Ethan Frome (Dover Thrift Editions)

I have to admit, I found this book a slow go when I had to read it as a Freshman in prep-school. But the fact that it was set in New England and that it dealt with a depressing winter landscape and a remorseless cast of characters, such as I was then encountering made it unbelievably relevant at the time. I can relate, however, to the preponderance of young readers at this site who have expressed their displeasure at having to read it. I would not wish this vision on a young audience unless I were trying to impress them with the bleakness of a snow-bound, New England existence circa 1900. This is a pretty unrelenting picture of the region, outdoing Frost or Hawthorne or even H.P. Lovecraft for that matter. The sledding scene is probably one of the most famous set-ups in modern literature. Wharton is definitely at her most masterly here. She was an exceptional writer. The question remains, what is the authorial voice saying in terms of adressing the existential questions raised here? Even the bitterest denunciations of cosmic forces have some kind of address of reply from 20th century authors. What is Wharton's here? There is very little mirth in this house.

This classic by Edith Wharton features two powerful lessons for young people: 1) Don't be in any rush to get married - someone better might come along, and 2) Suicide is not necessarily the free ride that people make it out to be. These lessons aside, there really isn't much to the story. Ethan is a proud New Englander torn between his loyalty for his sickly, antagonistic wife, and the fresh and desirable young Mattie with whom he is falling in love. Overall, the story moves pretty slowly, building towards one final, selfish act. There really isn't a lot of subtle insight into Ethan's personality - he's far more one-dimensional than is commonly recognized, and the novel suffers from being overripe with melodrama. This book might be popular among teen-aged 'drama queens' who may be impressed with the way that Ethan's deeply felt emotions and weakness for the Grand Gesture echo their own personal longings for a passionate life (or possibly mate), but many readers will find this story either pointlessly depressing (the romantics), or an exemplar for brutal divine justice (the moralists). With its excessive seriousness and self-importance, no wonder so many high school students are turned off by classic literature. This story's setting seems as far removed from the 21st Century as Robinson Crusoe, and the plot scarcely merits more than a good short story. Understandably, the modern high school needs to teach books that make valid points and use literary devices, etc., but if these books completely fail to entertain, we risk raising a generation of young people for whom reading fiction is a tedious chore rather than a treasured opportunity.

Before getting to the first page of reviews, I anticipated reading responses from two camps: high school English teachers who adore Ethan Frome, and high school students who wish it were never written. I was amazed to see a range of responses. Some people have written that the novel changed their lives. Some have commented that it's actually a decent read. Others question its emphasis in high school English classes. And some people just plain hate the book.
Though I learned to respect the novel, I can understand why others haven't, particularly younger readers. The book is so vastly removed from the lives of most teens that it usually takes a really dynamic instructor to make reading it a successful classroom experience.
From the outset, it seems like such a tempting choice to teach. Here we have a classic case of a short literary work that has all the goods: effective imagery, a classic plot line akin to Romeo and Juliet, vibrant symbolism featuring a pickle dish that sits on a high shelf, and above all, the overwhelming sense of tragedy that is so often a popular item in works chosen for high school English classes. And yet, for all its literary panache, thousands of high school students year after year are left puzzled by Ethan Frome, asking: so what?
I think one answer to this question is clear. The novel is an effective means of exploring literary devices. It doesn't have any objectionable material, and because it is so short, it is safe and easy to teach. Whether this answer helps to form new generations of avid readers remains a key issue.

Aristocratic New York woman residing in Paris writes about impoverished New England man's demise in love - a formula which few would encourage today, and certainly was a misanthropic venture in 1911 when this book was published.

But, Wharton excels in her delivery. The dialogue incorporates much of the Massachusetts' accent. The description of the countryside: magnificent. "On a road I had never traveled, we am to an orchard of starved apple trees writhing over a hillside among outcroppings of slate that nuzzled up through the snow like animals pushing out their noses to breath." And, the story - Bronte meets Sterling. Depressing, grey as the winter weather, and as cold as a Massachusetts' December.

