HOWARDS END
EM FORSTER
Always loved Forster's short stories, even though I'm not very attached to that form of writing. Strangely enough, I didn't ever get around to any of his full-length stuff. Till now.
After reading (and falling in love with) On Beauty, I simply had to read the book it was inspired by. If only to learn how much of Zadie Smith's writing/ plotting was completely original.
Howards End is a spectacular novel, at the heart of which lies an unexpected friendship. It is the depth of that friendship that leads to Ruth Wilcox's bequeathing of Howards End to Margaret Schlegel. And they are but two of the many characters that make this fairly sprawling story come to life.
Smith's retelling of the story is even more beautiful, since she's shifted the landscape to a present-day American university. Introduced elements like race, nationality, and art/culture. And amplified the chief conflicts: emotionalism vs. practicality, culture vs. materialism, etc.
Her story is as much of a comment on our times as Forster's was of his -- on morality; on families, homes, and family homes; on society; on art/ culture; and on identity.
It's a flawless retelling of an already quite perfect story.
Loved both books. Was blown away at the spirit with which one takes on the other. Lingered over, and enjoyed immensely, the threads that ran through both narratives.
It's a bit like falling for the same person after many, many years. Much has changed; much is new. Yet, there are so many things that provoke the exact same reaction they did all that while ago.
Maybe I should read more Forster.
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