About this title: This tragic short novel tells the tale of Ethan Frome, who lives an isolated life in cold New England. When his mother dies, he marries his cousin Zeena for companionship, rather than for love. When they hire Mattie Silver as a live-in household helper, Ethan and the young Mattie fall desperately in love. Inevitably, Zeena discovers the affair.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, New York
Date Published: 1970
Description: Very Good. v, 180 p., [1] leaf of plates: 1 ill.; 22 cm. "This edition, designed by Bruce Rogers, consists of two thousand copies printed from type, which has been distributed"--Verso of half title. read more
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Kessinger Publishing
Date Published: 06/2004
ISBN-13:9781419118487ISBN:141911848X
Description: Fine Like New, Unread, not previously owned. May show signs of wear including remainder marks or stickers on book or cover. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 96 p. read more
"I supposed I was biased against this book since I had to read it for a class, but found it dull and depressing. The characters were 2-D and there was little time for development. The story itself held an interesting (if worn) concept, but Wharton didn't do much /with/ it. I decided I felt more sorry for Ethan's wife than anything else, and that was about all this book made me feel or think. I wouldn't advise you to spend your time on it."
"Edith Wharton is certainly one of my favorite author. I remember I was first captivated by her short story called "Roman Fever" and then amazed by "The age of Innocence". What fascinates me about her is how well she narrates her story. The language may seem easy compared to other works in her time, but is certainly beautiful and flowing. Her works is always a fast-moving page-turner for me.
I just love how she describes the bleak-winter-rural area of New England in "Ethan Frome". The atmosphere she describes reflects Ethan's inner conflict. To some people this story maybe very depressing, but I guess she masterly tries to deliver her point about how unhappiness can be caused by the conservative-social convention in her time. Ethan, from the beginning is a character who just could not extricate himself from these moral-social conventions. The ending was pretty shocking, but this again got me wondering in thoughts. Ethan still could not escape his wife which can be seen as a metaphor for that conservative convention she-Wharton was trying to picture.
This book is interesting to read for those who are interested in experiencing a different atmosphere in Edith Wharton's works. From the New York high society in The Age of Innocence, to a European 'air' in Roman Fever, I found myself still enjoying this rural-wintry scene in Ethan Frome. Very satisfying indeed. I'll be looking forward in reading her other works."
"I have always been a big Edith Wharton fan and this short novel shows why. Ethan doesn't love the woman is trapped into a marriage with, and can't escape either. Wharton is a master and shows it in her shorter fiction."
"Ethan Frome is the story of Ethan Frome, a young man settled in an unhappy marraige who falls in love with his wife's young cousin Mattie Smith.
This story was terrible. My AP English class ate it up, but in my opinion, all the charectors are self-centered and think only of themselves. They are incapable of realizing what they are doing to eachother because all they can think of is themselves. Each charector is also extremely weak and lacks self control. Bottom line, This book is not a must read."
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