A review by thepassingfancy
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

I first read Ethan Frome in an American literature class in college, and it has stayed with me ever since. At the time I was drawn to what I perceived as the romanticism of rural early twentieth century American life, as told here by Edith Wharton and elsewhere by authors like Willa Cather. This is the first time I've revisited this novel since then, and I think it struck me quite differently this time. I also recently re-read Jane Eyre, and found myself contemplating some similarities in that story, in terms of the thorny issue of the obligation one has to a marriage committment, even an unfulfilling one, and the potential for a newer, possibly happier future with someone else. Wharton takes, perhaps, a more cautionary (moralizing?) approach than Brontë did in the ultimate outcome for all the characters involved. When I read The Age of Innocence earlier this year, I was perpetually frustrated with Newland Archer's wandering affections and self-interest. Here, though, I found myself more sympathetic toward Ethan. Was that because it was easier for me to feel kindness toward Newland's young, bright fiancée than toward Ethan's critical, sickly wife Zeena? If so, what does that say about me? Ultimately, though, this story doesn't have much of a happy ending for anyone. I'm not sure what I make of it this time around, but I do still appreciate Wharton's characters and the way she invites us into their inner lives.