I'm currently reading "Moby Dick" and "Vanity Fair," but it hasn't been practical to tote around a 600+ page book this week. So, I've carried a book off my "Book of Great Book" TBR list. It's a very short (130 pages) novel about a woman's identity crises at the turn of the century. It's called "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin.
While on summer vacation at a beach-side resort, the married Edna becomes infatuated with Robert. This "awakens" her attitude toward her life. She slowly begins to rebel against the life society has pigeon-holed her into. She loses interest in her lukewarm marriage, her domestic responsibilities, her social obligations. In short, Edna realizes her life is not the life she wants. "The Awakening" explores the inner character of a woman who comes to want what she is missing; passion, independence, freedom.
2 comments:
This was the first book I read with the Classics group. I didn't pick up Anna Karenina (which was actually the first book.) While I didn't really enjoy it that much, I can see why it's a Classic. I just had a problem relating to the main character, Edna. I just wasn't too sympathic with her. Oh well!
I'm actually reading this book right now. I haven't read any of Chopin's works other than some of her short stories, but I'm finding that this one lacks in color a little bit compared to her short stories (I'm only about 50/200 pages into, though--your copy must have really really tiny print to be 130 pages! My print is small enough as it is).
Best, Trish
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