I know, I know. This entry is kind of light. I'm trying to wrap-up though, so I don't have time to write long reviews.
Wharton's book tells the tale of Ethan Frome through the eyes of a nameless narrator who arrives in the small New England town of Starkfield on an extended business trip. He wonders about the mysterious man he sees around town from time-to-time. The man seems to have all of the life sucked out of him and appears to be much older than he is. After unsuccessful queries of the townspeople, he learns the story directly from Frome himself when he is forced to stay at Frome's home due to a fierce snowstorm that makes travel impossible.
The narrator flashes back to Frome's youth. Frome is married to Zenobia, a woman whose constant hypochondria has made her almost unbearable to live with. Frome falls for her cousin Mattie, who has moved in with them in order to help the physically frail Zenobia with her housework. Mattie turns out to be a poor housekeeper, and is subject to constant criticism by Zenobia. Frome turns out to be a poor philanderer, failing to put the moves on Mattie, but making it so obvious to those around him that he is smitten that his wife decides to send Mattie away and get a live-in housekeeper that is more competent, and perhaps less attractive to her husband. Frome is unwilling to stand up to his wife, and is he is not brave enough to run away with Mattie, rationalizing that he lacks the resources to divorce his wife and set up a new life for him and his new love. He finally exercises one act of defiance: driving Mattie to the train station. While this act allows him the opportunity to make his feelings known, it ends in tragedy, and gives the book's ending its ironic twist.
I enjoyed the book, despite the unlike-ability of some of the characters. Zenobia is a selfish, shrewish woman, and Ethan is an unambitious, spineless man. In a way, they seem deserving of their fate, tragic as it may be.
Warning: This has spoilers about the book!
ReplyDeleteI just finished this (it is on my "100 Great Books" list). Oh my, so sad and depressing, but Wharton is an excellent teller of tales. I read House of Mirth several years ago and loved it. I recommended it for my classics book club, and one girl told me angrily that she wanted to throw it across the room (and it was my fault for recommending it). They sort of like happy books, but I don't think that was Wharton's thing.
To think that suicide was their only option was so sad. Also, I disliked that Mattie turned as sour as Zenobia in the end! Broke my heart, but Wharton is the great "end twister" story teller. Out of the three I have read or watched, none had a happy ending!
All that said, after completing Ethan yesterday and reading four Shakespearean tragedies last week, I am ready for some happy, omniscient point of view sort of reading now. David Copperfield is downloading as I type! It is 36 hours of listening, but I am up for it to get to a happy ending!
I've read Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations but I don't think I've ever tackled Copperfield. I might have to look into it. I'm looking for something free to read on the Kindle!
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