Ukrainer's review
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
I watched a movie adaptation of Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome a few years ago that I found thoroughly depressing. As such, I had no desire to ever actually read the book. However, I just found a Dover edition at my apartment and discovered the text is less than 80 pages. I figured I could cope with depressing for that long.
Maybe it’s because I knew the basic plot, because I was prepared to be overwhelmingly depressed, that I actually enjoyed the story.
The reader knows from the outset that Ethan Frome has a miserable life, that his body is horribly mangled from an accident years before. The rest of the story reveals why. If you don’t want any hints, stop reading now.
Ethan falls in love with his wife’s cousin, Mattie. I was intrigued by their relationship. Neither character shows any hesitation about or remorse for falling in love. The question of morals, the idea that they would be committing adultery, never really seems to cross their minds.
I have a tendency to su...more
Maybe it’s because I knew the basic plot, because I was prepared to be overwhelmingly depressed, that I actually enjoyed the story.
The reader knows from the outset that Ethan Frome has a miserable life, that his body is horribly mangled from an accident years before. The rest of the story reveals why. If you don’t want any hints, stop reading now.
Ethan falls in love with his wife’s cousin, Mattie. I was intrigued by their relationship. Neither character shows any hesitation about or remorse for falling in love. The question of morals, the idea that they would be committing adultery, never really seems to cross their minds.
I have a tendency to su...more
