The Celestial Omnibus and Other Tales

This was a lovely collection of little known Forster writings. You can find many tales inside to delight any fancy. A great book to have around when you want to read for a shorter amount of time, but still get a lot out of your reading. -- Mama Reads Hazel Reads
This compilation of short stories by one of the twentieth century’s preeminent authors spotlights journal and magazine fiction from 1900 to 1911. These early tales exhibit the first traces of E. M. Forster’s witty and elegant style as well as the profound humanism that he further developed in his later novels. Six fables reinterpret classical stories and themes, drawing upon folkloric elements to explore the truth of the imagination and the effects of the unseen on ordinary lives.
In The Story of a Panic, a spoiled boy discovers his true self. The Road from Colonus echoes the tragedy of Oedipus and Antigone, Other Kingdom offers a modern version of Apollo’s pursuit of Daphne, and The Curate’s Friend centers on a clergyman who’s advised by a faun. The Other Side of the Hedge illustrates the futility of chasing goals, and The Celestial Omnibus recounts a boy’s visit to heaven, where he is forever changed by encounters with characters from literature and myth.

English novelist E. M. Forster (1879-1970) belonged to the Bloomsbury Group, an influential group of writers, artists, and intellectuals. His books are noted for their humanistic qualities and their sensitive examinations of class differences. Dover editions of Forster’s works include A Room with a View, Howards End, and Where Angels Fear to Tread.