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Howards End

By: E M Forster
Narrated by: Edward Petherbridge
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

Howards End is the story of the liberal Schlegel sisters and their struggle to come to terms with social class and their German heritage in Edwardian England. Their lives are intertwined with those of the wealthy and pragmatic Wilcox family and their country house, Howards End, as well as the lower-middle-class Basts.

When Helen Schlegel and Paul Wilcox's brief romance ends badly the Schlegels hope to never see the Wilcoxes again. However, the family moves from their country estate, Howards End, to a flat across the road from them. When Helen befriends Leonard Bast, a man of lower status, the political and cultural differences between the families are exacerbated and brought to a fatal confrontation at Howard's End.

Considered by some to be Forster's masterpiece it is a story about social conventions, codes of conduct, and personal relationships in turn-of-the-century England.

In 1998, Howards End ranked 38th on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

Narrator Biography

Actor, writer and artist Edward Petherbridge has long been praised for his tragic and comic roles throughout his long career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre. He has won the Olivier and London Theatre Critic's Awards and has twice been nominated for a Tony Award. His major roles on stage have included his memorable performance of Newman Noggs in Nicholas Nickleby and Malvolio in Twelfth Night. He has also performed in stage musicals such as The Woman in White and the musical version of The Importance of Being Earnest. His onscreen career has included roles on television in The Brief (2004), Midsomer Murders (2007), Land Girls (2011), Doctors (2012) and The Borgias (2011) and in films such as The Statement (2003) and Pope Joan (2009). He has narrated E. M. Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray audiobooks.

Public Domain (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks Ltd
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What listeners say about Howards End

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  • Overall
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Em Forster does it again

The age old struggle of the classes, and those who try to help, while others look on thinking they know best, Forster exposes this wrong in Howard's End.

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  • Overall
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My first Forster novel and I loved it.

The dialogue, narration and story capture the period so convincingly.I will be choosing more Forster novels soon.

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Outstanding!

Everything is absolutely outstanding: the storyline, the characters, the setting, the narrator, just awesomely great.

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Absolutely spell binding!

After watching the new TV mini series, I decided to listen to the book. I enjoyed it immensely.

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First Forster, Fabulous Language

I have never read any Forster before and I just loved the language. The reading was just about perfect, too. I suppose the story was of its time and there are things in there that would not see the light of day now.

Very enjoyable, in my opinion.

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Perfect

I love this fantastic story and the narrator does it proud. I saw the tv adaptation and loved it so got the book. Unfortunately I found it really hard going; I think because I was too anxious to get on to what happened next (even though I knew) to have patience with the introspective musings of the characters. So the audiobook is brilliant- I can listen to the beautiful writing and enjoy the complexities of the characters because the narration is so good that I’m not dying to get on to the next ‘happening’. Whether or not you know the story this will be sublime.

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Wonderful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend it. You are in the hands of a master story-teller

What did you like best about this story?

It's clever, and the characters are all so different but interact realistically

What does Edward Petherbridge bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He brings it to life with his beautiful reading voice

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

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A favourite novel, brilliantly read.

A favourite novel of mine, I knew I liked Mr Petherbridge as an Actor - from the spectacular performance of Newman Noggs in Nicholas Nickleby with the RSC, but had never heard him read and sometime that doesn't work at a personal level. Sir Derek Jacobi for example is unquestionably brilliant on stage in person but I don't like his recorded readings - always want him to blow his nose. Anyway, Mr Petherbridge has exactly the right tone for me in his reading of this novel, correctly paced, beautifully realised personalities altogether splendid.

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Wonderful

I have read this book many times but so enjoyed listening to it. The narration was perfect. They don't write books like this these days sadly.

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Brilliant

This is a book and narrator that I return to again and again. It never palls and the characters are very of their time, whilst Edward Petherbridge captures each one and their spirit completely.

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