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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
This story is one perfectly paced buildup to the final revelation of the shocking outcome of a forbidden love. I really understood the complexity of the characters and appreciated the personification of the bleak, suffocating New England winter.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh my God, how I hated this book. Edith Wharton drives me nuts with her doom and gloom. Let's suffice it to say I am not a fan.
If anyone cares about spoilers concerning a nearly-one-hundred year old book, then forge ahead with caution.
It appears that most of the people here whose reviews include the word "hate" were forced to read this book in school. I was unhampered by that misfortune, and offer up Henderson the Rain King and Heart of Darkness as much more deserving recipients of that depth of loathing.
This is a novel in shades of grey, with only the rarest flash of color, set in that peculiar corner of New England where it is always winter.
The book is undeniably, unrelentingly depressing. But then, so is Ethan's life-- that's pretty much the point. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He has lost before he's even begun, and if he'd had the gumption to change things, he would have simply become a different sort of miserable bastard-- the sort we're more accustomed to encountering in the 21st century.
Age of Innocence is much more to my taste, but this is an affecting gem of a story, illustrating neatly the notion that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
It appears that most of the people here whose reviews include the word "hate" were forced to read this book in school. I was unhampered by that misfortune, and offer up Henderson the Rain King and Heart of Darkness as much more deserving recipients of that depth of loathing.
This is a novel in shades of grey, with only the rarest flash of color, set in that peculiar corner of New England where it is always winter.
The book is undeniably, unrelentingly depressing. But then, so is Ethan's life-- that's pretty much the point. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. He has lost before he's even begun, and if he'd had the gumption to change things, he would have simply become a different sort of miserable bastard-- the sort we're more accustomed to encountering in the 21st century.
Age of Innocence is much more to my taste, but this is an affecting gem of a story, illustrating neatly the notion that the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes