Arctic Summer (Hesperus Classics) [Paperback]

E.M. Forster (Author), Anita Desai (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Hesperus Classics | Publication Date: September 1, 2003

A powerful exploration of the clash between two opposing worlds, Forster’s Arctic Summer posits the instinctive bravery of the traditional hero alongside the tolerance of the modern man, calling into question the very essence of the gentlemanly code. Embarking on a tour of Italy with his wife and mother-in-law, Martin Whitby slips and falls under a train. Owing his rescue to the quick thinking of a young soldier, he feels obliged to thank the youth, and so pursues the acquaintance. The two men differ sharply in outlook and opinion, however, and part rudely. But once back in England, Martin finds himself called upon by the soldier with an urgent request for help. British novelist E.M. Forster is the author of several 20th-century classics, including A Room with a View, Howard’s End, and A Passage to India.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'a delicious tangle for the peeping tom in us to delve into and untangle... Forster was incapable of writing a dull or lifeless line' - From the foreword by Anita Desai, author of Fasting, Feasting 'These opening pages are masterly' - The Spectator 'Forster's relish in depicting the comfortable English abroad,... is here as keen as it was in A Room with a View.' - The Guardian"

About the Author

Novelist E.M. Forster (1879 - 1970) is best known for the works A Room With a View, Howards End and A Passage to India. Indian-born Anita Desai is one of the foremost writers of the day. Her best-known novels include In Custody (1984) and Boumgartner's Bombay (1988) and more recently, the Booker shortlisted Fasting, Feasting (2000).

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Hesperus Press (September 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1843910616
• ISBN-13: 978-1843910619
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,160,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, May 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Arctic Summer (Hesperus Classics) (Paperback)

If you've ever read and loved any of the novels of E. M. Forster, be sure to read this one too. Forster chose not to finish it, but it works brilliantly as a self-contained novella, telling the story of two men who represent different ideals and whose paths cross in surprising ways. Swift, intense, insightful, classic.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Shard of a Novel, September 21, 2008

By 

Ford Ka (Edinburgh, Scotland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Arctic Summer (Hesperus Classics) (Paperback)

This slim volume contains what E.M.F. managed to write before writer's block set in. There is no real plot - the book ends before the plot has any chance to develop - so what you get is a handful of characters and scenes in typically Forsterian style.
One cannot help but wonder - would it be a good novel? My impression is that it would not. Certain elements and scenes have been used before (close reading reveals especially similarities to A Room with a View), and there is little new and striking. The central conflict between action and ideas would probably be too little to sustain another novel after Howards End.
In short - a necessary reading for any true Forsterian and it is very good that it is finally available in a mass-market paperback (the Abinger edition is very difficult to find) but not necessarily for the general reading public. General reading public, however, should immediately aim for the next novel Forster managed to complete: A Passage to India.