A Room With a View

By: E. M. Forster

Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Set in Italy and England, this is a rich and romantic story of Lucy Honeychurch and the choice she must make between love and convention. Commuters Library presents a wonderful reading of this time-honored classic by Wanda McCaddon.

©2002 Commuter's Library (P)2002 Commuter's Library

Incredible

Returned to this book after many years. I kept borrowing and returning various narrators, listening to 10 or 15 minutes each, until I settled on this one. Wanda’s reading here is exquisite.

A DESERVING CLASSIC.

What a treat this mixture of characters. The variety of thoughts expressed and then contradicted by the truth of their motovations for those very same thoughts. The narrator does a superb job as is usual for her.

Delicious!

Years ago, I had seen the movie but never read this classic by E.M. Forster. This is a scrumptious novel that I enjoyed on many levels. On one level it is a romance novel, but there is far more. I also enjoyed the fascinating cast of characters, each of whom was vividly portrayed, well-rounded, believable, and contributing to a landscape of Victorian society. If you have ever fallen in love with Florence, Italy (or any other magical place), this will make you long to return for a visit. The novel is thoroughly engrossing and entertaining. A few times, I found myself laughing out loud. To become acquainted with the protagonist, Lucy Honeychurch, is to savor a rich experience of coming of age. The narration by Wanda McCaddon is superb. The personality and voice of each character are captured with great vitality in her performance. I will surely read (or listen to) this book again! Very highly recommended.

better developed characters in the book

A Room With A View is on my top 10 favorite movies list. When I see a movie that is based on a book, I usually don't read the book because one of them is likely to be a disappointment. But in this case, I think both the movie and the book were good in their own way. The movie entertained and elicited an emotional reaction, while the book was entertaining and thoughtful.

When watching the movie, I always had the feeling that Mr. Vyse was perhaps seeking the wrong gender in his attempt to marry Ms. Honeychurch. After reading the book, and learning a little bit about E. M. Forster, it became much clearer. Mr. Forster was a closeted homosexual. Through the internal thoughts of the characters in the book, we learn that Mr. Beebe, the minister, thinks that Mr. Vyse is much like himself. A life long bachelor. Or, in truth, gay. While I suspected it of Mr. Vyse, I was a bit shocked about Mr. Beebe. I had assumed from the movie that he had a little crush on Ms. Honeychurch, when in fact, he only found her to be an interesting person full of potential.

Knowing that Mr. Vyse is gay makes his character more understandable and sympathetic. Yes, he's still a bit of a stuck up twit, but he's also struggling to fit in to a society that will never accept him for who he really is.

As for Ms. Honeychurch, she is also much more complicated than can be seen in the movie. In the movie I thought she seemed a little bit confused about what she wanted out of life. In the book, however, she's a complete mess. She's so concerned about being proper and doing the right thing that she misses out on the fun and enjoyment of life.

George Emerson is also a more complicated character in the book. The movie makes him out to be a weirdo, when really he is depressed and trying to find a reason to live. He finds no joy in life until he meets Ms. Honeychurch.

I cannot say which I enjoyed more, the book or the movie. I liked the romance of the movie and the rich character development in the book.

Makes you remember what matters in life.

What a touching and uplifting story! The characters are so well written with depth and understanding. It brings out all kinds of emotion only a great story can do. And, this version of audio is read wonderfully.

Love Conquers All

On the surface this is a delightful well-written romance, in the audible version beautifully brought off by a lovely reading by Wanda McCaddon. But its real purpose seems to have been to explore the rigid class structure of Victorian England, its hypocrisy (the Honeychurch family's standing in society for example is simply due to the deceased Mr. Honeychurch's foresight in purchasing Windy corner) and the challenge to it (represented by the forward-thinking atheistic Mr. Emerson). Forster's sympathy obviously lies with the removal of the class structure as shown by Lucy's ultimate choice of husband and the title of the final chapter "the End of the Middle Ages" but it is not an unconditional vote; Mr. Emerson's choices lost him his wife and the understanding of his son and in Chapter 19, the author has Lucy thinking "it seemed dreadful that the old man should crawl into such a sanctum [the clergyman's house] when he was unhappy, and be dependent of the bounty of a clergyman" he having said to her "We have pushed our beliefs too far. I fancy we deserve some sorrow."

There are some complaints; Mrs. Honeychurch's failure accept Lucy's choice is out of character and the reader is left tantalizingly to speculate on Charlotte's sudden change from opponent to ally and to wonder what lay in her past.

I gave Bleak House 4 stars, Room with a View is not as good, it's more of a 3.5 but well worth the read/listen.

Great on so many levels

This, like any well-written book, has several levels. I thought the title was referring exclusively to the view of Florence...not so. This was a beautifully written character study. So glad I finally got around to it.

This was great fun to read immediately after returning home from Italy. Reading detailed descriptions of places I had just been was great fun. Who doesn't enjoy thinking, "Oooh, I was standing right there!"?

A classic so it requires patience

What did you like best about A Room With a View? What did you like least?

I found myself looking at an online study guide for this book to explain what is going on. Once I got into it, it's fine but moves at a leisurely pace. It spends a long time on some subjects but the most important parts go by quickly so pay attention or cheat with a study guide.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Good but not great.

Have you listened to any of Wanda McCaddon’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Love Wanda and I have heard her read other books.

Superb Character Story

Love this book and this audio version!
Each of the characters are masterfully developed. Just like real people, they surprise me now and then! This keeps the story from being superficial, and made me hit pause to ponder.
Overall, the humor is delightful, and the story makes me want to visit Florence and Windy Corner.
This novel is much lighter than Forster’s Howards End.

Read for the Words Not for A Plot

I am a strong follower and great appreciator of Romantic literature. I come for the intertwining stories and stay for the gusto of the written word. Forster’s stories I find to be the weakest plots in all of British literature, but his words are luscious. Add in Wanda McCaddon's truly magnificent reading and A Room With a View, by E.M. Foster and narrated by Wanda McCaddon is well worth the read although only for the luscious words and McCaddon speech. Girl meets a boy, and he kisses her (more than once) and she is outwardly humiliated, but is actually in love with the kiss stealer, and somehow they find a way to find each other in love. If I can find a Foster story with no story just a lot of words, well that would be great.