E. M. Forster 
The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories 

‘The Celestial Omnibus and Other Stories’, first published in 1911, is a brief collection of stories that shows the true depth of Forster’s literary talent and his ability to infuse fantasy and imagination into his writing. 

These six stories deal with transformations, the truth of the imagination, and the effect of the unseen on ordinary lives. By juxtaposing the Edwardian English with pagan mythology, E.M. Forster created in this collection a work of lasting strangeness and great beauty.



“
The Celestial Omnibus” is an allegorical tale about an innocent and poetry-loving boy’s magical ascent to Heaven via bus.

The story is Forster’s way of warning against intellectual arrogance in the form of Mr. Bons (whose name is “snob” spelled backwards) and the importance of literature and poetry for their own sakes. It is in keeping with Forster’s common theme of human connection over societal repression.



Forster was a British author known for his observations on the classism and rigid gender and social roles of British society around the turn of the century. His best-known works include ‘A Room with a View’, ‘Howards End’, and ‘A Passage to India’.