Rating: 
Summary: The Awakening
Review: Kate Chopin's The Awakening is a brilliantly written novel that is not only full of insight into a woman's mind, but appeals to the senses of us all. Chopin's wonderful, precise descriptions can thoroughly captivate a reader, leaving you hungry for more. This book tells of a young woman, Edna Pontellier, living at the turn of the century in French Louisiana, with her husband and two young sons. While spending a relaxing summer at Grand Isle, she befriends a young man, Robert, who unintentionally stirs something inside of her. Even after the summer is over and she has returned home, she continues to feel unrest with her simple, confined life and begins to take slightly shocking steps towards her own emancipation. While I found the beginning of the novel a bit slow, I grew more and more enthralled as a change came over Edna, and I found myself cheering her on, and eagerly reading more to see if what I thought might happen ever did. I was happily rewarded near the end, or so I thought. Unfortunately, the last chapter, or last page rather, was both frustrating and disappointing to me. Still, I would have to say I enjoyed the book as a whole, and would definitely recommend it to others, but with the caution that they will either love it or hate it. I also think that women in general will have a greater appreciation of this novel, as it pertains to them more, but everyone should read it, as it is an extraordinary, as well as controversial literary work.
Rating: 
Summary: A Dried Out Potboiler
Review: As flat as flat Perrier left out for one hundred years.
Rating: 
Summary: A Portrayal of Almost Every Woman
Review: The greatness of THE AWAKENING comes not from the pitiful solutions that Edna Pontellier, the protagonist, chooses but from Kate Chopin's portrayal of a woman facing the challenge of awakening to what life often becomes: a sad dilemma with few acceptable options. Chopin shows how lonely a woman's life can be as the woman stops suppressing her feelings and instead allows them to swim to the surface. Most women have varying degrees of Edna's psyche; some of us simply cover it better than the naked Edna does. Most women need to read this haunting poetic novel Jane Riley, author of SOLOMON'S PORCH, THE STORY OF BEN AND ROSE.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic
Review: Kate Chopin's The Awakening, published in 1899, is not a typical literature book from this time period. Even though it was published 100 years ago, it is still relevant in this era today. Although in that time period, it appeared rebellious and was banned. Long before the women's rights movement Kate Chopin gave us Edna Pontellier, a woman who feels life is passing her by. She was the pampered wife of a wealthy man, the mother of two sons, and the mistress of a New Orleans mansion on the coast of Louisiana that left her unfulfilled.
Edna, the protagonist, learns to think for herself as an independent woman and defies the norm by leaving her husband Leonce and having a love affair. She meets a young man named Robert Lebrun, the two spend almost all their time together and Edna greatly enjoys his company, especially when her husband was normally preoccupied with business. Over a period of time, Robert realizes that he and Edna are becoming too close; he suddenly departs the island and goes to Mexico for business reasons. He left and didn't want to be with her because he wasn't alike to her economically and couldn't make her happy. At the end of the story, Edna swims out into the ocean thinks gloriously about how she has escaped her children, their claim on her and continues to swim until she is dead tired. Memories of her childhood flash before her eyes as she gradually drowns. Edna's "awakening" one fateful summer, her quest for independence and refusal to sacrifice her individual existence is the basis of this novel. Her relations with other men, her friendships with women, and her ultimate fate, all of this made this a daring novel in 1899 and a startling reminder in 2001 of how far women have come. I personally feel this is a book everyone can relate to at one point or another and is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: This is a seriously outdated ideal for a woman's liberation
Review: (...) My first thought was that none of its characters are worthy of respect or in any way likable, including and especially the protagonist, Edna Pontellier. There is her husband, who is away from home most of the time or complaining about how Edna is such a poor mother and wife, and how come she can't be like the beautiful and obedient Mrs. Ratignolle. There is Arobin, the flamboyant womanizer. Then there is Edna Pontellier, who is constantly crying and feeling sorry for herself. I wanted to kick her and tell her to shut the hell up. The rest of the characters conform to the roles they have been assigned to in life and also make disparaging remarks about Mexicans. Edna Pontellier never becomes independent from her husband. The complete extent of her "liberation" and "awakening" consists of being sassy towards her husband, neglecting her kids, ignoring neighbors who call on her, moving something like 2 blocks away on her husband's money with one of his servants, sleeping with a womanizer who doesn't love her, and wanting to sleep with this other guy. She does this behind her husbands back the whole time. If Edna Pontellier was truly a modern, independent woman she would have supported herself rather than continue spending her husband's money. She would have to stop feeling sorry for herself and stop letting men use her. I never had any respect for her and thought she was even more pathetic after reading the ending. The theme of the book, as I understood it, is: Commit suicide when the guy you want won't take you. So the point Kate Chopin was trying to make about a woman's liberation and self-discovery never gets across. So all that remains of the book is the typical sappy romance.
One corny excerpt:
"I love you," she whispered, "only you, no one but you. It was you who awoke me last summer out of a life-long, stupid dream...Oh! I have suffered, suffered!...we shall love each other, my (name is spoiler). We shall be everything to each other! Nothing else in the world is of any consequence... No matter how late, you will wait for me, (name is spoiler)?
