A Room with a View

A Room with a View is a 1908 historical fiction/romance novel by British author E. M. Forster. The novel is split between Italy and England, telling the story of Lucy Honeychurch, a young and spirited middle-class Englishwoman who embarks on a journey of self-discovery during a trip to Italy. During her travels, Lucy falls in love with the free-spirited and unconventional George Emerson, a fellow tourist, but is later forced to choose between her heart's desire and the expectations of her rigid social class. A Room with a View was adapted into an Academy Award–winning film in 1985, directed by James Ivory and starring Helena Bonham Carter as Lucy and Julian Sands as George. The novel is considered one of Forster’s most important works, and remains widely regarded as a classic. Other works by this author include Howards End, A Passage to India, and Maurice.

This guide uses the First Signet Classics 1999 edition.

Content Warning: The novel features prejudicial characterizations of the Italian people and culture.

Plot Summary

Lucy Honeychurch, a young British woman, visits the Italian city of Florence with Charlotte, her older cousin.