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Summary: An unbelievably whiny, obnoxious, and self-centered heroine
Review: Although I am certain that some individuals would beg to differ, I found Chopin's The Awakening an exercise in masochism. I found the main character, Edna, did not elicit any sense of pity. The notion of societal pressures on an indivdual is certainly valid, but Chopin's dull (at least in my personal opnion)prose made the point too blatant, and Edna's so-called escape is a very poor resolution to such problems.
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Summary: One of my favorite books
Review: This piece of genius by Kate Chopin is one of my favorite books. Her complex pattern of storytelling weave together the issues that all women navigate, including love, marriage, motherhood and how to be independant. This is something every woman should read for her own awakening.
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Summary: A novel of wonder and free spirt!
Review: This novel was truely and awakening. As a young woman of 21, this book opened my eyes regarding the patriarchal powers that existed in the Victorian era, and still today. Edna Pontellier is a character caught in a life she was not meant for. All women who wish to be motivated and break free should read this book.
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Summary: Quick read, but not too pleasant
Review: I think that this is a good book to have read to get a different perspective on feminism at the turn of the century, but it bothered me greatly while I was reading it. The main character, Edna, is SO selfish, childish, and self-absorbed that I can't see why the novel is so highly acclaimed as a piece of feminist literature. Perhaps it is because a woman takes the main role. Perhaps it is because of the sexual images that do not relate to men. I consider myself a feminist, but I had little respect for Edna or for this book.
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Summary: This isn't one for everyone
Review: Some find Chopin's way of writing dull, I on the other hand find it a very interesting and concise way of description, a different type of writer out of a houndred. Only a few people will be able to fully comprehend and appreciate what Edna does and why she does it. The little shadow on her two boys only enhances the pain of this book. Tragic, but wonderful. It kind of reminded me of MADAME BOVARY (slightly), then THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP (excluding the trashiness).
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Summary: Okay...
Review: BAD FEATURES OF THE BOOK 1) narrative is mediocore. 2) first half of the story is quite boring and the book is hard to "get into". 3) at times edna's akwakening seems to be her unwillingness to take on her responsibilities. 4)edna often seems bitchy. GOOD FEATURES OF THE BOOK 1)towards the end the narrative becomes interesting. 2)many ideas of freedom, especially that of women, are presented well. 3)desciptons of characters are good. 4)book is realistic in that it does not portray men as evil [leonce is very sympathetic]. instead it attacks aspects of society that oppress women.
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Summary: Magical
Review: I was in awe after reading this book...such a simple and short tale, yet full of life and vibrance. Let things be...that's what this book says.
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Summary: Morally courageous; rhetorically--er--flaccid
Review: While bold in its emancipatory theme--a theme I applaud--Chopin's novel left me groaning at times because of narrative strategies that seemed archaic or melodramatic to modern sensibilities. After reading The Awakening I immediately turned to a writer about whom I'm normally ambivalent: Hemingway. Had to cleanse the palate I'm afraid.
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Summary: A great class assignment
Review: I was given The Awakening for a class assignment over vacation for English class. I was angry to have to read a book over vacation..but once I got into this novel, I instantly changed my mind. I had no problems getting through this book. There were some parts that did confuse me a bit, which I had to read over a few times, but overall it was a touching story that I could relate to in many ways. The ending is heartbreaking.
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Summary: This book AWAKENED me
Review: First published in 1899, this beautiful, brief novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward. Now widely read and admired, The Awakening has been hailed as an early vision of woman's emancipation. This sensuous book tells of a woman's abandonment of her family, her seduction, and her awakening to desires and passions that threated to consumer her. Originally entitled "A Solitary Soul," this portrait of twenty-eight-year-old Edna Pontellier is a landmark in American fiction, rooted firmly in the romantic tradition of Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson. Here, a woman in search of self-discovery turns away from convention and society, and toward the primal, irresistibly attracted to nature and the senses. The Awakening, Kate Chopin's last novel, has been praised by Edmund Wilson as "beautifully written." And Willa Cather described its style as "exquisite," "sensitive," and "iridescent." This edition of The Awakening also includes a selection of short stories by Kate Chopin.
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