Whose doctrine is, that each one should select
Out of the crowd a mistress or a friend,
And all the rest, though fair and wise, commend
To cold oblivion, though it is in the code
Of modern morals, and the beaten road
Which those poor souls with weary footsteps tread,
Who travel to their home among the dead
By the broad highway of the world, and so
With one chained friend, perhaps a jealous foe,
The dreariest and longest journey go."
( Shelly)
The last of Forster's novels I had to read, his second, and supposedly his personal favourite 'of his children', was read as a mix of an audiobook, and a kindle copy. Why a mix ? Because the book has a fair share of philosophy, and also subtle incidents which make a second reading that much more clearer (e.g. Agnes seeing Gerald through someone else ). The novel is a Bildungsroman - meaning a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood - and in that sense quite a success, although it is relatively a challenging read compared to his other fiction.
While Rickie is termed a failure, easily coerced , and manipulated, he ends his life having made the longest journey. His one achievement brings his own end, and yet his work which didn't receive recognition in his time, does so posthumously. Fate of man is cruel, as he trudges along making mistake after mistake, on a journey of self discovery. Compared to Rickie, the other characters of this book are more sure of themselves - Agnes, who is shown as a disaster for a man to marry, unless its someone like Gerald or Stephen - Stewart, who amidst his own failure to prove himself as an intellectual, hangs on to his beliefs, and is shown as the redeemer of Rickie - or even the appalling Emily, for whom other people are discardable for her amusement. In a sense all these people, more strong willed than Rickie, are married to a doctrine of their choice, for better and worse. If analysed properly, for worse, most likely. One could say that possibly the last few months of Rickie were the happiest, as even his manipulative aunt can't coerce him in the end.
The book could receive criticism if published today, given how the main female characters are build, and the words used to describe them - the words "keep her in line" is likely to draw a lot of flak today
In summary, it was an excellent book, and it is easy to see why Forster considered this his favourite. I, for myself wouldn't rush to rate it as my favourite, but I have no hesitation in ranking this alongside his other work, that are more popular.
Rating: ****1/2
First published in 1907
