Showing results for title "Where Angels Fear to Tread", by author "E. M. Forster" in Family Life

E. M. Forster's first novel is a witty comedy of manners that is tinged with tragedy. It tells the story of Lilia Herriton, who proves to be an embarrassment to her late husband's family as, in the small Tuscan town of Monteriano, she begins a relationship with a much younger Italian man - classless, uncouth, and highly unsuitable. A subtle attack on Edwardian values and a humanely sympathetic portrayal of the clash of two cultures, Where Angels Fear to Tread is also a profound exploration of character and virtue.

When the young English widow Lilia Herriton takes off on the grand tour and along the way marries a penniless Italian, her in-laws are far from 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 of grave concern to Philip Herriton, his dour sister Harriet, and their well-meaning friend Miss Abbott.

When Lilia, an English widow, marries a penniless Italian while on vacation, her dead husband's relatives are not amused. That the marriage should fail and Lilia die tragically are to be expected. But that she should have a baby, and that the baby should be raised Italian, of all things, are matters requiring immediate correction. E.M. Forster's first novel addresses cultural collisions and English middle-class sterility.