Zeena, originally thought to be named Zenobia, is Ethan Frome's wife from hell. They live in the aptly named town of Starkfield. Zeena, ill and nagging, haunts Ethan as her querulous droning echoes in his psyche, whether he be in the home listening or safely outside working in the farm. Zeena's niece, Mattie or Matt, comes to aid her ailing aunt. And, without any appreciation, she does her chores.

Frome's exclusive enjoyment is seeing Mattie's face each morning - so much does he like this that he commences shaving every morning to look right for her. The amorous affection is not a one-way road. Each becomes increasingly more entranced by the other. And, when Zeena leaves for an overnight stay at a doctor's, opportunity knocks.

But, this is Wharton and written about people in puritanical Massachusetts in the late 19th century - much of the book is reminiscing in 1911 about what transpired 20 years earlier. Illicit love is the forbidden fruit. Contract or arranged marriages delivered sexual pleasure, not love of the heart. Wharton's characters often are prisoners of their societal marriages - Ethan Frome being worse than others as he also lacks any societal privileges or money. True love is doomed too often in Wharton's books: Selden in "House of Mirth", Newland Archer in "Age of Innocence" and Ralph Marvell in "The Custom of the Country" lead similar demises.

The ending is tremendously depressing. I will not detail what transpired, as that would be unfair to readers of this review. But, its twist is what reminds me of Sterling or O'Henry. It was both alarming, and perfect.

This book reminds me forcefully of the Greek tragedies one reads in college. From the very first pages you can see the calamity coming, but there's nothing anyone can do - not Ethan Frome, the tragic hero of this tale; not the tale's author, Edith Wharton; and certainly not the reader - to prevent it from unfolding.

Like a short story, the novel limits itself to just a few characters, a single plot, and a single theme - one even older than Greek tragedy: Ethan Frome, a simple Massachusetts farmer, finds himself married to one woman but in love with another.

You see the tragedy coming because such tales never come to a good end in real life either.

Frome's tragic flaw (Aristotle requires a fatal flaw, after all) is one that most of us probably share - believing that we have some sort of right to happiness. Alas, as this tale reminds us, fate doesn't always work that way.

Edith Wharton delivers the tale starkly, handing the narrative over to her characters and then stepping back to let them tell the tale in their own way. This has the effect of intensifying the feeling of mounting dread, because it eliminates, early on, any hope or expectation of intervention by an empathetic narrator. And since this isn't actually a Greek drama, there isn't much hope of divine intervention either.

If catharsis is as good for your soul as the Greeks posited, then you're bound to feel thoroughly cleansed after this well-crafted but bleak tale.

Edith Wharton's riveting novella of smoldering passion in a stark New England village retains its charm and vitality 90 years later--a sure sign of a classic. An objective narrator gradually learns the excruciating details of the wasted life of Starkfield's loneliest recluse. Ethan Frome at 54 is a physical wreck of a man--an impoverished farmer, who bears unspeakable burdens in his tortured heart. He has sacrificed everything to honor what he considers family responsibilities.
Torn between loyalty to a sour, hypochondriac of a wife, Ethan struggles hopelessly against the tide of his mounting attraction to youthful Mattie--his wife's poor relation who has come to live with them. Does the delightful girl return his love? Does cruel Zeena suspect and plot to separate them? How can a professional invalid compete with the zest and fire of her cousin? Facing a lifetime of crippling emotional loss, in a lover's despair Ethan finally rebels against the harshness of his fate by seeking to shape his own destiny. But the "smash up" results in shocking and unexpected consequences for the uneasy "menage a trois." This tortured tale of forbidden love will capture the imagination of mature readers as a grim, psychological novella about the desperate needs of the human heart.

