Ethan Frome

Rating:
Summary: Wharton gets her point across
Review: If I were to use four words to review this book, they would be: "thank goodness it's over". I did not enjoy this book at all. With her tale of loneliness and a tragic "lovers' pact" set in the cold and unforgiving New England snow, Edith Wharton attempts to draw us, the readers, into the black pit of despair known as her life. She succeeds marvelously. _Ethan Frome_ is a prime example of how literature can effectively evoke emotion. Wharton was an unhappy woman, and while reading her book, I was unhappy as well. Even though his story is tragic, one cannot sympathize with Frome; he has suffered for most of his life and will continue to suffer for the rest of his life, but his own choices took him there. I recommend staying very far away from this novella.

Rating:
Summary: I wouldn't recommend it
Review: This is one of those books which I read and thinking it was a piece of literary history, but extremely boring. It's a book where the story is unexciting and unappealing, but the point it conveys is important.

Rating:
Summary: What was Edith Wharton thinking?
Review: I have no idea what would inspire someone to write about something so dumb. I would give it no stars, but that wasn't an option.

Rating:
Summary: Surprising.
Review: I started this book with intent to hate it, as 19th century literature is not usually my favorite. Surprisingly, I finished the book and actually looked back and realized I had enjoyed it. Although I found the bleak setting unconvincing, mostly because I was reading the much harsher "Shipping News" at the same time, the characters and the psychology were involving, and the ending was surprisingly satisfying, in a tragic sort of way.

Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money on this one.
Review: I read Ethan Frome because my school requires it. However, I can't imagine why. The book would be deperessing if you felt some emotion while reading it. Ethan Frome centers on a man who wants to leave his wife and marry someone else. The only redeeming part of this book is nobody dies. Don't waste your time and money with Ethan Frome.

Rating:
Summary: This story describes a forbidden love between two people
Review: The tragic story of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton takes place in the dreary and lonely village of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan From, the protagonist of the story, and his sickly wife, Zeena, live in silence and unhappiness which ultimately destroy their marriage. Due to Zeena's tedious illness, her cousin Mattie Silver is called upon to take over the responsibilities of the house. Mattie's vibrant and radiant presence attracts Ethan immensely, causing a spark to ignite in his nonexistent life. Ethan's love for Mattie deepens each time their eyes meet. Her youthful appearance and her lively personality starkly contrast with the dark and evil characteristics of the wicked Zeena. Mattie and Ethan's unspoken love forms the basis of Zeena's jealousy and rage. Zeena's need for attention and sympathy allows her to dominate and control the lives of Mattie and Ethan, similarly like the relationship between the puppeteer and its puppets. The combination of fate and Zeena's imposing power to contribute to Ethan and Mattie's forbidden and unpreservable love. Ethan's constant pursuit of happiness and attempt to escape from Zeena's restraints and the confinements of the villlage inevitably cause unwanted results.

Wharton's Ethan Frome begins by introducing the narrator as a character. The story then proceeds into a flashback which consumes the majority of the pages. She also includes, within her story hints of foreshadowing and irony which keep the reader focused and interested. Wharton distinctly describes the environment with excessive imagery and diction in order to sufficiently create the mood and tone of the story for the reader. The author's writing style attracts the reader and successfully develops an unexpected ironic twist which makes this story unique. This excellent story portrays the life of an unfortunate man whose unhappiness, depression and weakness cause him to become a helpless prisoner, a lost soul, who will continue living in the lonely village of Starkfield forever.

