Selected Stories

by E.M. Forster, David Leavitt (Editor), Mark Mitchell (Editor)

Although he is best known for his novels-several of which have been made into popular movies-E.M. Forster also published stories. This volume, which collects those stories published during Forster's lifetime, provides an opportunity for readers to discover these less familiar works. Rich in irony and alive with sharp observations on the surprises life holds, the stories often feature violent events, discomforting coincidences, and other disruptive happenings that throw the characters' perceptions and beliefs off balance. In their keen Introduction, David Leavitt and Mark Mitchell discuss Forster's place in both the short-story tradition and in the tradition of gay literature.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. 

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Literature, Science Fiction, Literary Fiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Edward Morgan Forster, generally published as E.M. Forster, was an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society. His humanistic impulse toward understanding and sympathy may be aptly summed up in the epigraph to his 1910 novel Howards End: "Only connect".

He had five novels published in his lifetime, achieving his greatest success with A Passage to India (1924) which takes as its subject the relationship between East and West, seen through the lens of India in the later days of the British Raj.

Forster's views as a secular humanist are at the heart of his work, which often depicts the pursuit of personal connections in spite of the restrictions of contemporary society. He is noted for his use of symbolism as a technique in his novels, and he has been criticised for his attachment to mysticism. His other works include Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905), The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908) and Maurice (1971), his posthumously published novel which tells of the coming of age of an explicitly gay male character.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The selected shorts here include Forster's fantasies, which, at least according to the forward, he didn't seem to think as serious as his novels. But they're just as worthy a read. There's a playful feel to these, which vary in genre from sci-fi to standard literature. But the theme that runs through all of them is this idea of living, of how we live or, more often, don't live.
In The Celestial Bus, in which I couldn't help envisioning Harry Potter and the Dudley's, there's the not-new idea that we lose our imagination as we become adults, but Forster gives it new life by transporting us readers to a magical land in the sky.
In the Machine Stops, Forster paints a bleak automated picture of a future where we all live in rooms under the Earth's surface where our every need is met and we only talk to others via computers. Wait. Na, it's not that bad yet. I once read that E.M. Forster said or his favored theme was "always connect" and in this story he presents a world where there is very little human contact or connection and tries to show the price of losing it. To be honest, this story ended up feeling a little dry to me. Forster's real talent is in showing new insights into characters and even finding beauty in their shortcomings. He loses it a little here with characters that feel more automated.
My favorite story in this collection is The Road from Colonus. It plays with an idea I keep thinking about as I watch my grandmother get older and struggle to remember things and do things - there's such a push to do whatever it takes to live forever that we don't do anything because we're just trying not to die ever. In the story an older man on vacation with his daughter and her friends wants to stop and live in a village in Greece, where he feels part of things, he's alive again, to use the cliched term. But the daughter rushes him on, he can't stay there, it's not appropriate, the Greeks are barbarians, he must be back in London for the daily routine of things, etc. etc. With the ending, Forster captures the way we preserve life so much so that life is maybe not worth saving.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It might be because I just read hundreds of pages of pulpy, early 20th-century sci-fi shorts, but Forster's collection strikes me as masterful. His characterizations are consistently strong and artful, and his themes of humanism, the loss of nature and artistic creativity are both stirring and sorrowful. The writing itself is clear yet lyrical, and a higher competence radiates through every line.

Perhaps the greatest feature of these stories is their ambiguity, something I hadn't fully realized I value in short fiction. But indeed it is this quality which I now believe elevates short stories to the realm of art -- otherwise they're mere diversion (as were the science fiction stories I just finished).

The collection itself is not strong throughout -- about half of the stories are trivial exercises in parody or unsubtle philosophical statements. But the rest range from thought-provoking incision to haunting beauty. They are soul-nourishing in the same way as Hesse and the best of Graham Greene (with perhaps even shades of Tolstoy?), with their attention to spirituality in the midst of the story-telling. It's surprising that they're as readable as they are, given their heft and age; but I read the whole collection in a handful of sittings.

The first six stories were originally published in The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories, and it is a more solid group than the last six, first published in The Machine Stops and Other Stories. Among the first six only "The Other Side of the Hedge" and "The Curate's Friend" fit into that trivial category I mentioned above. Among the other four my favorites were "Other Kingdom," about a woman of nature who is slowly being tamed by her aristocratic fiance, and "The Road from Colonus," a heartbreaking tale of an old man who is thwarted in his one final wish. I must admit I've read "The Celestial Omnibus" so many times that it has somewhat lost its effect on me, although I do believe it's a great story overall.

