Where Angels Fear to Tread"Let her go to Italy!" he cried. "Let her meddle with what she doesn't understand! Look at this letter! The man who wrote it will marry her, or murder her, or do for her somehow. He's a bounder, but he's not an English bounder. He's mysterious and terrible. He's got a country behind him that's upset people from the beginning of the world." When a young English widow takes off on the grand tour and along the way marries a penniless Italian, her in-laws are not amused. That the marriage should fail and poor Lilia die tragically are only to be expected. But that Lilia should have had a baby -- and that the baby should be raised as an Italian! -- are matters requiring immediate correction by Philip Herriton, his dour sister Harriet, and their well-meaning friend Miss Abbott. In his first novel, E. M. Forster anticipated the themes of cultural collision and the sterility of the English middle class that he would develop in A Room with a View and A Passage to India. Where Angels Fear to Tread is an accomplished, harrowing, and malevolently funny book, in which familiar notions of vice and virtue collapse underfoot and the best intentions go mortally awry. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Airolo angry answer asked baby Baedeker beautiful began brother Caffè Garibaldi Caroline Abbott carriage Celestial Omnibus charming child church course cried dear dentist E. M. Forster Empoli English exclaimed eyes face father feel frightened gave Gino Gino's Gothard tunnel hand Harriet Herriton Howards End inlaid box interview Irma Italian Italy Kingcroft kissed knew lady landlady laughed letter live loggia looked Lucia di Lammermoor marry Miss Abbott Monteriano mother never night Palazzo Pubblico passion Perfetta Perhaps Philip pleasant Poggibonsi Poor Lilia reply riton round Santa Deodata Sawston screamed seemed seen shouted Siena gate Signor Carella silence silly sister smiled speak Spiridione stairs stop suddenly suppose talk tell teriano thank theatre Theobald things thought told took towers tried turned understand voice vulgar walk What's wife wish woman wonderful young