E. M. Forster, The Longest Journey

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In this, his second published novel, Forster attempts to tackle the intellectual problems discussed by several of his principal characters and put across his view that the philosophical belief in Idealism, that there is no concrete material reality, could be at least ethically refuted by showing the importance of cultivating an interest in the objective and subjective existence of other people, different societies, nature and the universe. Though it remained Forster's favourite novel, most critics have found it aesthetically disappointing precisely because it is overly concerned with the ultimately irresolvable dilemma between Idealism and Materialism. Unsurprisingly, given its subject, the novel is quite sprawling but is firmly based in a style of realism and is concretely located in its…

819 words

Citation: Childs, Peter. "The Longest Journey". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=326, accessed 19 March 2024.]

326 The Longest Journey 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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