Maurice

By: E. M. Forster

Narrated by: Peter Firth

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

'Ah for darkness...not the darkness of a house which coops up a man among furniture, but the darkness where he can be free!'

Maurice Hall knows he must choose between living life in the shadows or denying himself a chance at love and fulfilment. Aware of his attraction to the same sex, in a time where it was considered unlawful and immoral to have homosexual desires, Maurice must decide whether to battle or submit to a prejudiced 20th-century English society.

A passionate and poignant tale, E.M. Forster's Maurice was a masterpiece ahead of its time. Incapable of believing that his contemporaries would accept its content, Forster refused to publish it, fearing that it would expose his sexuality along with his hero's.

Having witnessed, at 16, the very public trial and chastisement of Oscar Wilde, Forster grew up with an acute awareness of the kind of society he inhabited. This affected him immensely and, as such, he refused to publish any further fiction during the last 37 years of his life. Despite being one of the most celebrated authors of British history, Forster's talents were as constrained as his love life. Realising that he could never publically talk or write about the issues he held close to his heart, Forster made A Passage to India his last work.

He wasn't mistaken about his society, and when Maurice was published, posthumously, many were scandalised by the controversial content.

Unfortunately, Forster never experienced the freedom which his protagonist seeks, but Maurice has far outlived an age of bigotry and is now widely celebrated and critically acclaimed.

Narrator Biography

Having started his career as a leading child actor, Peter Firth received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Peter Shaffer's play Equus (1973) at only 21. He later starred with Richard Burton in its film adaption, earning him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. His other film work has included roles in Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005).

He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks (2002-2011), appearing in every episode of the show's 10 series. Recent roles have included Jacob Marley in the BBC's Dickensian series (2015) and Ernest Augustus in ITV's drama series Victoria (2016).

He has narrated several audiobooks such as Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Birdsong and Witness. In 2015, Peter starred in Audible's multicast drama Amok.

©2010 E.M. Forster (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

A Great Audio of a Gay Fiction Classic

Peter Firth does a really good job with this as narrator.

EM Forster finished this novel in 1914 but it was published posthumously in the 1970s because love between men at the time this was written was not at all accepted and was illegal in England. I also think that the Oscar Wilde scandal was still relatively fresh in people's memories as well.

Lest anyone think that the titular character is some great guy or some fellow with sensibility to the "finer" things (a stereotype) think again. He's very conscious of of his class and status, perhaps unlikable and with the exception of his sexual orientation, completely unremarkable.

I think it is Forster's genius to create an "invert" character that is completely average or even mediocre, but to show his journey as a "gay" man of a bygone era.

This book deserves its place as a great gay fiction classic.

great

The book is really beautiful, and the reading compliments Forester's work very well. The very personal nature of the the protagonist's existential contemplations become fully sensible in this medium

Gem

Heartbreaking. Thrillingly honest. I wish this was taught alongside Howard's End and Passage to India. It would have helped me feel less alone growing up, I think. "They must live outside class, without relations or money; they must work and stick to each other till death. But England belonged to them. That, besides companionship, was their reward. Her air and sky were theirs, not the timorous millions' who own stuffy little boxes, but never their own souls."

Maurice - A must for lovers of classic fiction

Maurice is the intimate story of one man's coming to terms with his sexuality and his desires contrasted by his struggles of living in a suppressive culture and the binding social expectations set by class standards. Bold by the standards of the time that it was written, I found Maurice to be both sad and beautiful. Sad because of the frustration of defeat and the ensuing heartbreak Maurice endures. But beautiful because of the hope and determination that rises from the courage Maurice finds to live his life fulfilled as his heart commands. Peter Firth's narration is really very good; his voice is cultured and rich and he has the emotional power to carry the story to the end. I know that I will listen to Maurice again and again, it's that good.

How far we have come!

Forster's amazing saga of homosexual longing and the societal pressures to conform to a world where being gay was totally sick and unnatural.

Good story, a little hard to follow

I found myself having to rewind and listen again to be able to follow alot of the story line. But once I understood it, it was a great story.

A classic novel

A turn-of-the-century romance where the hero struggles to find himself in a homophobic England. Between the narrator and the novel's punctuation, it's sometimes a little difficult to follow, but overall draws you in. I stopped reading for awhile when I became afraid something bad was about to happen (it did), but couldn't stay away. If you enjoy a Charles Dickens style novel, I think you would enjoy this book. If not, I would go for something more modern.

Maurice. A classic. The langauge is wonderful.

Each sentence is a language that is sublime. It is a language that we don't have any more.

Secret Gem

What other book might you compare Maurice to and why?

John Knowles "A Separate Peace." Boy school novel, bildungsroman.

What about Peter Firth’s performance did you like?

Great sensitivity to nuances of scenes.

Any additional comments?

My first piece by Forrester. His style is discrete and un-flashy, but sensitive. Surprising plot.

Maurice by E.M. Forster

A beautiful story and a wonderful performance of the narrative by Peter Firth. The story fol