A Room with a ViewA Room with a View
Score Classic
What it's about
Lucy Honeychurch, a sheltered young Englishwoman, visits Florence with her fussy older cousin. At their hotel, an unconventional father and son, the Emersons, offer to swap rooms so the women can have a view. Lucy is shocked when the son, George, kisses her in a field of violets. Back in England she gets engaged to a snobbish, proper man, but the Emersons turn up again.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is Forster's funniest, lightest book. The 1985 Merchant Ivory film is a classic.
You'll love it if you liked
Howards End
Pride and Prejudice
EmmaGood to know
It's short and gentle, with sharp satire of English manners.
By the numbers
- Readers25 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Moving
More by E.M. Forster
If you like this, read next
The Brothers Karamazov
The Thorn Birds
The Age of Innocence
The Great Gatsby
Middlemarch
LolitaExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Room with a View worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Modern Library list of the best novels and is Forster's funniest, lightest book. It ranks #1,811 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Room with a View about?
Lucy Honeychurch, a sheltered young Englishwoman, visits Florence with her fussy older cousin. At their hotel, an unconventional father and son, the Emersons, offer to swap rooms so the women can have a view. Lucy is shocked when the son, George, kisses her in a field of violets. Back in England she gets engaged to a snobbish, proper man, but the Emersons turn up again.
How long does it take to read A Room with a View?
About 6 hours (256 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Room with a View?
If you liked it, try Howards End by E.M. Forster, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or Emma by Jane Austen.