Miss Lucy, accompanied by her cousin, is visiting Florence. But one does not come to Italy for the hygiene, she is told.
One visits Italy for the vibrancy of the surroundings, and for the life its
people impart to them. The charm of her surroundings slowly begins to work upon Miss Lucy. Instead of gathering information about the monuments, guidebook in hand, she simply learns how to be happy instead. It is in Florence that Miss Lucy makes the acquaintaince of Mr. Emerson. Mr. Emerson, an old man of heavy build, is a unusual man – unusual in the sense that he has the habit of speaking out the truth, however unpalatable that might be. Some people, of course, find that difficult to understand. Mr. Emerson has that effect on people, and they are either offended or frightened by his bluntness. Mr. Emerson introduces Miss Lucy to his son George – a serious young man, melancholic at the condition of the world, who does not quite know what to do with his life. Though Miss Lucy does not dislike him, at the time she does not wish to be on intimate terms with him. Miss Lucy plays the piano with a
passion – a passion that seems to contrast with the dullness of her daily routine. It almost appears as if the rebel in her is struggling to come out, and finds expression in her music. In a sense, the music seems to awaken latent desires in her. But the city of Florence has the power to evoke passions as well… This is a book about the Britisher abroad, and how he carries his Britishness with him wherever he goes. It is also a book about class, and how belonging to a particular social class moulds the views and outlooks of its members. Both of E.M. Forster’s major works – “A Room with a View”, and “A Passage to India” - have these themes in common. This is a lighthearted look at the Britishness the British are so fond of. But beneath the surface banter, it is a serious work nonetheless due to the nature of the concerns the author examines with a critical eye.