E. M. Forster

Rickie Elliot, a sensitive and intelligent young man with an intense imagination and a certain amount of literary talent, sets out from Cambridge full of hopes to become a writer. But when his stories are not successful he decides instead to marry the beautiful but shallow Agnes, agreeing to abandon his writing and become a schoolmaster at a second-rate public school. Giving up his hopes and values for those of the conventional world, he sinks into a world of petty conformity and bitter disappointments.

When Adela Quested and her elderly friend arrive in the Indian town of Chandrapore they feel trapped by its Anglo-Indian community. Under the guidance of Dr. Aziz they start to explore the ‘real’ India but on a visit to the Marabar caves an incident occurs which results in Aziz becoming embroiled in a scandal.

A witty observation of the English middle classes as they holiday abroad in Florence. One of these tourists is Lucy Honeychurch, a young girl whose heart is awakened by her experiences in Italy.

A sparkling BBC Radio dramatisation of E M Forster's classic comedy of manners, set in Edwardian England and Italy Young, naive Lucy Honeychurch is visiting Italy for the first time, accompanied by her older cousin and chaperone, Charlotte Bartlett. On arrival at the Pension Bertolini, a mix-up over rooms leads to a meeting with the eccentric Mr Emerson and his brooding son, George.

Frank, free-spirited and lower-class, the duo are not respectable companions for a lady - but as Lucy tentatively explores Florence and the beautiful Tuscan countryside, she discovers a land of freedom and sensuality, where rigid social barriers are meaningless. Constantly thrown together with George, she finds herself increasingly attracted to him: much to her confusion and Charlotte's dismay. Back in England, she becomes engaged to the dull, domineering Cecil Vyse, but is haunted by memories of George - and when he reappears unexpectedly in her life, Lucy must choose between propriety and passion. Will she follow convention, or follow her heart?

Although he is best known for his exquisite novels, E.M. Forster also wrote remarkable short stories. He referred to his stories as 'fantasies' and his attraction to myth and magic is apparent in many of them. Like his novels, the stories - whether they are set in Italy, Greece, India, and other places Forster visited, or in England itself - contrast the freedom of paganism with the restraints of English civilization, the personal, sensual delights of the body with the impersonal, inhibiting rules imposed by society. Rich in irony and alive with sharp observations on the surprises life holds, the stories often feature violent events, discomforting coincidences, and other disruptive happenings that throw the characters' perceptions and beliefs off balance. This volume includes all twelve stories published during Forster's lifetime.