens and I’m sitting there thinking, “Huh, okay, that wasn’t as bad as I thought.” Helen and Margaret are still getting along, and Margaret and Henry are okay, and in the end Margaret even ends up owning Howards End. But then it hit me later: Leonard’s life gets wrecked and he dies, while everyone with money just keeps going. And I couldn’t shake the feeling that my reaction was only “fine” because the disaster didn’t land on the main people I was rooting for. It made me think Forster almost set that up on purpose—to get you to react in a way that kind of shows how society shrugs off tragedy for people who don’t have means. Like he got me doing the thing he’s criticizing. Did anyone else read it the same way, or do you think that’s what he was going for?
Need recommendations like Howard’s End.
By RiverElfship52232
Hey everyone. Just finished Howard’s End this afternoon and I’m honestly happy and wrecked at the same time. It’s kind of like you’ve been waiting forever—like 15 years—to finally see someone, and then they only show up in your city for an hour and have to leave again. Now you’re left staring at the idea of another 15 years of waiting. That’s exactly what this feels like. Howard’s End was the kind of drama I’ve been wanting. After Downtown Abbey, it almost felt like coming back home—those more fancy-but-still-warm vibes. I’m really annoyed that so much got left out though, like they shoved it into just 4 episodes. I swear I could’ve happily watched way more seasons of it. Anyway… now I need recommendations ASAP. I thought about Outlander, but I keep putting it off, mostly because of how overtly sexual it is, and it ends up being triggering for me the wrong way. I’ve already watched the whole Downton Abbey stuff (series + movies), Anne with an E, Sanditon, and I’m currently watching an older Jane Eyre, but it’s a bit heavy/depressing. I also watched The Gilded Age and started Mr Selfridge, but it’s too focused on business for me. I’ve got a few more on my list, but it’s hard to actually get into them when the subs aren’t good or the quality is a mess. I tried Bridgerton too, but it’s not really something I can handle right now. Maybe later though.
E.M. Forster foresees the future in "Howards End"
By Panther_Cloudy
I read this as coming from this weird moment when it’s like the merchant class is getting stronger and the old landed folks are basically running out of money, and Margaret’s still trying to push her brother toward the idea that he needs to get a job. I like that she’s arguing that wanting to work is actually a new kind of good thing, even if it comes with a bunch of bad stuff too—and she even hopes women will be judged differently about working someday. And then Tibby’s response just totally shuts it down like he doesn’t get any of it. That “profound desire” line is kind of funny, but also it makes me feel unsure whether he’s just joking or genuinely not taking her seriously.
What do we think of E. M. Forster as a writer?
By draft_ribbon
So what do I think about E. M. Forster? Honestly, I don’t read the “classic lit is torture” way some people do—I was raised on a bunch of it, so I’m not coming at this like some punishment. I haven’t gotten through all of Forster’s novels yet, but I’ve seen movies for most of the first five and I’ve skimmed some quotes online. I figured I’d start with *The Longest Journey* since it’s the only one that didn’t get turned into a movie. And… I’m sorry, but it was crazy boring to me. There basically wasn’t any real plot—just Rickie wandering through life and complaining about everything: his marriage, his job, his school, his “culture,” his friendships… and sure, there are moments with Ansell, but it still felt like nonstop whining. I kept waiting for him to finally create something great, or for something major to happen and kick off a chain of conflicts, but nothing really does. And even Rickie (and the others too) felt kind of snobby and sharp-edged, so I had a hard time caring. By chapter 25 I just stopped. I felt the same vibe with *Where Angels Fear to Tread* and *A Passage to India*—even though at least those actually have a plot. I might need to go back though since it’s been a while. Forster does make the main characters “almost” likable, but he also doesn’t want you to like them too much, which is a bummer. If he leaned harder into the better parts of them instead of their worst little attitudes, I think I’d be way more emotionally pulled in. Now *A Room With a View* is different—I’d call it light/comfort reading, and that’s fine. We all know Lucy ends up with George, so the fun part is the ride and the weird characters. I liked that Lucy was embarrassed about her feelings at first, especially since it was the first time she’d felt that kind of passion. And George’s dad kind of helps her sort out the mess in her head. I do wish they actually showed her saying “I love you” after that talk with Mr. Emerson—because I wanted to know what she’d say. (And yeah, I know how I’d imagine it in my head.) I also really liked Daniel Day-Lewis as Cecil Vyse—he was so proper you couldn’t help but watch him, and I think he actually cared, he just didn’t show it in the best way. Plus he handled her rejection with maturity instead of being gross about it. Maggie Smith as Charlotte was great too: cranky on the surface, but you can tell there’s something soft under it. As for *Maurice*… this is one time I did get more emotionally invested. It’s still trapped-gay-feelings territory, sure, and the culture part matters, but I didn’t