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3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Illicit love blooms after a couple brings the wife's cousin to live with them and help out with work.
Sad, but so beautifully written. No need to say more. Highly recommend.
emotional
sad
slow-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
I am conflicted on how I feel about this book. It was short and to the point, something I really value in a good book, but also lacked a real plot. This is not a bad thing, but it is certainly not for everyone. If you have ever loved someone who you know you shouldn't or longed for things to work out in ways that are simply impossible, this book is for you. Wharton's use of meaningful dialogue created a tense, slow burn feel to this novella that kept me aching to read more, grasping for some sort of textual satisfaction or resolution. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it was stunningly crafted and heartbreaking in unexpected ways. Overall, I enjoyed it as much as I could for the subject matter and events of the novel being so bleak and hopeless.
dark
emotional
sad
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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:
Yes
There is nothing to like here. Ethan Frome is a loser who's entire purpose in this book is to cheat on his sick wife Zeena (who's also his cousin, just for funsies) because she isnt as cheerful as her cousin Mattie who's arrived as a housekeeper. All three of these characters are unlikable: Ethan is a cheating loser, Mattie is a merciless homewrecker, and Zeena (who is perhaps the only character who isnt an outright loser) is also just annoying and rude. I also dont understand the moral of the story: Ethan ends up with a worse life than he did before, Mattie becomes bitter and helpless, and Zeena gets burdened with taking care of them both; nobody wins and nothing changes except for the worse for everyone (yet neither Ethan nor Mattie are ever condemned by Wharton for their actions?). Wharton's prose is also subpar; never are there flashes of brilliance and I found her way of attempting to write in a southern accent annoying and shoehorned. The only thing this book has going for it is that it's short, so at least it ends quickly