A Room with a View

By: E. M. Forster

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

A Room with a View portrays the love of a British woman for an expatriate living in Italy, a country which to Forster represents the forces of true passion. Caught up in a world of social snobbery, Forster's heroine, Lucy Honeychurch, finds herself constrained by the claustrophobic influence of her British guardians, who encourage her to take up with a well-connected boor. When she regrets that her hotel room has no view, a member of the lower class offers to trade rooms with her. Lucy becomes caught in a struggle between her own emotions and social conventions. In the end, however, Lucy takes control of her own fate and finds love with a man whose free spirit reminds her of a "room with a view".

There are some writers whose work is especially suitable for reading aloud, and E.M. Forster is one. His voices enter the ear with such a delicate balance of force and refinement that listeners are immediately enchanted.

(P)1992 Blackstone Audiobooks

Dated, slow-moving story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

It is a classic, and in that sense, it is worth reading to understand references to it. That being said, I don't think it will stand to be as time-tested as books of a similar time period. The characters are predictable and the plot has no twists.

What three words best describe Frederick Davidson’s performance?

Slow, background noise

Was A Room with a View worth the listening time?

The book is short and the audio version is a quick way to check off this classic. The narrator wasn't the best selection and often you can hear background noise of other voice artists reading other books in the background. This is odd, considering Frederick Davidson (also known as David Case) has read over 800 books in his lifetime.

Wasted time!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I found this book a waste of time. I was so bored and I'm not sure if it was the book or the guy reading it. It was very tedious. Wouldn't recommend it.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Don't know.

What didn’t you like about Frederick Davidson’s performance?

I'm not sure it was his performance. It may simply have been the book itself. Then again, he never got excited and was very stiff upper lip british, which fits the characters, so...still not sure if it was the book or the performance, but I just didn't like it.

Could you see A Room with a View being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It was made into a movie!!!

Any additional comments?

No.

War not with the May

This is a charming confection, an amusing coming-of-age tale read with all Frederick Davidson's customary wit and flair. I have long been a fan of the '80s movie version, a kind of supergroup jam of stalwart British thespians with some rising talent, some of which has thrived to the present day. It is possibly no accident that the one who didn't was cast in the most challenging role of George. This to me is the book's weakness, the hero who lacks any real charisma but mopes his way through the story, with the occasional over-wrought outburst. Even Davidson struggles to find a convincing voice. It is more than made up for, though, by the wit and wisdom of the narration and sparkling gems among the supporting characters - Miss Lavish the lady novelist most prominent among them. The hapless Charlotte is the most intriguing as we are left to ponder at the end whether a sliver of humanity finally managed to break through the layers of conventional piety and bitterness. War not with the May, you will enjoy it.

Great period piece

Would you consider the audio edition of A Room with a View to be better than the print version?

Yes - it really brings the period to life

What about Frederick Davidson’s performance did you like?

He brings each character to life

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

Very enjoyable

beautifullly narrated

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is of course a timeless classic .The novels of Forster lend themselves very well to narration and Frederick Davidson switches effortlessly between characters. Very enjoyable.

Narration not fantastic

Yet again, I think this book is mainly getting marks off from me because I wasn't fond of the audiobook narrator. His lady voices really irritated me. And he kind of put me to sleep a few times, so I think I missed a few parts. But I definitely liked it enough that I'm planning on reading it again in ebook form, and I'm almost certain I will enjoy it much more when I experience it that way.

Not his best

While not one of Forster's best novels most who enjoy Forster will enjoy listening to it. I'm not quite certain it can be listened to by breaking it into many parts. The subtle irony of his writing style doesn't readily lend itself to that, at least in this novel. I think it can be listened to in several parts but the irony of Forster's writing style will be missed and the novel not understood if you try to break it into too many parts. FWIW.

IIt does, however, have its moments which really shine and are comparable to Forster at his best. His sense of irony is seen in many places in the novel but I especially liked the three over weight women in their efforts to lose weight. Overall a good commentary on the upper middle and wealthy classes of the English of his time. Plant your feet firmly on the ground at the beginning of the novel to better enjoy it.

Good narration. I recommend it.

Horrendous Reader Stifles the Story

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Maybe, if they're into romantic stories then I'd recommend that they give this a try by either reading the physical book or getting a different version of this audiobook done by a different reader. I regret purchasing this audiobook because it was read so dryly that I couldn't pay attention to what was going on and often I my mind was off somewhere else. I don't know if that was primarily due to the reader or if that also had something to do with the prose. But I have a suspicion that if I read this book, I would've enjoyed it more.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I was content with the ending. It was predictable but I'm okay with that.

Would you be willing to try another one of Frederick Davidson???s performances?

No.

Could you see A Room with a View being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Actually it was made into a movie which was very popular back in the 80s. It had Helena Bonham Carter as the heroine. But if it was remade today I'd probably have Michael Fassbender play George Emerson (he seems like he could brood well) and I have no clue who I'd have playing Lucy. Honestly I feel like Helena Bonham Carter did a great job, however that was back when she was 19.

The great British author of his time?

Where does A Room with a View rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high.

Which scene was your favorite?

The shock of the street murder.

Any additional comments?

This great essay into the crippling restraints on British women of his time is well worth the read. The reader held me glued to the story - the only real test of a reader of novels.

An old favourite

The story is fine but the narration is too over the top. I haven't listened to the whole book because I just found the voice way too annoying.