Among the second group of stories, "The Machine Stops" and "The Eternal Moment" are outstanding, and not only for their near-novella lengths. "The Machine Stops" is noteworthy as Forster's only true science-fiction story, and one of the earliest serious attempts at the genre. It is about a society that is totally run by The Machine, in which people don't have to do anything so have stopped doing everything. With almost a century's anticipation he not only predicts the basic framework of the Internet, but he recognizes how it ultimately leads to our fragmentation as a society and isolation as individuals. When your room "is in touch with all that (you care) for in the world," you might not ever want to leave it, nor physically interact with anybody at all.

"The Eternal Moment" is maybe the best story in the entire book. It's hard to explain exactly why, because the story of an author who revisits the once-sleepy village she put on the map through one of her novels is superficially unimpressive. The characterizations are remarkable, as is the sense of crushing nostalgia that Forster develops with his protagonist's remembrance of an unconsummated affair. This mixes in a fascinating way with her self-recrimination over "spoiling" the village by attracting tourists with her novel. The denouement's naked realism is both heartbreaking and inspiring, two adjectives that don't really go together all that often.

As for the introduction, I read it after the rest of the book as I typically do (to avoid spoilers), and rarely have I found an introduction that needs so badly to be an afterword. I knew nothing of Forster's homosexuality so it was interesting to read the stories free of context and then think back on them with the new background knowledge. "The Story of the Siren," "The Curate's Friend," and "The Point of It" certainly become more complex through the lens of Forster's self-repression.

All in all this is a strong collection from a strong writer who often gets lost in the mix of turn-of-the-century Brits. I highly recommend it to any fans of classic literature or British literature. And just because I absolutely agree with Forster's description of himself I'll include this quote from the back cover: "I do flatter myself that I can tell a story without exaggerating. . ." It's not as easy a feat as you might think.

Not Bad Reviews

@pointblaek

[Kimber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so much that I almost stole it from my British Literature class in high school. I should have. Celestial Omnibus was my particular favorite.

[JR Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read about half of the short stories in this collection, the best of which is "The Machine Stops", a prescient science-fiction tale about a society that has "advanced" so far that they have become reliant on the "Machine" they created to give them comfort. The result? In the pursuit of comfort, they have cut themselves off from nature, and for Forster, this is a big problem. The introduction notes that this is in some ways a response to the Aestheticism of Oscar Wilde, who championed art above nature, and whose dictum was "Art for Art's sake."

[Silvio111 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forster was so ahead of his time. One of his rare science fiction stories (published in 1911!!) predicted a society totally ruled and dependent upon a sort of Internet ("The Machine,") and attitudes toward "real life" apart from the Machine eerily depict the lives of many people today.

But my favorite story is his "The Celestial Omnibus," in which an arrogant aesthete gets his comeuppance from the literary figures he holds in awe when his pretentious behavior is contrasted with an innocent and exuberant boy's wonder at the visions that poetry affords. I have loved this story since I first read it 50 years ago.

You really cannot go wrong with E.M. Forster. In some respects, he is that boy.

[Adrian Buck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Came here for The Machine Stops as an early piece of science fiction, disappointed to find it reads more like a fable. All but the last of these stories has something supernatural about them - it's a repository of good ideas - and all but the last of them are not particularly well executed. It's as if the supernatural short curcuits Forster's writing.

[pausetowonder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful!

The last book I read from E.M. Forster was Howards End (highly recommended) so that's the sort of thing I was prepared for here.

As you would expect from Forster, the action arises naturally and inevitably from well-drawn characters, there is subtlety, intensity and emotional truth but there was also a big surprise in the range of the stories -- from pagan fantasies to allegories and science fiction!

Many of the stories, scenes and characters have stayed with me and I often think about them.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward Morgan Forster (January 1st, 1879 – June 7th, 1970) is best known for novels like “A Room with a View”, “Howards End”, and “A Passage to India”. For a different side of Forster, one can look at his shorter works, and “Selected Stories” contains the short fiction of Forster’s which was published in his lifetime. It differs greatly from his novels, as most of the stories contain fantasy elements, and one could easily stand as a foundation of science fiction. At the same time, these works are rather uneven. The earlier ones in general tend to be better and more direct, the later ones are more abstract and more difficult for the reader to follow.

All in all there are twelve works included in this collection, all of which would be considered either short stories or novelettes. Forster pulls from Greek mythology in a number of these stories. He also uses Christian theology as he pursues a secular humanist agenda for some of them. Only one of the stories appears to be completely devoid of some kind of fantasy or futuristic element. The stories included are:

“The Story of a Panic” – a novelette which was first published in March of 1904 in the “Independent Review”. Inspired by a recent vacation in Italy, Forster sets the scene in Rovello. The story is narrated by Mr. Tytler, who is relating incidents which took place eight years in the past. In the story, Mr. Tytler and a party of tourists, including Eustace, a moody boy of fourteen go on a picnic in a secluded valley. There they encounter the spirit of Pan in the wind and flee in terror leaving Eustace behind. Eustace is invigorated by the experience and starts to behave in a manner which the adults try to prevent.