Star crossed love blossoms in the brutally cold Berkshires where Ethan Frome limps through the snow years after the events that take place in this heartbreaking story. Ethan is trapped in a loveless marriage to his difficult wife Zeena, when she hires her pretty, happy cousin Mattie to keep house for them. The three live together in a home surrounded by ice, chill and brutal weather. As suspense builds to a tragic climax Wharton tightens the noose heating this small home with a sense of doom so intensely clausterphobic that no good could possible come from this triangle.

Edith Wharton filled her novels with a feeling of ruin, passion and restriction. People can fall in love, but rarely do things turn out well.

But but few of even her books can evoke the feeling of "Ethan Frome," whick packs plenty of emotion, vibrancy and regrets into a short novella. While the claustrophobic feeling doesn't suit her writing well, she still spins a beautiful, horrifying story of a man facing a life without hope or joy.

It begins nearly a quarter of a century after the events of the novel, with an unnamed narrator watching middle-aged, crippled Ethan Frome drag himself to the post-office. He becomes interested in Frome's tragic past, and hears out his story.

Ethan Frome once hoped to live an urban, educated life, but ended up trapped in a bleak New England town with a hypochondriac wife, Zeena, whom he didn't love. But then his wife's cousin Mattie arrives, a bright young girl who understands Ethan far better than his wife ever tried to. Unsurprisingly, he begins to fall in love with her, but still feels an obligation to his wife.

But then Zeena threatens to send Mattie away and hire a new housekeeper, threatening the one bright spot in Ethan's dour life. Now Ethan must either rebel against the morals and strictures of his small village, or live out his life lonely. But when he and Mattie try for a third option, their affair ends in tragedy.

Wharton was always at her best when she wrote about society's strictures, morals, and love that defies that. But rather than the opulent backdrop of wealthy New York, here the setting is a bleak, snowy New England town, appropriately named Starkfield. It's a good reflection of Ethan Frome's life, and a good illustration of how the poor can be trapped.

Even when she describes a "ruin of a man" in a cold, distant town, Wharton spins beautiful prose ("the night was so transparent that the white house-fronts between the elms looked gray against the snow") and eloquent symbolism, like the shattered pickle dish. There's only minimal dialogue -- most of what the characters think and feel is kept inside.

Instead she piles on the atmosphere, and increases the tension between the three main characters, as attraction and responsibility pull Ethan in two directions. It all finally climaxes in the disaster hinted at in the first chapter, which is as beautifully written and wistful as it is tragic.

If the book has a flaw, it's the incredibly small cast -- mainly just the main love triangle. Ethan's not a strong or decisive man, but his desperation and loneliness are absolutely heartbreaking, as well as his final fate. Mattie seems more like a symbol of the life he wants that a full-fledged person, and Zeena is annoying and whiny up until the end, when we see a different side of her personality. Not a stereotypical shrew.

"Ethan Frome" is a true tragedy -- as beautifully written as it is, it's still Wharton's description of how a man merely survives instead of living, hopeless and devastated.

Though normally she portrays the filthy rich of New York City, Wharton here takes on a love affair between two abjectly poor people in a small rural New England community. It is a hopeless affair which must prove ultimately sterile given the society that produced it. What Wharton doesn't do is as interesting as what she does do. She isn't judgmental about the social structure, she avoids making the poverty so severe that it gets in the way of the story, and she doesn't confuse poverty with dullness and so make any of her main characters unable to be sufficiently articulate. Like Nevil Shute in "The Far Country," Wharton is gifted at making each sentence of dialog shine, each look, each touch, the weather, the cat. Everything is so genuine, it springs from the page. The result is (like Shute's) a romance novel you actually care about. It's great American art. One note: There are a lot of student reviews below mine. Just remember, if a kid resents having to read a book, that kid will give the book a bad review as a way of getting back at his/her teacher. So take the rating average above with a grain of salt.

Edith Wharton's 'Ethan Frome' (1911), one of the shortest, grimmest, and most perverse novels in American literature, was partially based on a real New England sledding accident as well as on aspects of Wharton's own loveless marriage. Formerly known for crisp social satires such as 1905's 'The House of Mirth,' the gripping 'Ethan Frome' understandably met with limited critical and commercial success upon its release.

