A Room with a View
E. M. Forster (1879-1970)
Forster's 1908 comedy of English propriety, and the sunniest of his Italian novels. In a pension in Florence, where one room is wanted by two guests at once, young Lucy Honeychurch witnesses an outburst of feeling that her chaperone attributes to the poor manners of the lower classes — and which the Emersons, a father and son who do not know the rules, seem to acquire effortlessly. Back in Surrey, Lucy becomes engaged to the cultivated Cecil Vyse, and must decide which of two versions of herself she means to live. Light, exact and quietly subversive, it is a defence of honesty.
Text sourced from Project Gutenberg (public domain in the United States); the Project Gutenberg trademark and license text have been removed on import. Public-domain status determined by the author's death year + 50 years rule.
Table of Contents
- 001 “The Signora had no business to do it,” said Miss Bartlett, “no business at all. 2500 words
- 002 Fortunately one of the little old ladies, who for some time had been… 2504 words
- 003 Miss Lavish looked at the narrow ribbon of sky, and murmured: “Oh… 2511 words
- 004 “How silly of them!” said Lucy, though in her heart she sympathized… 2616 words
- 005 Lucy, for the third time, said that poor Charlotte would be sopped. 2523 words
- 006 But though she spent nearly seven lire, the gates of liberty seemed still unopened. 2514 words
- 007 “Oh, you wicked woman,” cried Miss Bartlett. 2515 words
- 008 “Thank you, Charlotte,” said Lucy, and pondered over the offer. 2633 words
- 009 But it is not easy to carry the pictures of Alessio Baldovinetti in… 2547 words
- 010 “In a book?” “Heroes—gods—the nonsense of schoolgirls.” “And then?”… 2517 words
- 011 Two pleasant people sat in the room. 2637 words
- 012 The Honeychurches were a worthy family, but he began to realize that… 2502 words
- 013 “Difference?” cried Mrs. Honeychurch, suddenly alert. “I don’t see… 2571 words
- 014 “Which way shall we go?” she asked him. 2500 words
- 015 “Oh, yes,” he grumbled. “And you will be satisfied, too, for they’re… 2554 words
- 016 When the guests were gone, and Lucy had gone to bed, Mrs. 2564 words
- 017 “Race you round it, then,” cried Freddy, and they raced in the… 2512 words
- 018 “I have been thinking, Lucy, of that letter of Charlotte’s. 2616 words
- 019 Lucy thought this rather a good speech. 2547 words
- 020 “I vote tennis,” said Freddy, disgusted at the scrappy entertainment. 2517 words
- 021 Miss Bartlett could not think. 2539 words
- 022 “I cannot think you were right,” said Cecil gently. 2533 words
- 023 “But when—” “Late last night. 2502 words
- 024 Here, apparently, was one of those points that the male intellect misses. 2530 words
- 025 “I want more independence,” said Lucy lamely; she knew that she… 2553 words
- 026 “I—I had to.” “Why, Miss Honeychurch, why?” Terror came over her, and she lied again. 2508 words
- 027 They tried to piece the thing together. 355 words