Maurice

A classic novel, irresistibly repackaged.

Completed in 1914, Maurice remained unpublished until after Forster's death. Although its homosexual content was the reason for this, the novel cannot be defined simply by its theme. It was written by a great novelist at the height of his powers, as those who read it will surely discover.

As a typical product of middle-class suburbia, Maurice finds it difficult coming to terms with his homosexuality. He first glimpses the possibilities of an unconventional life when he meets and falls in love with Clive, a fellow Cambridge undergraduate, but when Clive turns to women, Maurice feels betrayed. Close to despair, he meets Alex and in their ensuing love affair Maurice finds fulfilment, ultimately causing him to reject his entire inherited system of values and conduct.

About The Author

Edward Morgan Forster was born in London in 1879, attended Tonbridge School and went on to King's College, Cambridge in 1897, where he retained a lifelong connection and was elected to an Honorary Fellowship in 1946.

Forster wrote six novels. Where Angels Fear to Tread '1905' The Longest Journey '1907', A Room with a View '1908' and Howards End '1910' were all published before the First World War. Fourteen years passed before the publication of Forster's most famous work, A Passage to India, in 1924. Maurice, his novel on a homosexual theme, which he competed in 1914, was published posthumously in 1971. His other works include essays, biographies, short stories, plays and a critical work, Aspects of the Novel, as the libretto for Britten's opera Billy Budd. E.M. Forster died in June 1970.