'Maurice' by E. M. Forster

Genre: LGBTQ+ Literature

I came about reading ‘Maurice’ through one of my university modules in my second year, ‘Decadent Men’; I may be slightly biased as this was one of favourite modules of the year, and paired with my love of Victorian fiction it made for an excellent read in my opinion.

Previous to this novel I had never read anything from E. M. Forster, but I found the way he told the story in ‘Maurice’ captivating and even more interesting once you know his own backstory. Forster was a closeted homosexual, which during his youth was more than frowned upon by society and seen as a degenerative life choice; and these themes of struggling with forbidden sexuality and identity as a man are seen in ‘Maurice’ and make the narrative all the more heartbreaking to read.

As a modern reader, I wanted nothing more than for Maurice to be liberated from the societal chains and judgements, and I often got frustrated at certain societal elements and methods (that I shall not spoil!) that were implemented against gay characters. But this is also why I love to read Victorian literature, it is much closer to our time than we like to think, yet it is so different from the 21st century. It is interesting to compare and contrast yes - but it is also an opportunity to be grateful and feel motivated to push for further LGBQT+ rights, at least that is how it makes me feel!

The plot is sad, heartbreaking, tense, scary, and also filled with romance and passion, a high recommendation comes with this novel - and I also highly recommend researching Forester yourself before you read any of his work, his life and struggles are incredibly interesting in the context of his work.

Rating: * * * * *