where angels fear to tread
Monday 25 February 2008
Title :: Where Angels Fear to TreadAuthor :: E.M. Forster
Completed :: Feb 09 2008
Challenges :: 888 Challenge : 1001 Books
Rating :: 4/5
They were all at Charing Cross to see Lilia off - Philip, Harriet, Irma, Mrs Herriton herself.
So starts Lilia's journey to Italy with her companion, Caroline. What was meant only to be a year long vacation within a few months becomes a new life for Lilia when she falls in love with the son of a dentist twelve years her junior, much to the chagrin of her first husband's family. Mrs. Herriton is appalled and quickly dispatches her son, Philip in an attempt to end this foolishness and return to England with Laila so that she may take her place in society and raise her daughter. Unfortunately no amount of money will settle the matter, when Philip arrives he learns that Laila and Gino have already been married. Philip then returns to England with Caroline who appears to be quite troubled by the whole situation.
Laila's life begins to fall apart as she becomes bored and dissatisfied with her new husband. Her tragedy ends in her death while giving birth to a son. Once again Mrs. Herriton forces her son Philip and her daughter Harriet to return to Italy in order to bring back Laila's child so that he can be raised properly. Caroline also sets off for Italy hoping that if the Herritons are unable to secure the child, she might. From this point in the book the characters begin to grow, Philip and Caroline especially, upon their return to Italy they learn who they really are and they develop opinions on the subject. Unfortunately Harriet's impatience brings the novel to a tragic end.
The title of the book comes from the line "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread" in an essay titled An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope. It just goes to show that everything can start out with good intent but end in tragedy. Forster's tragedy of errors is not however, the focus of the book. There is more to this novel than the events, it is the effects they have on the characters and in the greater scheme of things Forster's opinion on matters of society. I really enjoyed this book and found it rather shocking.
Other Thoughts ::
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. listening . fragile heart . jewel . goodbye alice in wonderland .
Labels: book review
posted by Ashleigh @ 20:01,
