The Life to Come and Other Stories

Forster was really at his height as astory teller and I'm grateful that these break-through stories were finally published How sad that they weren't published while he was still alive.

There are 4 or 5 of these. I think "Ansell," (1903)--the first story in the book--is one of the best, short as it is. "The Helping Hand" is also very entertaining...though it doesn't leave ripples and waves, like the first one. One would suppose that these stories, (apparently)submitted to publishers and (apparently) rejected)--would be genuinely poor pickins'--but some are really good. Since Forster wasn't interested in heterosexual romance, he intelligently wrote about other things, quirky things, odd happenings, and so on. And while it's true that most of the homosexual stories are dark, and some very affecting ("Dr. Woolacott," "Arthur Snatchfold," "The Other Boat" "The Life to Come"--why didn't he stop this one after the first part? It would have been so funny!), the hilarious "The Obelisk" is one of my favorite stories ever. But first, of course, you must read Maurice, A Passage to India, and Howard's End. None of the short stories are as good as his novels. "I want to love a strong young man of the lower classes and be loved by him and even hurt by him. That is my ticket, and then I have wanted to write respectable novels"....(personal memorandum, 1935) "I should have been a more famous writer if I had written or rather published more, but sex has prevented the latter." (Diary, 31 December 1964)

This is a fine set of short stories by Forster at a very reasonable price. "The Life to Come" was one of many short stories dealing with homosexuality that Forster didn't publish in his lifetime, sharing them only with a small circle of friends. Like many gay authors, he developed a lack of sympathy for straight characters which dramatically cut his production of novels. At the end of his life, Forster sorted through some of these stories, noting that they were now, "publishable, but worth it?" He realized that times were changing quickly and homosexuality was no longer the scandal it once was. Nonetheless, these are stories by a great literary figure, writing about things that actually mattered to him. If you love Forster, you'll love this collection.

There is a real dichotomy between Forster's novel "Maurice" and the homosexual stories collected in "The Life to Come." The novel, while it does focus on the trials and tribulations of a gay man coming to terms with his sexuality, ends on an optimistic note. By contrast the stories collected in "The Life to Come," especially "The Other Boat," "Arthur Snatchfold" and the title piece, reflect the author's own obsession with the negative consequences of exposure and perfectly illustrate his reticence to coming out either personally or professionally. This is a man who witnessed the grossly indecent prosecution of both Oscar Wilde and Alan Turing, is it any wonder he was reticent? Don't miss these early gifts from the master.