Howards End by E.M. Forster (June 21-July 13, 2004)
Howards End twines the lives of three families, all directed by the hands of fate. Central to the story are Schlegels sisters: Margaret and Helen. They are involved with both the wealthy Wilcox family and the struggling Basts. The story begins with Helen's abrupt romance with Paul Wilcox. She returns home, to her sister and brother and steals Leonard Bast's umbrella bringing him into the story. Later Margaret builds a friendship with Ruth Wilcox. Ruth is ill, and on her deathbed she leaves Margaret her home "Howards End." When the Wilcox family learns of this, they are shocked and betrayed and do not follow Ruth's wishes.
Margaret and Henry Wilcox (was married to Ruth) later wed. Both Helen and Margaret take part in trying to help advance Bast's career, but this is unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Margaret's marriage breaks the tie between the two sisters, with Helen leaving the country for months with odd excuses. Additionally, the Basts and Wilcox families are connected by past events which become known to both sisters. Fate weaves the story to "Howards End" as the final setting of the story to resolve the twists in the tale.
I liked many aspects of the story and thought Margaret was a fine character. Many of the quotes and thoughts of the characters were true and unusual making the conversations memorable. The prose was delicate, but I had trouble reading many pages at a time. My mind would often wander off while reading, leaving me to read the same page multiple times. I'm not sure why that was because I enjoyed the story.
Favorite Quotes:
"Love must confirm and old relation rather than reveal a new one."
