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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
I liked the way it was written but I hate cheating stories
100 pages of this guy feeling sorry for himself and whining about his poor life decisions.
Basically The Awakening except with clearer writing and a male protagonist.
How is this even a classic? It has less literary value than most YA Lit.
Basically The Awakening except with clearer writing and a male protagonist.
How is this even a classic? It has less literary value than most YA Lit.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Books like Ethan Frome prove that you don't need to cover pages upon pages to introduce a thought provoking and interesting story.
Honestly the premise sounded potentially boring. A bored husband, a hypochondriac wife set in an area that isolated them from their norm and add in a touch of lack of communication and you've got an inevitable recipe for marital disaster.
What made this book so interesting was the fact that all three characters caused me to really think hard about their situation. The back of the book touts that Ethan is the disgruntled, unhappy and communicating husband, but it takes two to tango.
Zeena's obsession with her health drove me nuts and I felt warily sympathetic toward Ethan's character as he struggled to live with a wife that complained, whined, and seemed to be creating health problems out of nothing. Meanwhile Zeena's cousin, Mattie, comes to live with the Frome's to help Zeena out while she recovers from her mystery illnesses. Mattie's subtly inappropriate flirtations and zeal for living inevitably and understandably (but not excusably!) draws Ethan into seeing what life may have been like had he chosen to marry for love.
The writing gave me the sense initially that Ethan was older, but we are told Ethan is 28 years old when Mattie initially comes to help Zeena at home. Edith Wharton takes us into Ethan's past where he and Zeena first meet and that was my "ah ha" moment. Ah ha!... that's why you two don't work well together. Ah ha!... it is wise to know to marry someone for love and not out of gratitude, obligation, or misdirected needs. Instead of treating each other as husband and wife, Ethan and Zeena treat each other as mother and son. The lines get blurry, expectations are not met because at the same time both of them expect the other to behave as husband/wife. Enter the vivacious Mattie and it's no doubt that her presence causes quite a stir in their small New England household.
For me it wasn't a story about a man who can't communicate well with his wife, it was an insightful story about marriage and making wise choices. Yes, marriages can and should be discussed. Yes, communication is key even in marriages based on love and friendship.
What I loved so much is that Edith Wharton wrote the story concise enough to leave room for thought. I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work.
Honestly the premise sounded potentially boring. A bored husband, a hypochondriac wife set in an area that isolated them from their norm and add in a touch of lack of communication and you've got an inevitable recipe for marital disaster.
What made this book so interesting was the fact that all three characters caused me to really think hard about their situation. The back of the book touts that Ethan is the disgruntled, unhappy and communicating husband, but it takes two to tango.
Zeena's obsession with her health drove me nuts and I felt warily sympathetic toward Ethan's character as he struggled to live with a wife that complained, whined, and seemed to be creating health problems out of nothing. Meanwhile Zeena's cousin, Mattie, comes to live with the Frome's to help Zeena out while she recovers from her mystery illnesses. Mattie's subtly inappropriate flirtations and zeal for living inevitably and understandably (but not excusably!) draws Ethan into seeing what life may have been like had he chosen to marry for love.
The writing gave me the sense initially that Ethan was older, but we are told Ethan is 28 years old when Mattie initially comes to help Zeena at home. Edith Wharton takes us into Ethan's past where he and Zeena first meet and that was my "ah ha" moment. Ah ha!... that's why you two don't work well together. Ah ha!... it is wise to know to marry someone for love and not out of gratitude, obligation, or misdirected needs. Instead of treating each other as husband and wife, Ethan and Zeena treat each other as mother and son. The lines get blurry, expectations are not met because at the same time both of them expect the other to behave as husband/wife. Enter the vivacious Mattie and it's no doubt that her presence causes quite a stir in their small New England household.
For me it wasn't a story about a man who can't communicate well with his wife, it was an insightful story about marriage and making wise choices. Yes, marriages can and should be discussed. Yes, communication is key even in marriages based on love and friendship.
What I loved so much is that Edith Wharton wrote the story concise enough to leave room for thought. I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work.
That's why they call them classics. A complete world in 150 pages. Everything about this is perfect.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
tense
fast-paced
medium-paced
I understand why this book is a classic… No I don’t, I’m lying. I don’t understand what exactly is interesting in that story. I was bored the whole time, except when they finally did something fun at the end Yes, when they try to crash into the tree to… be together or something but even that was weird af…