Jake

this is my first time reading this series in full and i decided to read in chronological order rather than publication order, simply because that's how my box set was numbered. i'm glad i started with this one because it gave me a lot of interesting things to think about that were origins of the iconic story of the lion the witch and the wardrobe that we all know and love. great quick read!

I grew up on this series and came back to it while in a reading slump as a way to have a quick read to keep up with my yearly goal. Rick Riordan's intelligent writing stands the test of time 18 years later. Percy's sarcastic 12 year old voice is still relatable to me as a 22 year old. The book continues to be as clever as it is adventurous and I think anyone who enjoys reading YA would enjoy this book. The ability that Riordan has to adapt the classic myths we know and love and put them through a modern lense is unmatched in my opinion.

The last maybe 75 pages made it worth the read and were my favorite part of the book. I felt such a deep connection to the characters by the end of it and was heartbroken even though we all know what is coming. A very well written YA novel and I am always so happy to read about queer love.

I am not really a fan of slow burn novels and this didn't feel like a book that should have been a slow burn since it all happens over the course of a day and there is a significant urgency that needed to be had for this particular situation. That being said, it made the pay off of romance that had been building very rewarding. I wish the romance had happened way earlier though. The writing wasn't sensational but was done well especially for the target audience.

Halfway through, if you told me that this would have ended up as a 5 star read, I would have never believed you. It felt important to me to read Maurice as it feels like such an iconic part of LGBTQIA+ history and literature, but, I found such trouble in liking the actual story itself until the conclusion. The actual story of Maurice is almost bland and can be described very easily. Though it has its profound moments, I don't think this novel was made iconic for its story.

E. M. Forster wrote from the eyes of a character that was so insufferable and mostly unlikable that I was struggling to appreciate anything about the story and this was a good distraction because I was quite taken aback by the growth of Maurice by the end of the novel because of its subtly. The story itself is not really anything special and in fact, not much happens. But the growth of Maurice as a character was stretched out so discretely that it caused me to have quite an emotional attachment by the end of it. He begins as a stiff, classist, uptight, snooty, terrified boy and ends as a man who fully accepts himself and his sexuality regardless of the societal implications or even the legality of it.

The thing that brings this book from an okay story to an iconic piece of literature is how it came to be and the circumstances in which it was written. This book was published in 1971 and if that is when it was written, I think how it is remembered would be much different. But it was sitting in a desk for 58 years before it was ever published. In the novel, we live through Maurice's struggle with self-acceptance of his homosexuality because of how culturally sinful, and even illegal, it was in edwardian London. Much like the reality that E.M. Forster found himself before writing this novel in 1913. Forster wrote this book for himself and made a plan for it to only ever be published after his own death. Forster did not seek to publish this book due to the public opinion of same-sex relationships. It was illegal for men to privately engage in homosexual acts in England until 1967, 3 years before Forster passed away. Forster decided to keep this novel hidden until it could be published posthumously for his own safety.

I found that the most interesting part of this entire book is the Terminal Note, written by Forster himself, where he explains his inspiration to write the book and breaks down every single nuance that went into crafting these characters and why he didn't feel like he could publish his book yet. I especially found his conviction to write a happy ending to be profound, especially reading it over a century later when queerness in media is STILL represented by a majority of traumatizing stories.

“A happy ending was imperative. It shouldn't have bothered to write otherwise. I was determined that in fiction anyway two men should fall in love and remain in it for the ever and ever that fiction allows, and in this sense Maurice and Alec still roam the greenwood. I dedicated it ‘To a Happier Year' and not altogether vainly. Happiness is its keynote - which by the way has had an unexpected result: it has made the book more difficult to publish. Unless the Wolfenden Report becomes law, it will probably have to remain in manuscript. If it ended unhappily, with a lad dangling from a noose or with a suicide pact, all would be well; for there is no pornography or seduction of minors. But the lovers get away unpunished and consequently recommended crime. Mr Borenius is too incompetent to catch them, and the only penalty society exacts is an exile they gladly embrace.”

I feel like I could write an entire essay about this so for now I'll just say that this was an essential read.

Never have I ever been so impacted by a piece of art. I am a queer person who loves to consume art but very rarely do i feel impacted by something to the point of being misty eyed. This book had me absolutely sobbing in the best and worst way. I grew up loving Greek Mythology by way of the Percy Jackson series so this was right up my alley. If you're looking for a queer story to leave you heartbroken but also warm and fuzzy and will make you cry happy and sad tears this is for you.