"Don't go, don't go! Oh! Edna, stay with me," he pleaded ... "Stay with me, stay with me!"... Well, on the positive side, Kate Chopin makes really good use of similes and metaphors. Much of the novel is description, to the point that almost nothing ever happens. Conclusion: Maybe read this book because it's a classic or for the corny romance. But don't read it for it's story or for it's theme or message because they just aren't there.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite awake
Review: I do not reccomend this book to anyone with any sense whatsoever. I read this book on the premise that, although published in 1899, it was an inspiration to women fighting for their independence in the 20th century, and was highly disapointed. The protagonist, Edna Pontellier, is a weak character. Not only does she spend half the book asleep, drawn into slumber by the intimate touch of her many lovers, but at realizing that the cause of her achings is her dependency on her husband, she does nothing about it. She mopes around town, defying her husband without standing up for herself, she cries alot, and she ultimately takes her own life, with no consideration or sense of responsibility. She is incredibly dependent on men, and yet she resents that she depends on them so. She is a horrible character, who does not represent anything fought for by our ancestors this century past. Sorry Chopin, no thumbs up for you!
Rating:
Summary: Highly Intellectual, Beautiful and Powerfully Written
Review: Kate Chopin's highly renowned novel, The Awakening, is rightfully awarded such praise. Chopin's style of writing is eloquent, graceful and captivating. Her intense detail and careful chronicle of Edna's thoughts give the piece an impeccable sense of reality. For this reason, I feel that readers can easily relate to Edna's character and sympathize with her struggle. In order to relay many underlying themes, Chopin uses a significant number of enigmatic metaphors and vivid symbols. Although this adds to the novel's intrigue, it contributes to its complexity. If the reader is not astute and analytical, I question whether they will grasp the true meaning of the work.
I believe that although The Awakening was published more than 100 years ago, it has tremendous relevance for modern society. Regardless of the era, readers will always be able to relate to one woman's triumph over hardship and her decision to follow her heart. Chopin writes her novel in a manner that leaves the reader with many unanswered questions regarding the morality and integrity of many of the characters. I think this is important to the appeal of the novel because it encourages the reader to reassess their opinion of certain actions and makes this an excellent choice for group discussion.
The Awakening is above all, a powerful piece of literature. Kate Chopin's ability to touch the human heart in such a delicate manner is commendable. I felt enriched after reading this novel because it not only supplemented my skill as an astute reader, but it taught me valuable lessons about living life in respect to oneself and not society's demands. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who desires not only a captivating story, but one with meaning as well.
Rating:
Summary: This Book Doesn't Awaken It Makes You Fall Asleep!
Review: I just finished reading this book for my AP English class. It's got great imagery, but other than that it's boring. A couple times while reading this I went to sleep. All it is, is Edna whining about being oppressed in her nice house with everything being given to her. Awwwww, poor baby. I enjoyed reading Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God much better. It seems to me the only people that like this book are female English teachers, that's the only reason it's a classic. Nothing jumped out of the pages to me. Unless you have to read it for a class, save your time and read something else(Their Eyes Were Watching God).
Rating:
Summary: The Awakening
Review: The Awakening by Kate Chopins, the protagonist Edna Pontellier learns to think of herself as an independent human being and rebels against social norms by leaving her husband Leónce and having an affair. At the beginning the novel takes place in Grand Isle, an island off the coast of Louisiana. Edna Pontellier meets a young gallant named Robert Lebrun, the two spend almost all their time together, and Edna greatly enjoys his company, especially when her husband was normally preoccupied with business. When he realizes that him and Edna are becoming too close, he suddenly departs the island and goes to Vera Cruz for business reasons. He left and didn't want to be with her because he wasn't alike to her economically and couldn't make her happy. At the end Edna returns to Grand Isle. She walks down to the beach and stands naked in the sun without thinking, than begins to swim out into the ocean. She thinks gloriously about how she has escaped her children and their claim on her and continues to swim until she is tired. Memories of her childhood flash before her eyes as she gradually drowns.
Rating:
Summary: Awake No More, Vile Edna!!
Review: First of all, I would just like to say that if I could have given this terrible book negative stars I most certainly would have. I was absolutely shocked when I saw that it had gotten an average review of 4 stars. (...) This is about as far from the truth as could possibly be.
This book is slow, it is boring, it is pointless, it is plotless, it is depressing, it is absurd, and it is most certainly not well written. Of course, all of those things alone would have just made me dislike and then forget about the book. What really made me hate it, truly hate it, was its use of the single most utterly detestable and unsympathetic main charachter that I have ever encountered. Edna was as idiotic, ungrateful, selfish, whiney, over-emotional, neglectful, and vile a person as has ever been described in the role of protaganist. Hell, I've never even run across a villain that I liked less.
Edna had a loving husband, and what did she do? She treated him like dirt and did her best to ruin his reputation. He never asked her to do anything other than entertain some guests one afternoon a week, and she goes on about being stifled, oppressed and (God forbid) unfulfilled. She doesn't have to cook, she doesn't have to clean, she doesn't have to sew, she doesn't have to work, she doesn't even have to take care of her own children. Her husband provides everything for her, and we're supposed to think that he's the bad guy? Why? Just because he yelled at her (...)? I bet the vast majority of men wouldn't have been as kind and patient as he was. Oh, and Edna's mistreatment of her husband didn't stop at being stupid, petty, lazy, contrary, and mean. No, she also had to go out and cheat on him with the local playboy. I don't know how any self-respecting feminist (if there is such a thing) could endorse such a book such a character or such behavior. Since when is adultery high on the feminist platform?
Well, I could go on all day about how much I hate this book, but I don't really want to offend any more people. It's just that (...) it stands for everything that could conceivably be wrong with society. Calling "The Awakening" a classic is, in my opinion, both a tragedy and a travesty.
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