"Ethan Frome" by Edith Wharton
I won this book on the BlogrollGame. It was on my "Book of Great Book" list so I grabbed it when I saw it. I wasn't familiar with it and not particularly interested. When it came in the mail, I saw how small it was (75 pages)and decided to go ahead and read it. One more of the TBR lists. I loved it.
Ethan Frome is a farmer living in New England. He had been away to school studying engineering when his father became sick, so he came home to take care of the farm. After his father's death, his mother got sick. A cousin came to help care for her and after his mother's death, Ethan marries the cousin. And she becomes sickly. And another cousin arrives to help with her care. But the wife senses a growing connection between Ethan and Millie---the cousin.
This book is a very sad and lonely story. It's a tale of disappointment and lost dreams. It reminds me of one of my all-time favorites, "Of Mice and Men." I'm going to keep this book in my permanent collection for a future reread.
33 comments:
Edith Wharton is probably my favorite author. I haven't yet read Ethan Frome but when I finish the 800 page biography of Wharton by Hermione Lee I will be sufficiently ready.
My Honors Language Arts I & II class has just finished reading Ethan Frome. They will be leaving their good thoughts and comments on the book.
Ethan Frome
I thought the book was not realy a good book i have read better book but it was a allright book i would not care or bother to read it agian. the most tragic charter i thought was mattie becuase she loved Ethan but hide it and her cusion zeena was mean to her. i think the saetting play a big role in tihis book becuase if it had the spring ethna might havenot married zeena and might have never meet mattie.
I thoght that this book was both boring and exciting. Because in the begining Ethan is just an old man who hates his life. And then when he meets Mattie his life turns interesting. I think the most tragic charater is Zeena because she has to deal with the fact that Ethan wants to be with Mattie and leave her alone. I think that the town of Starkfield is depressing and so is Ethan's life.
I thought that Ethan Frome was an interesting book with both tragedy and conflictions. I thought the most tragic character was Zeena because of how she was being betrayed my her husband. Starkfeild was a small and depressing town and the situations that happend between Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie were confusing and depressing situations.
Ethan Frome, this is one of the least interesting books I have read in a while. The story was very depresing and I thought the most tragic character is Ethan. I think so because in the end he ended up with two woman,one whom he loved but was bitter and the other whom he never really loved. The setting played a major role in this novel because the town of Starkfeild was a sad, bitter,and boring. It is also very depressing because of the way it's isolated.
Ethan Frome didn't really begin like it was going to be very exciting and captivating. It explains alot about the situation that Ethan is in. Then as it goes on in the book it started to make me wonder, what really happend to him. I felt the worst for Ethan i think that he started out being a happy kid but then bad things just kept comming and comming. He never really got what he wanted in life. Ethan had to put aside his feelings and deal with what he already commited to. Then in the end he trys to just end it and be happy but that couldnt even happen for him. He ended up just being really miserable for ever and ever. The climax wasnt very exciting but it was a real situation for them in that time.
Ethan Frome
I thought the book was not realy a good book i have read better book but it was a allright book i would not care or bother to read it agian. the most tragic charter i thought was mattie becuase she loved Ethan but hide it and her cusion zeena was mean to her and toward at the end when she found out that ethan liked mattie she want to fire her . i think the setting play a big role in tihis book becuase if it had the spring ethna might havenot married zeena and might have never meet mattie.
I thought the book Ethan Frome was okay, I've read more interesting books. I thought the ending was a dissapointment.Athough in one way Mattie and Ethan had a chance to spend thier lives together just not the way they planed.I also think that Ethan was the most tragic charactor because, he was in love with Mattie and the love was very strong between the two, where as for his love for Zeena was more of an obligation because she took care of his mother.The setting played a BiG role in the novel because where it took place it snowed and with out the snow Mattie and Ethan would of never tried to commit suicide sleding down the hill.
When i first started reading Ethan Frome i didnt think i was going to like it but as the book goes deeper and deeper into Ethan and his tragic life i became more interested in the tragic story of his life and the difficulties he had to face with falling in love with Mattie but still being obligated to Zeena. The story being in a small town gives the story a depressing, lonesome, and tragic feel which highly contributes to the story. Ethans character was especially tragic because of all the obsticles he had to overcome. Both his parents deaths marring Zeena without really sure it was what he wanted and then having to take care of her. Then when Mattie comes and her and Ethan fall in love it looks like his life is finally going to get better. However Zeenas jealously soon drives Ethan away from Mattie when she hires a new girl and sends Mattie away throwing Ethan back to his old disappointing life. On the way to taking her to the train they profess there love for each other and Ethan is happy, even if it is for a short while. After the accident Ethan is crippled for life, not only physically but emotionally. His choices forced him into a life where he is forced to live with two bitter women knowing that they are the people they are because of his choices.
I thought the book was not going to be much interesting. I thought the most tragic character was Zeena because she was pretending to be sick the whole time because Zeena knew Ethan didn't like her Ethan wanted her cousin Mattie. Ethan Frome was a depressing story because it would be dissapointing to know that the person you want to be with the rest of your life is wanting to be with someone else.
i have just got done reading Ethan Frome. i thought it was an alright book, i wouldnt consider it one of my favorites. i think that the most traggic character would have to be Mattie because she wanted to stay with Ethan the rest of her life. i think the setting played a role because it was in Starkfeild which was a small and depressing town and the situations that happend between Ethan, Zeena, and Mattie were confusing and depressing situations.
