Originally written around 1914, Maurice was sadly never published until 1971 - just after Forster's death. 
 (A small spoiler, but worth knowing.) For a classic gay novel, I was so surprised to find a happy ending here. Older gay novels so typically end in death and punishment, making Maurice part of a minority group that bring real refreshment to the genre. Of course, many queer novel authors were pushed to such dark endings by the publishers, and perhaps that's part of the reason Forster's book was so delayed. In any case, it's a revolutionary novel for its time. It's a story about shedding the expectations of stilted society and learning to live free.