Recommended Reading: A Room with a View

'A Room With A View' by E. M. Forster

In the summer of 1989, I first discovered my true love for English Literature. Prior to then, I had not really read very regularly; after this point, I devoured amazing literature insatiably. And it all started with my reading of this book - and the film that was made of it in the 1980s.

The book was written in the early 1900s, and is, essentially, a love story, so I guess this might put off many of the boys reading this blog (although it shouldn't!). Set amid the extraordinarily conventional world of Edwardian society, it tells the story of a love affair on which society frowns, but which blossoms in the end anyway. And, along the way, Forster reveals more about human nature and the meaning of life than you would learn in 100 other books.

You might not like it; it might not be your cup of tea. But I can't think of any better recommendation than to recommend the book which single-handedly switched me on to the subject I teach. It is NOT the best book I have ever read, but it must have had something pretty special about it to have such a powerful effect on me as a 15-year-old reluctant reader. If you like it, you could do a lot worse than to move on then to Forster's masterpiece: 'A Passage to India' - quite simply one of the most amazing and profound books you are ever likely to read, and, if you are even remotely interested in the Indian subcontinent, one of the most important ones too. But, as an introduction to Forster, there is no better place to start than the pages of 'A Room With A View'...

Click HERE to read an extract from the novel.

And click HERE to download some helpful FACTSHEETS on the novel.