I read the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. Before I read it I didn’t think I would like it because it really wasn’t the type of book I would have pick up. But I really didn’t have a choice because it was the book that my class had picked to read. After I read this book it wasn’t bad at all. Actually it was a good story. A bit detailed but with all the details it helps carve a picture in my head while I read it. I think that the most tragic character would have to be Ethan because he is stuck in love between his wife Zeena and his wife’s cousin Mattie. This book takes place in Starkfield
I just finished reading the book Ethan Frome, and found it to be very interesting a man stuck between two women, and the thought that one of the women was his wife's cousin, that had me really shocked that he would decieve his wife. By the end of the book, I found that the most tragic character in my opinion would have to of been Ethan, because he had to make some pretty tough decision weather to do the right thing or the wrong thing. Also the setting of the story plays a good roll in the story, because this story is tragic and sad, so it being winter, which is cold and gray, so you just get into the mood of the story and feel how the characters are feeling. So therefore I enjoyed the book, and thought I was quite outstanding.
I have just finished reading Ethan Frome in my honors llanguege arts class and i thought that it was a good book. And there was one Charactor that made me think the most about and that was Ethan but not until the end because of what he had to go thruogh after the smash up of taking care of both of the women. and the setting to a big roll because if it wasnt for the oak tree the smash up wouldnt have happend and if the setting was somewere warmer ethan would have maried zeena because of the lonley cold winters.
I've just finished the book Ethan Frome. It was fairly good but not the typical kind of book i would often pickup. To me it was the kind of book where you could read the 1st, middle, and last chapter and know what happened. I thought that Mattie was the most tragic character, her thought of suicide was crazy, but Ethan was also caught up in a moment. I thought of Starkfield as a small town like i live in where everyone knows what happens & it isn't always great.
i would have to agree with ashley because the climax wasnt really interesting i thought that i would be better then what it was but i wasnt.
When I read the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, I thought it was a really good book. I would definately consider reading this book again. I thought Ethan was one of the most tragic characters because his dad passed away and he was stuck between to girls who were cousins, his wife Zeena and his wife's cousin Mattie. Zeena wasn't a very good wife to Ethan. But Mattie would treat him very good. I also think Zeena was one of the most tragic characters because her husband is falling in love with her cousin. Zeena let Mattie come into their home and Ethan just falls in love with her. I thought that was kind of sad for Zeena although she was a terrible wife. Starkfield was really gloomy and depressing like. It plays a role in the story by being so depressing and sad.
As I finished the book Ethan Frome by Edith Warton, I had mixed feelings on whether or not I really liked it. I liked the way that she wrote the story, but the storyline, which suggests adultery, I did not like. I honestly felt most sorry for Zeena because thoughout her marriage to Ethan, it seems like he never once showed her compassion. Starkfeild itself plays a big role in the mood of the story, because its location and time period are both located geologicaly and historicaly in hard places.
NAOMI: i would actually have to agree that this wasn't the worst although it was chosen by other classmates
Ethan Frome book was very cool i like how Ethan was between Zeena and Mattie. Ethan is married to Zeena and Ethan has a crush on Zeenas cousin Mattie. i say the worst person in this book is Mattie because she is paralyzed from the shoulders down. Ethan and her can never be together cause there staying with ethan.the setting is where everything began.
I felt Ethan Frome was really good. Way too depressing but good. The whole Ethan and Mattie thing kinda freaked me out. Ethan is married and I pictured him really old I guess, and I pictured Mattie really young. When they were going to hit the tree it really surprised me and made me sad for all of them. Because now they have to live with eachother forever. Can you say akward? I think Zeena's charactor is really tragic because, yes she is horrible and mean but I don't think she knew any better. When you live in Starkville it makes you go a little crazy because there is nothing there and you try to get what you can before somebody else takes it.
hey dj i dont know about recomending the book to anybody and also i kind of agree with you but but not really and also i thought that Zeena was the most trajic cherecter not Ethan.
DJ i would so have to agree with you on the two most traggic characters... Zeena was a really bad wife and Mattie would so treat Ethan good.
NAOMI i would have to agree with you i would of never picked this book to read, but at the end it did turn out to be a pretty good book.
Bri: i have to agree with you on the fact that Ethans life is boring until he meets Mattie and it becomes intersting
BRI: I must agree with you because Ethan's life was boring until Mattie came in it and she was his shinning light through out the book.
I'd have to say the book Ethan Frome is one of the best books i have read. In the begining it wasn't as interesting as i imagined, but as it reached the climax i got pulled in. It was so suspensful, i wanted so much for Mattie and Ethan to be together! I felt so sorry for ethan and how his life came to be. It seems so filled with tragedies and little hope. In a way Ethan's character seemed very to himself, and very strong to go through everything he went through in his life. Having to lose both his parents then marry someone he doesn't love.. Very harsh! Then to finally find love with someone and know you can ever be with them only if they die together. HOW SAD right.
I found ethan frome to be a very bland and uninteresting story that was easily understood by only reading small fragments of the story i personaly wouldn't choose to read this book unless it was assighned (like it was) and would probably not read it again
i agree with sandra that this wasn't a very good book and mattie was most tragic character
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