E. M. Forster’s first novel, ‘Where Angels Fear to Tread’, was our November book choice. It was published in 1905 following the author’s travels in Europe when he was only 26 years old and the title comes from a line in Alexander Pope’s poem, An Essay on Criticism – “For fools rush in where angels fear to tread”.
Set in Edwardian times, the story centres on a young widow, Lilia Herriton, who travels to Tuscany with her companion, Caroline Abbot, leaving her daughter, Irma, to be looked after by her mother-in-law, the controlling Mrs Herriton. Lilia immerses herself in Italian culture and soon falls in love with Gino, a handsome Italian much younger than herself who is deemed most unsuitable by her late husband’s family for being classless, uncouth and the son of a dentist. Her brother-in-law, Philip, is sent to the small Tuscan town of Monteriano to prevent this misalliance, but arrives too late as Lilia and Gino have already married.
Lilia’s hopes of a happy union are subsequently dashed as she gradually realises that her new husband is feckless and only interested in her as a means of producing a son. When she tragically dies in childbirth, leaving her baby son in Gino’s care, Caroline, followed by Philip and his sister Harriet, attempt to save the family’s reputation by obtaining custody of the child. Their endeavours end in tragedy, causing Harriet to have a breakdown, while Caroline and Philip struggle to deal with their internal emotions. Although the novel clearly compares the contrasting cultures of Edwardian England and rural Italy, it also highlights the difference between aesthetic and emotional connections. Philip is the epitome of someone who values the beauty of Italy’s countryside, paintings and sculptures but is unable to see life as anything other than a spectacle – “He concluded that nothing could happen, not knowing that human love and love of truth sometimes conquer where love of beauty fails”.
E. M. Forster’s book generated mixed reactions from group members, some finding it depressing and melodramatic, while others enjoyed his gentle attack on decorous Edwardian values and sympathetic portrayal of the contrasting cultures. It has been described as a witty comedy of manners tinged with tragedy and, although not everyone agreed with that description, all opinions were respectively considered as usual.
Louise Elsome
Bookworms Group Coordinator