“‘Life,’ wrote a friend of mine, ‘is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.'”

Set in the early 20th century, A Room With a View is a classic novel about a girl coming of age and trying to figure out whether to follow her heart or society’s standard. Lucy Honeychurch is visiting Italy with her cousin (chaperone), Charlotte, and they meet several interesting characters along the way. Lucy is engaged but finds her heart coming alive when she meets Edward.

I started listening to classic books as I make dinner each night. I choose this one because the story looked interesting. I came to find out when I went to add it to my Goodreads list that I had read this book before, but didn’t remember reading it. It was 6 years ago, so I guess that is how long my memory holds onto details of a book. I still listened to it through the Overdrive app and enjoyed the story anew.

Lucy is caught between a proper world where Charlotte oversees her actions and guides her thoughts (and where she is engaged) and a world where she can roam where she wishes, enjoy the view and share a kiss with a stranger. Will she be conventional or listen to her heart? The setting and language remind me of Jane Austen novels. The story is timeless.

I would recommend this to anyone high school age or older. There is nothing objectionable, it’s just written in a more formal writing style that requires a more mature reader.

Buy the book here (affiliate link).