Superbly written, 'Ethan Frome' is almost realistic American fiction at its finest. After the unnamed narrator arrives in the small Massachusetts village of Starkfield at the height of winter, he quickly becomes fascinated with a tall, striking, and partially crippled man, Ethan Frome, that he repeatedly sees moving silently around the landscape. The narrator finds that the friendly local people are willing to speak at length about other matters, but about Ethan Frome he can learn almost nothing.

Temporarily hiring Frome to provide him with transportation, he discovers that Frome is an unusually intelligent, intellectually curious, and sensitive man. Caught far from his own home on a freezing night, Frome offers the narrator a night's shelter at his own meager farmhouse, and thus the opportunity for Frome to recount his troubled history is presented. But then the narrator states, "It was that night that I found the clue to Ethan Frome, and began to put together this vision of his story." Scholars have subsequently debated why Wharton decided to add this sentence, but all have agreed that, despite its ambiguity, the recounting of Frome's tragic history as given is ultimately an uncertain one.

The story as recreated is almost biblically simple: Ethan, who is married to a coarse, domineering, vindictive, and malingering woman, Zenobia, falls in love with his wife's live in servant, Mattie, and Mattie, who is young, beautiful, and innocent, with Ethan. After a tender night alone while Zenobia is away ostensibly seeking a cure for her ailments, Ethan and Mattie desperately attempt to wrest themselves from Zenobia's grasp; but the results of their efforts are horrific.

Taking its cues from the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allen Poe, and the Brontes, 'Ethan Frome' offers a comfortless vision of perdition that suggests that hell on earth is the inevitable lot of some.

Wharton's sense of integrity ultimately carries the novel, but the book's presentation of an amoral universe, the triumph of evil, and the utter transformation of innocence into what is most repulsive in human existence makes 'Ethan Frome' a work whose conclusions many readers will reject as untenable.

The book's inexorable denouement probably explains Wharton's disinclination to attribute the main narrative to Ethan, allow the narrator to it present it as objective if fictional history, or wholly take credit herself. Though the hard facts provided in the book's final pages are undeniably established, the manner in which they are reached is left a matter of ambiguity, suggesting that while the writing of 'Ethan Frome' was probably a cathartic experience for Wharton, she may have also found the final result objectionable, distasteful, or repellant.

I found this book quite short but incredibly rich. After I barreled through the three introductions, I was admittedly not wild about reading a romantic tragedy set in Industrial, rural New England. But every page seem to be alive with Wharton's prose! I would put the book down and suddenly realize how quickly the story was going, how engaging it was, how subtly I was getting sucked in. There were very few "aha" moments where I noticed the skill at prose, but whenever I paused from reading I'd realize just how engrossing it had become.

This book is just barely over 100 pages, and the entire story takes place in but a few days so it is quite a quick read. I immediately contrasted it with the ubiquitous Romeo-Juliet stories, and found much that was refreshingly different and some that was comfortingly the same. And what a unique take on the ending!

This book is great for a rainy day!

Although I'd read the book for which author Edith Wharton became the first woman to win the Pulitzer prize (in 1920), I'd never even heard of this book when a friend gave it to me recently. After reading it, my only regret is not having happened upon it sooner.

This short novel (77 pages) would probably be classified as a novella and is as brilliant as it is brief. The book is narrated by a man who spends "the best part of the winter" in a small Massachusetts town, due to a work assignment and becomes intrigued with the title character, who, he describes as "the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man" because of community members' comments about a "smash-up." After enlisting the services of a reticent Ethan Frome for transportation to and from the train station and spending (mostly wordless) time with him, his intrigue only increases. But just when you think you are to be let in on the secret, the author flashes back almost twenty-four years prior to chronologically cover the events that ended up leading to the incident (and taking up three-fourths of the book's pages). It's safe to say (without providing spoilers) that the story is about the interrelationship between a (then) twenty-eight year old man, his thirty-five year old hypochondriac wife of seven years, and the woman's approximately twenty-one year old (first) cousin (once removed). Over the years' time that the young woman lives with and works for the couple, Ethan Frome's feelings for her change from mild resentment (being tasked with chaperoning her to and from social engagements in town) to daydream-inducing romanticism. Once again, the denouement seems imminent, but instead the reader is brought back to the present to learn, along with the narrator, the result of Mr. Frome's actions. The back cover calls the ending, "both shocking and savagely ironic." I agree.