mind it as much here. And I don’t feel like the story fully backs Maurice’s viewpoint either—like, it shows he can mess things up on his own, like dropping out of college instead of finishing, how he blows up with Clive on Ada, and then how he basically throws away everything at the end—his job, his family, his home, his friends—because he thinks one person is going to be enough. I know some people in the LGBTQ community are going to roll their eyes at this take, but I kinda get what Clive meant when he said life is easier for people who don’t have to go through all this. Like… sometimes one person really isn’t enough. You need other things and other people to feel whole. With Anne, Clive had friends and family and real future plans. It didn’t have to be so desperate. I also can’t help wondering what Maurice’s choice would’ve done to his family, especially his mother, and whether Alec was really the kind of person who’d stick around long-term. So yeah, I left it up to the reader, because it’s not exactly comforting. My main complaint with *Maurice* is that it felt like Forster didn’t dig into enough of the supporting characters. I wanted more of Clive and Anne, Maurice’s mom and sisters, and maybe even Lord Risley. But if I had to pick one, it’s *Howards End*. The three families feel like they represent different classes, and everything connects in that twisty, “wait, how did that happen?” way that reminds me of Dickens. I loved Margaret and Helen together because they’re so opposite—Margaret runs on reason, Helen runs on feelings. Ruth Wilcox is such a gentle presence, and when she talks you just listen. I also loved how their mother/daughter-type bond worked and how the cottage at Howard’s End becomes this peaceful escape from all the drama. And I definitely cracked up at the voting bit—Vanessa Redgrave is the only person who could pull that off while basically roasting the whole idea. Plus, I was glad Henry and Margaret finally called each other out and fixed things after the whole hypocrisy/Helens pregnancy mess. So overall: Forster is a good writer, maybe not a “great” one. He’s at his best with the poetic, reflective writing and how he thinks about people and life. The problem is sometimes the characters aren’t always likable enough to keep you invested in what’s happening to them.
Howards End (1992). A businessman thwarts his wife's bequest of an estate to another woman.
By Precheck-Bookish10
I’m really into it, like, a lot. Even the newer one with Hayley Atwell is great too. I got way too obsessed with the Schlegels’ apartment and honestly wanted everything that was in it.
Howards End
By solarislandwhispers
This is my first Forster, and I’ve got a feeling I’ll be wanting more after it. I’m curious what others think about Margaret’s arc. For a big chunk of the book you can see her changing herself pretty clearly. It’s like the main person underneath doesn’t go away, but she’s still kind of clamped down—holding back a lot of what she says and does. Then at the end, when she finally ends up doing more in line with what she actually believes, it really feels like she lets go of the restraints and you can breathe along with her. But I’m still not sure what “final” Margaret even is. She seems kind of more hidden from us by the close than earlier on. And Henry too—does he end up broken, or does he somehow grow into something else? I’m pretty sure next up for me will be A Passage to India and Maurice.
Howards End, a 2017 TV series based on E. M. Forster's novel of the same name. I highly recommend!
By dragon-paperback
It’s on Prime too. Also, I’d really suggest the original one with Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson.
Howards End by E. M. Forster [Classics](1910)
By Bolter49
I’m not totally sure I “get” every bit of it, but Howards End feels like it’s really about the whole social rules and how people act in relationships in turn-of-the-century England. You’ve got this strong, smart woman who won’t just let her husband’s smug family’s attitude mess up her life. Some people say it’s Forster’s best work, and I can kind of see why, even if I’m still working through it.
So what's the moral of Howard's End?
By Fallen_Deep186
Leonard feels like such a tragic figure to me. He’s basically doing the right thing the whole time—he’s kind, honest, honourable, always giving people the benefit of the doubt—and it just all collapses. He ends up losing everyone and everything, and then he gets killed by some careless entitled guy who barely even gets punished. And he never even gets to really know his son; the kid will end up knowing nothing about him. The poor Basts keep putting their trust in people above them and it’s like that just keeps driving them further under. Meanwhile the rich Wilcoxes wreck lives in a pretty similar way to the Buchanans in The Great Gatsby, but somehow they glide through it like they’re barely affected. And then the middle-class Schlegels… they’re stuck between both worlds and it seems like they end up getting bruised no matter which way they turn. So what are we actually meant to take from it—like, the rich and poor should just stay away from each other, even if it’s supposed to be charity? Also, is the message that if you’re working class you shouldn’t even try for any kind of intellectual satisfaction? Like your desire to learn is just going to get you crushed for it? And honestly, is *Howards End* just the English version of *The Great Gatsby*? Or since *Howards End* came out first, is it more like the American *Gatsby* is the copy?