*****I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about a forbidden love between two individuals who would do anything in the world to be together.***** I give this story, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton two thumbs up and five stars.*****

Rating:
Summary: Short But Not So Sweet
Review: This novelette by Edith Wharton is cleverly written and packed with effective literary devices to liven up the plot. Not that the scheme needs any livening up though, as at times, it seems like a soap opera. The is romance in the air and the husband and wife have a very stressful marriage. There are three characters who are linked in complex ways and share a variety of relationships within the household. First there is the title male figure, Ethan Frome, who is married to Zenobia(Zeena) Frome. They live on a small, isolated farm in northern New England. After Ethan's mother passes away, he marries Zeena who ironically, falls ill shortly after. The reader, trough careful observation, deciphers that Zeena's sickness is really hypochondia. But she hold the power in the household and the couple takes in Mattie Silver, a distant cousin of Zeena's. The beautiful, wintery imagery surrounds a love story that is out of the ordinary. Ethan gets to know Mattie, and he falls in love with her vivaciousness and gay inner spirit. As the story progresses, the reader notices the heightened contrast between the young, warm-hearted Mattie and the old, crotechty Zeena. Ethan digs himself into deeper moral isolation. Symbolism plays an active role in the story and allows the reader to understand the emotions through tangible objects. For example, a slinky cat and a unique glass pickle dish crop up as tangible reminders of the mental games. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a crippling and surprising ending. It is not what you expect and I really cannot give away what happened Mattie and Zeena.

Rating:
Summary: Ethan Frome a novel with well developed characters
Review: After reading two works of literature about life and tragedy in Puritan New England, I found Ethan Frome to be a welcome contrast from the strict, moral lives of the Puritans yet the cold stark New England landscape remains. Ethan Frome is a well written, tragic love story of man who falls in love with his wife's young cousin. Ethan Frome was a smart, young man with many goals and dreams and all of these dreams involved leaving the cold, desolate, town of Starkfield. However, all of his attempts to leave the miserable town were killed, first by his parent's illnesses and then by his wife's. After his parent's deaths, Ethan, in fear of losing his only companion and source of communication asked his mother's nurse and relative, Zeena, to marry him. However, soon after they married she became "ill." Seven years later, Ethan is a lonely man with nowhere to go in life and no one to turn to for comfort. Then Mattie Silver comes into his life. She is young, pretty, healthy, and happy, whereas Zeena is old, ugly, sickly, and depressed. Throughout the novel, Ethan struggles within himself over the idea of leaving Zeena and running away to the West where he would spend the rest of his life with Mattie. Wharton clearly develops her characters through her use of diction and symbolism. Her diction creates breathtaking images of the New England scenery, enhancing the meaning of the story. The symbols Wharton uses, although sometimes too obvious, also enhance the meaning and encourage an understanding of the book. Her characters contrast each other nicely. Overall, the book has well developed characters and an interesting plot. I felt myself really wondering what was going to happen to Ethan and Matttie. If you want to know what happens to them, I strongly recommend you read the book and find out for yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Ethan Frome was a very good book.
Review: Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, is a twisted love story that takes place in a New England country town in the middle of one of its infamous winters. Ethan and his sick wife Zeena live on an unmanageable farm where they live their life in poverty. When Mattie Silver comes to take care of Zeena, she brightens up Ethan's life and he falls deeply in love with her. He could never live without her... Wharton uses exlicit techniques so the reader can see and feel the story unfolded before them. In my opinion, Ethan Frome was enjoyable to read. The characters were more then they seemed on their surfaces. This made them dynamic and mysterious enough to keep me engaged and thinking even after I was done with the novel. The short length of the book gave the reader the chance to read slowly and carefully to catch the many hidden symbols.

Rating:
Summary: Quality reading for the competant, old-fashioned romantic
Review: It has been said that students will fall asleep, be bored, and/or be extremely confused when reading Ethan Frome. Although this may be so, those particular students must be the ones who neglect to have an open mind, or who have little taste for old-fashioned romance. Ethan Frome is a terrific novella, describing the three most important days of three main characters lives. The plot may lack the more modern-day romance and a fairy-tale ending, but this only makes the book more unique and realistic. Almost every situation that was presented in this book could also happen to an Ethan Frome of today, and these situations are much more likely to occur than the overly dramatic and sappy situations presented in many romance novels. There are numerous morals and lessons to be found, all of which should be appled to everyone's life, especially the lessons learned by Ethan Frome. This book really is quality reading, and is highly recommended to anyone willing and able to pick it up and read the introduction. For once you do, you will be through the entire story before you know it.