Wharton's perfectly descriptive writing, character development and plotting make this one of my favorite books of the year. Also good: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

I was lucky enough to have discovered and loved this book as an adult; for those who were forced kicking and screaming to read it in high school, give yourself another chance; this is nothing short of an extremely rewarding and exciting reading experience. I usually like dry humor mixed in with my suffering, but this is a different kind of story, and even though it is a tragedy, there is tenderness here, too.
I read it for the second time a year or so ago, and now I've just finished the Cliff Notes. (For those of you perplexed as to why this is a classic, the Cliff Notes may be a great way to sum up the intentions of the story for you.) It brought it all back to me again, as well as some of the imagery Edith Wharton intended that I had missed the first two times around. With a bitterly harsh winter backdrop on a New England farm around 1900, this is a story of the man Ethan trapped in a loveless marriage with the cold, domineering, hypochondriacal wife Zeena. He falls in love with the wife's sweet young cousin, Mattie, who has moved in to work as a housekeeper. Mattie is as full of life and hope as Zeena is full of coldness and bitterness and degrading control over her husband. The events that follow as Ethan and Mattie hope to escape Zeena and find happiness are absolute page turners. Wharton's book is an emotion packed love story; full of tragedy and suffering, dominance and control, yet keeping us hopeful for the possibility of salvation for the characters. The movie starring Liam Neeson is also excellent; he plays a magnificent Ethan.

Fromme is a poor man in Massachusetts, married to an emotionally suffocating wife. At the novel's inception, he is in love with a younger woman living with them, and this relationship constitutes the bulk of the novel. Wharton explores the psychological dimensions of the relaitonship as they try to work around their awkward circumstances while trying to engage their powerful emotions for one another.To me, I think the strength of this book rests flat out in its brilliant portrayal of what it is like to be a man, trying to connect with a women he loves. I think this is an excellent book for both men and women, and I firmly believe it can even improve relationships by enhancing couple's understanding of each other. Wharton presents the characters in ways that I think women can relate to. As I read this, I felt none of the shallow quarrels we typically find between men and women in popular culture, and I left certain that both genders can learn about each other much more if they would only take novels such as this one seriously.

Ethan Frome is a farmer in Starkfield, Massachusetts, at the beginning of the 20th century. He is unhappily married to Zenobia (Zeena), a suspicious, hypochondriac, bitter, narrow-minded, ignorant and discontented woman. He is strongly attracted to Zeena's cousin Mattie Silver who shares their household and is entrusted with all the chores which Zeena refuses to do. Ethan's tragic fate begins when Zeena peremptorily decides that they need a "hired girl" which would of course imply Mattie's departure since the Fromes don't have the means to employ two girls.

A novel of great intensity with its slow developing tragedy and characters plunging towards their destiny. The author's masterful economy of language vividly renders the oppressive "silent ache" that permanently hinders communication between Ethan and Zeena. The vision of the three main characters is done in an almost cinematic way as they are trapped indoors in the severe Massachusetts winter. The narrative pattern is original too since the whole plot is told by an unnamed narrator who met the taciturn Ethan many years after the events he is about to tell us. The reader has moments of doubt when the narrator tells a story in all details and long passages of dialogue he could not possibly have known or heard during his meeting with Ethan. But Edith Wharton's extraordinary craft makes the story break away from the contingencies of the frame and it comes to moving life for the reader. A superb novel, one of the finest and most intense narratives in the history of American literature.

