1/2 through HOWARDS END

I am currently at the 1/2 way point in HOWARDS END. Howards End is a place that is owned by the Wilcox's, well actually it was the dowry for Mrs. Wilcox. The main characters so far are the Schlegel's, Margaret the oldest who had to take over the family after her mother died in childbirth with the youngest brother Tibby. The middle child is Helen. There father also dies leaving them in charge of the house that they rent and the upbringing of each other. I think that there is a part where you get the feeling that Tibby may possibly be gay. A quote is made by his sister, when they are arguing about the feminine feeling in the house she says that Tibby is a man, just the other half of a man. MArgaret also accuses the sister of making the place more masculine by smoking cigarettes. It is a very funny book, in my opinion. It was first published in 1910, which makes the comments about Germany and England very interesting, especially since is so close to the beginning of WWI. The Schlegel's are part German, father, and English, mom. There all these comments about the Germans being boorish and that is why the father left. There are also mentions of hostilities rising between the two countries. So in between the banter about social justice and life in England you get a good picture of what the times are like through this book. Howards End is near a town called Hilton and a quick trip from London, because when Helen at the beginning writes a quick note to Margaret that she is engaged, her aunt jumps on the train and heads that way. Also in the time it takes her to get on the train and arrive, Helen has sent another telegram telling them it was a mistake and Margaret has time to respond while the aunt is still on the train. More later.