“The Other Side of the Hedge” – a short story which was first published in November of 1904 in the “Independent Review”. This story is a bit heavy handed in its message about people being too consumed with trying to meet their goals. The story is about a man who progresses along the road with his pedometer until he becomes too tired to continue, and then he is lured by a light to try to make his way through the hedge which runs along the side of the road.

“The Celestial Omnibus” – a short story which was first published in January of 1908 in the Albany Review. In this story a young boy has discovered a wondrous omnibus which takes him to a land where the great characters of literature are alive. Adults don’t believe in its existence, but he does manage to get Mr. Bons, a pompous adult who tries to correct the boy’s literary references along the way. The story is a harsh comment on those who ruin the enjoyment of experiencing great literature for the first time, by trying to limit one’s imagination.

“Other Kingdom” – a novelette first published in July of 1901 in the “English Review”. This is a story which borrows greatly from Greek mythology, and in particular the story of Daphne. In this case the setting is England, and the Other Kingdom Copse which Harcourt Worters gives to Evelyn Beaumont as an engagement gift. But Harcourt has certain demands for what should be done with the woods, and becomes jealous of his ward, Jack Ford, for whom Evelyn appears to be developing feelings.

“The Curate’s Friend” – a short story published in “Pall Mall Magazine” in October of 1907. Forster again goes to Greek mythology in this story where a clergyman, Harry, discovers a faun living in Wiltshire. The faun is invisible to the clergyman’s secular friends, who mistake Harry’s conversations with the faun for clowning around. The faun causes Harry some distress by allowing Emily, whom Harry has feelings for, to fall for another.

“The Road from Colonus” – a short story which was first published in the “Independent Review” in June of 1904. Forster once again goes to Greek mythology for the story of Oedipus, though in this case the man who would be Oedipus, Mr. Lucas is forced from Colonus. Some have suggested that this story is a veiled reference to Lord Byron’s death.

“The Machine Stops” – a novelette which was first published in November of 1909 in “The Oxford and Cambridge Review”. It is the one science fiction story in this collection, and what a story it is. One can only assume that writers like Huxley and Orwell referred to it in part for its dystopian future, where machines, or in particular “the machine” has taken over the lives of men. Some would say that Forster has predicted the internet as well in this wonderful piece.

“The Point of It” – a short story which was first published in November of 1911 in the “English Review”. This is one of Forster’s stories which has moved away from a more direct story line. The key characters of the story are Harold and Michael, who some have suggested are T. E. Lawrence and Forster. Harold’s life is one of purpose and action, while Michael, after pushing Harold perhaps to his death, is respectable, but not particularly exciting.

“Mr. Andrews” – a short story which was first published in 1911. In this story Forster’s secular humanism is apparent in the story of a Christian, Mr. Andrews, who meets a Muslim on his way to heaven. He fears that the Muslim will not be allowed to enter, and so he asks not if he (Mr. Andrews) may enter, but rather if his friend may. The Muslim does likewise, and both are allowed in, but neither finds what they expect, and they realize that heaven should be more than what they expected.

“Co-Ordination” – a short story which was first published in 1912. A confusing story in which the efforts at a school are directed towards teaching about Napoleon. From history to music he is the focus. In the music area the students are learning to play Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. At the same time, Beethoven and Napoleon become aware of the efforts of the students and teachers, and attempt to reward them. Forster appears to be making a comment about this type of planned teaching among other things.

“The Story of the Siren” – a short story which was first published in 1920. Forster returns to mythology and the Siren for an unusual story about a man who tells a tale of his brother seeing the Siren and how it changed his life. This story deals with the repressive force of Christianity, and is set against pagan ideas of the peasants.

“The Eternal Moment” – a novelette which was first published in June of 1905 in “The Independent Review”. One can only believe that this story was put at the end of the collection because unlike the rest of the stories there is no element of fantasy in it. It is the story of a woman who returns to the scene of her best moment in life, only to find that it has changed, both the area as well as the significant people who were there. The moment is eternal though, because it will forever be with her.

Due to the uneven nature of the stories, I cannot give this collection more than three stars. However, stories like “The Machine Stops”, and “The Road from Colonus” are well worth reading, and a few of the others are decent as well.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars.
"It is a mere waste of time to reply to such remarks, especially when they come from an unsuccessful artist suffering from a damaged finger" (10).
"...and beneath it the earth had risen grandly into hills--clean, bare, buttresses, with beech trees in their folds, and meadows and clear pools at their feet" (25).
"But at the present moment the whole road looked rather pretty, for the sun had just set in splendour, and the inequalities of rent were drowned in a saffron afterglow" (31).
"...for the fog had come down from London in the night, and all Surbiton was wrapped in its embrace" (33).
"...and its two great lamps shone through the fog against the alley's walls, changing their cobwebs and moss into tissues of fairyland" (34).
"...and torn streamers of mist rushed past" (37).
"'I have honoured you. I have quoted you. I have bound you in vellum'" (45).

