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Maurice

By: E. M. Forster
Narrated by: Peter Firth
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Summary

Exclusively from Audible

'Ah for darkness...not the darkness of a house which coops up a man among furniture, but the darkness where he can be free!'

Maurice Hall knows he must choose between living life in the shadows or denying himself a chance at love and fulfilment. Aware of his attraction to the same sex, in a time where it was considered unlawful and immoral to have homosexual desires, Maurice must decide whether to battle or submit to a prejudiced 20th-century English society.

A passionate and poignant tale, E.M. Forster's Maurice was a masterpiece ahead of its time. Incapable of believing that his contemporaries would accept its content, Forster refused to publish it, fearing that it would expose his sexuality along with his hero's.

Having witnessed, at 16, the very public trial and chastisement of Oscar Wilde, Forster grew up with an acute awareness of the kind of society he inhabited. This affected him immensely and, as such, he refused to publish any further fiction during the last 37 years of his life. Despite being one of the most celebrated authors of British history, Forster's talents were as constrained as his love life. Realising that he could never publically talk or write about the issues he held close to his heart, Forster made A Passage to India his last work.

He wasn't mistaken about his society, and when Maurice was published, posthumously, many were scandalised by the controversial content.

Unfortunately, Forster never experienced the freedom which his protagonist seeks, but Maurice has far outlived an age of bigotry and is now widely celebrated and critically acclaimed.

Narrator Biography

Having started his career as a leading child actor, Peter Firth received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Peter Shaffer's play Equus (1973) at only 21. He later starred with Richard Burton in its film adaption, earning him a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and an Academy Award nomination. His other film work has included roles in Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005).

He is best known for his role as Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC show Spooks (2002-2011), appearing in every episode of the show's 10 series. Recent roles have included Jacob Marley in the BBC's Dickensian series (2015) and Ernest Augustus in ITV's drama series Victoria (2016).

He has narrated several audiobooks such as Tess of the D'Urbervilles, Birdsong and Witness. In 2015, Peter starred in Audible's multicast drama Amok.

©2010 E.M. Forster (P)2014 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about Maurice

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  • Overall
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    4 out of 5 stars

A time gone, enjoyed.

a very enjoyable story and journey which had me elated,sad, frustrated and, surprisingly joyful At the end there was courage and cowardice. I have never read a historical novel before and am overwhelmed with the feelings it gave me above all modern books but I intend to intensify my reading of other classical stories.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Expressive, sensitive reading

Sensitively read by a good narrator, this is a lovely version of one of my favourite books.

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1 person found this helpful

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fantastic

a wonderful reading of a wonderful book. this would benefit many a man to hear

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A strong performance

An excellent performance of Forster’s novel, which captures the shades of its emotional acuity and verbal dexterity.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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subtle and beautiful

Beautiful insight into complex emotions, gay love and desire at a time when it was unlawful, and into Britisg class and etiquette.

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Good classic by EM Forster

I enjoyed the story. It has an air of innocence while being subtly gentle and calm about the characters dealings of homosexuality. It paints a good picture of ideologies of a certain class and time and how men would have dealt with it.

I liked the narrating of variable accents and voices that kept different characters clear.

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3 people found this helpful

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Moving story from a different era

A moving and gentle story about homosexuality, suppression and respectability. It’s all terribly English and restrained.

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Beautiful

Still the most beautiful love story I've ever read and tenderly narrated. My only sadness is the epilogue with them living in the woods isn't included

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An illuminating read.

A brilliantly written book. The subject matter can still be difficult still today - but I found myself becoming angry at a society that could cause such difficulties. My sympathy was almost entirely with Maurice.

As you would expect from this author, the writing is exemplary. Without doubt, I shall now endeavor to read othe books by this author.

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An old friend

I read this for the first time when I was 14. Next week I will be 60 and still think this book is a beautiful love story. It stills make me hope!

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