I found this book horrifying and illuminating. It follows the life of a young privileged man in the early years of the 20th century as he progresses through school, Cambridge and young adulthood. He comes to realise he is homosexual, and it is the depiction of his feelings and conduct which is so very unsettling. I was aware of course that homosexuality was illegal and in every way frowned upon at that time. What I didn't realise though was that as well as needing to keep their sexuality under wraps, homosexuals battled very real feelings of shame, often seeing themselves as 'beastly'. Their sexual orientation might colour the entire way they lived their lives and formed relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Maurice, the subject of this book is to a large extent a prisoner of his sexuality and class, and a not altogether likeable character, though it's easy to sympathise with him. Only the ending failed to convince. An unsettling but worthwhile read. ( )

L’aspetto che mi ha colpito di più di Maurice è stato il racconto di cosa accade a un uomo gay quando per la società egli è uno di quelli là ed è costretto a seguire la filosofia del fai quello che vuoi purché non si sappia in giro.

Maurice ci mostra come il suo omonimo protagonista cerchi la sua strada e di come questa gli si presenti così dolorosamente solitaria e così vischiosa per l’ipocrisia di chi non vuole o fa finta di non vedere. È difficile relazionarsi con il mondo, o anche solo con i propri familiari, in modo sano quando una parte tanto importante di te dovrà rimanere nascosta, per evitare lo scandalo e una sofferenza che a volte si sogna nella speranza possa far cessare quella presente, anche se si è ben consapevoli di quanto possa essere distruttiva.

All’inizio del romanzo è facile provare antipatia per Maurice: non è il tipico personaggio che suscita le simpatie di chi legge, eppure nel proseguimento della lettura si finisce per sperare in un lieto fine perché il riconoscimento dei diritti umani prescinde dalle simpatie. Forster è bravissimo nel mettere su carta il dramma di Maurice, che prima teme la scoperta della propria sessualità e poi, quando la felicità sembra lì a portata di mano e questa fugge via, è incapace di tornare indietro per fingere di non essere mai stato libero e per incatenarsi a un matrimonio che non vuole.

Forster scrisse al suo amico, Forrest Reid: «L’uomo del mio libro, considerato nel complesso, è buono, ma manca poco che la società non lo distrugga, e attraversa la vita quasi scantonando, furtivo e sparuto, gravato da un senso di colpa». È un’affermazione ancora così tristemente attuale che i dubbi che Forster nutriva sull’opportunità di pubblicare Maurice anche dopo la sua morte sono del tutto comprensibili (tanto che sulla copertina del dattiloscritto lasciò scritto: «Pubblicabile… però ne vale la pena?»). Meno male, però, che alla fine è stato pubblicato: non solo per il valore letterario del romanzo, ma anche per il conforto che avrà saputo dare nel tempo a tante persone. ( )

It took a little to get into, but I'm glad I stuck with it. It wasn't what I expected in a good way. ( )

I adored this book. It's romantic and passionate and beautifully written. Forster's prose is exquisite - filled with style and wit. There's also enormous wisdom to be found and he's clearly one of those authors who is a brilliant observer. Every scene rings with emotional truth: characters make speeches but they also get distracted halfway through them; they do or say exactly the opposite of what they intend to; harm is done by timing and tone as much as by action or speech.

And the subject matter! The book is brave and fierce and hopeful at a time when that must have been almost impossible. I can't recommend this book highly enough and I'm already looking forward to rereading it. ( )

A subtle story of self discovery, class, emotional turmoil, friendship over a lifetime. Several characters are gay, and this is significant; the achievement of the novel is not, however, dependent upon this.

Forster's prose again astounds in its limpid presentation of abstractions: private thoughts, emotions, social currents, interpersonal dynamics. While I did not find any instance of those supernatural events I found so curiously compelling in Celestial Omnibus, there were suggestive parallels. Chief example came at the close of Part One, with Maurice fleeing Clive's utterance ("Hall, don't be grotesque."). What reads on the page as a dream of Maurice's, or perhaps a waking vision -- it is not immediately clear what occurs bodily and what only as sensation -- easily could substitute for the supernatural occurrences in the short stories, the inner voice of Maurice's heart standing in for the titular Curate's Friend. "It [his heart] cried: 'You love and are loved.' He looked round the court. It cried, 'You are strong, he weak and alone,' won over his will." [66] I did not remark this parallel upon my initial reading of the passage, and wonder now whether several other "disguised" appearances escaped notice.

Another point of interest was the question of whether the "disagreeable narrator" -- central to the Celestial short stories -- would make an appearance here, as well. Forster sidesteps this with his choice of third-person omniscient, and only later did it occur to me that any such appearance, were it to appear, necessarily would do so in another voice: a disagreeable character but not narrator, with that character's voice directed not to the reader but to other characters. With that idea in mind, the personality coming closest would be Dr Barry, especially their conversation in Maurice's consultation [K31]. Again, a second reading with this parallel in mind would be worthwhile.

//

Forster in what is styled a TERMINAL NOTE admits that he created Maurice essentially as the opposite of himself. Alongside my interpretation of Clive and Maurice as essentially contrasting ideal types of gay men in British society, this suggests that Clive could be autobiographical. Particularly interesting insofar as Clive is not presented altogether sympathetically or even apologetically. ( )