[alex]

"The Story of a Panic"
rating: tbd/5

"The Other Side of the Hedge"
rating: tbd/5

"The Celestial Omnibus"
rating: tbd/5

"Other Kingdom"
rating: tbd/5

"The Curate's Friend"
rating: tbd/5

"The Road from Colonus"
rating: tbd/5

"The Machine Stops"
rating: tbd/5

"The Point of It"
rating: tbd/5

"Mr Andrews"
rating: tbd/5

"Co-ordination"
rating: tbd/5

"The Story of the Siren"
rating: tbd/5

"The Eternal Moment"
rating: tbd/5

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains the twelve short stories that were published during the author's life. Personally, I found most of them just okay.

The one bright spot for me was "The Machine Stops," Forster's sole foray into the realm of science fiction. This was an interesting read, especially given its publication date of 1909 -- highly recommended.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Favorite stories- The Story of a Panic-
The Machine Stops.
The rest were good but these are the two that stand out to me.
The first was about a meeting with the effects of the God Pan.
The second is about a dystopian society and its dependence on a machine to run their lives.
Both were just great fun to read, which is the whole point of a story.

[Cave Empter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forster can really go on, at his worst. He is at his best when concise, poetic, and supernatural, which I really wasn't expecting. Favourite stories all deal with death. Some really drag, some work very well. At times, quite predictable.

"The Point of It" is the clear standout here.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

E.M. Forster does fantasy, sci-fi and then one very on-brand story set in Europe? I am not complaining

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit or miss stories. The good ones are GREAT

The Other Side of the Hedge *****
The Celestial Omnibus ****
The Story of a Panic ***

[Cybersekkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evocative enough to mess with my dreams and keep me going.

[Sōfie Oxnafordes · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times unsettling, at times deeply moving. These fantasies delve into metaphysics, human alienation from nature, science fiction and futurism, colonialism, homosexuality, divine judgment and human folly. Diverse, but connected by the powerfully human element and relationships that Forster brings to them all. Impossible to pick a favourite.

[Neil Aplin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read the Introduction I am for the first time made aware of the homosexual issues surrounding Forster which I had no idea about despite reading several of his books and attending the same school as Forster, albeit many years subsequent to him. For context of course Forster lived in a time when being gay was illegal, and indeed he wouldn't publish some of his work to prevent his liability for arrest and criminal charges - what a sad indictment for social culture of those days. Currently some way into the first story, 'The Story of Panic', and am really enjoying the plot and the tone of voice and writing style.

Quite an eclectic collection of 'fantasies', and some very prescient of 21st century developments, especially in 'The Machine Stops' which seems to reference the internet and other recent technical developments. Forster's depictions of landscape, personality and relationships are all still there but the short stories seem to have given him free-rein to imagine almost dreamlike scenarios.

[Daren Kearl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag. I particularly enjoyed The Story of a Panic, with its possession by Pan and the incompatibility of modern day to rural mysticism; the Machine Stops, which still has resonance with today and the gradual isolation of the individual and shutting off from the real world via the virtual and the Internet; and the Eternal Moment, examining the impact of tourism on a rural village and the stamp of "progress" setting son against mother.

[svm · Rating 4 out of 5]

a room with a view is one of my favorite books of all time so i thought i'd give some short stories by the same author a try. they were quite a diverse group. the most surprising one had a futuristic slant, people living under the earth. i had no idea! forster does the future?!? in keeping with his era, the writing was dense and took some concentration but in the end, i'm glad i made the effort.

[E. G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Introduction
Suggestions for Further Reading
A Note on the Text

--The Story of a Panic
--The Other Side of the Hedge
--The Celestial Omnibus
--Other Kingdom
--The Curate's Friend
--The Road from Colonus
--The Machine Stops
--The Point of It
--Mr Andrews
--Co-ordination
--The Story of the Siren
--The Eternal Moment

Explanatory Notes

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories, mostly centered around English society's animosity toward nature opposed to Forster's pan-pagan indulgence. (including a futuristic world where society lives completely sheltered from nature, and fears it). Some of the stories are somewhat stilted, but most are beautifully written.

[Kendra · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know when you feel like you've been reading for an eternity and then you look at the page number and realize you're on page 6? Well, if you didn't before, you will if you read this.

[Roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should be 3 1/2 stars. When it was good, it was very, very good, but when it was bad it was horrid.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprising stories in the vein of H.G. Wells and our modern day Joann Harris. Loved "The Machine Stops".

[Tyler Talbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

An uneven and experimental collection with several standouts and typically great writing from someone who is almost exclusively considered as a novelist.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite engrossing actually and fully display the ability of a first-rate writer

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5