Ethan Frome

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Summary: Ethan Frome
Review: Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is set in the backward New England village of Starkfield, where the winter makes the inhabitants prisoners for six months of the year.
Ethan Frome, the tragic hero, is an intelligent, honorable, hard-working farmer who is frustrated at every turn. Trapped in a destructive marriage, unable to pursue his aspiration to become an engineer in a larger town where there are "fellows doing things," he ekes out a living of sorts on a farm in an inhospitable landscape. He finds beauty and peace when his wife's cousin joins their household, but what chance is there that he can build a permanent relationship with her?

This is a rather bleak tale, and Ethan Frome's life is hardly a life at all. But the book is beautifully written, and it also has the virtue of being short.

The Penguin paperback edition has an excellent introduction by Doris Grumbach, beautiful typography and cover art, and a nice, pliable feel in one's hand.


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Summary: There is a moral to this story (or maybe two)....
Review: This book is a classic, and easy to read in one day. It is almost a short story.

I first read Anita Shreve's introduction. Anita claims to have been chasing Edith Wharton's storytelling technique throughout her own writing career. This is evident in "Weight of Water."

"Ethan" is a sad story that concludes with at least one, and maybe two morals. It is the story of a man trapped in an unhappy marriage to a hypochondriac. When he meets his wife's cousin, he falls deeply in love and can think of nothing else.

The book has a tragic and unexpected ending. The ending of this short little novel is the best part of the book in my view. Things turn out so that you think, "why didn't I see that coming," when in fact, you didn't.

I highly recommend this book.

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Summary: A haunting tale
Review: This book is completely different from all the other Edith Wharton societal commentaries. Ethan Frome is stark in the handling of its characters and in the narration of the story.
I particularly enjoyed the evocative description of winter in new hampshire. It seemed to be depicted through the eyes of one who truly appreciates beauty even in its grayest tones.
The story however is very heartbreaking and haunting. I read it many months ago, but keep recalling parts of the book or aspects of its characters. Definitely unforgettable.

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Summary: Old story, but new story !
Review: Yes, yes. No kidding. Found this book this year. Maybe four months ago. No one mentioned it to me. Just one of those random choices at the bookstore during a random visit. Just a random choice of a book I'd not yet read. Just a great choice !

To quote a friend of mine, Vindetta, "It's heartbreaking."

If you want to know what karma is, look it up. If you want to experience karma, feel it and understand it, you can do so in this novel through the lives of three characters.

A thin book, well under 200 pages, but NOT a thin novel. A fantastic edition of American Literature.


Kabol