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A review by cassiakarin
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
4.0
Very well-written...but strange.
I picked up this book by the guidance of Karen Swallow Prior in her book "On Reading Well".
Edith Wharton is a wonderful story-teller. Her descriptions of places are excellent, but even better are her descriptions of the behaviors, movements, expressions, and feelings of people. These descriptions place you right in the room the her characters. The presence she provides by her descriptions became so real to me that I found my own mood changing along with the character's experiences and moods. Whenever I put the book down I would act and react to those around me as if I were the one hurting, offended, in love, or annoyed.
At the end of the crux chapter I stopped reading for a few days. I actually found it hilariously unbelievable. I had to try hard "suspend my disbelief" as J.R.R Tolkien calls it. But then once I returned and finished the few remaining pages I was gripped by the power of the story at large, and wished I had finished it straight through. I also found the afterword interesting and appropriately placed.
I would conclude by saying that this story can find its home within every human heart. I do not believe there is one individual who cannot relate to the frustrations and internal suffering of the characters found here. And because of this, the story at large made me look internally at my own heart, and grew compassion in me to look at others with more care. This is a story of just a few individuals, but I believe these individuals can be found around every corner of our own experiences. This story grew on me a lens of compassion and hope for everyone I come into contact with, and because of that, I would judge it a good story.
It won’t be a favorite… so I only gave it 4 stars.
I picked up this book by the guidance of Karen Swallow Prior in her book "On Reading Well".
Edith Wharton is a wonderful story-teller. Her descriptions of places are excellent, but even better are her descriptions of the behaviors, movements, expressions, and feelings of people. These descriptions place you right in the room the her characters. The presence she provides by her descriptions became so real to me that I found my own mood changing along with the character's experiences and moods. Whenever I put the book down I would act and react to those around me as if I were the one hurting, offended, in love, or annoyed.
At the end of the crux chapter I stopped reading for a few days. I actually found it hilariously unbelievable. I had to try hard "suspend my disbelief" as J.R.R Tolkien calls it. But then once I returned and finished the few remaining pages I was gripped by the power of the story at large, and wished I had finished it straight through. I also found the afterword interesting and appropriately placed.
I would conclude by saying that this story can find its home within every human heart. I do not believe there is one individual who cannot relate to the frustrations and internal suffering of the characters found here. And because of this, the story at large made me look internally at my own heart, and grew compassion in me to look at others with more care. This is a story of just a few individuals, but I believe these individuals can be found around every corner of our own experiences. This story grew on me a lens of compassion and hope for everyone I come into contact with, and because of that, I would judge it a good story.
It won’t be a favorite… so I only gave it 4 stars.