Ethan Frome, a book written by Edith Wharton was a very good book about the heart wants what it wants. Ethan Frome, the main character has to find his heart and make a choice if he will stay with his wife, Zeena whom he married after his mom died because of his loneliness, or run off with Zeena's cousin Mattie whom he really does love. It has characters that you will love, as well as dislike. It had a good explanation of the characters and went into good detail about what was happening throughout the book. My favorite character is Ethan because of his naturally caring personality and his kindness towards others. Many times during the story we are conflicted on the finally decision he will make between Zeena, and Mattie. He will encounter times when he will need to choose his own happiness or if he should do the right thing. He will learn that you can’t always have both. He falls in and out of love many times. But the ending is a thrilling twist to the plot line of the whole book. Ethan Frome will forced to make quick decisions, and lie to keep up with what his heart wants.

"Ethan Frome" is basically the classic literature version of a chick-flick on Lifetime. While normally I wouldn't watch the movie, the book is wonderfully written and engrossing. There's love, tragedy, a surprise ending, and a heavy dosage of emotion evoking scenery - a great story.

Ethan From is a young man who is stuck in life. At the beginning of the 20th century, he must work hard, love hard, and deal with the struggles of life. He is virtually a slave to his hypochondriac wench of a wife, who constantly blocks Ethan's every possibility for enjoyment of fulfillment in life. He's a prisoner to his responsibilities, and combined with the restrictions of hard winters, it's sapping his strength.

Ethan's life changes when his wife's cousin comes to stay with them. Since his sickly wife, Zeena, "can't" do any work around the house, her cousin, Mattie, is going to trade work for room and board. Soon enough, the classic love triangle develops, tearing Ethan between his guilt-ridden traditional marriage and his heart-wrenching desire for new love. Ethan is in agony, not just because of the internal struggle of decision, but also because of the sheer joy that he experiences from the slightest interaction with Mattie.

With the brilliant foreshadowing throughout the book, and the descriptive prose that allows the reader to experience the scenery and town, the "classic" label is well deserved.

While unknown to anyone but himself, Ethan is forced to make a decision is the essence of this book. It's a story of morality and obligation. Do what is perceived as the correct thing to do, or follow your heart without reservations?

Ethan Frome is short enough to be read in one sitting, and is probably best enjoyed in one sitting. It portrays a turning point in the lives of three people, a married couple and the young attractive woman who has come to live with them.
The novel covers only a few days in their lives, but captures the sad suffocating life, the way in which their weakness traps them into making decisions which instead of freeing them, will further ensnare them.
The beauty of the novel comes in the portrayal of the characters and the town that they inhabit. The language Ms. Wharton uses is lovely and heavy, perfectly suited to her characters and their ultimate downfall.
This is the first book I've read by Edith Wharton, but I'm now looking forward to reading "Summer" and "House of Mirth". Although the author seems to specialize in unhappy endings....her writing is so good, you'll keep coming back for more.

This is a short, intense novel that absolutely gripped me when I read it. The cold, bleak setting seems so appropriate to Ethan Frome's existence. A life full of obligation and duty, with no hint of joy or spontaneity.

Mattie Silver, a cousin of Ethan's wife Zenobia (Zeena) brings a small amount of light and life into Ethan's life. Ethan pays a heavy price for this, as do both Mattie and to a lesser extent Zeena.

This is a sad novel about duty, tragedy and mutual obligation. It is not a light read, but it is a wonderful piece of prose that demonstrates that there is a form of beauty in brevity.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was so disappointed to see the negative reviews of this novel by other readers, but I found Ethan Frome to be beautifully written and moving. Edith Wharton writes a haunting tale of one man's inability to gain a more fulfilling life because his integrity will not allow him to escape from the duty and burden of caring for others who depend upon him. While this novel lacks the verbal gymnastics and the twists of plot that might attract a younger and more modern audience, the simplicity of the story is one of the novel's strengths as it powerfully evokes Ethan's powerlessness to change his fate, reflected in the stark and overpowering winter landscape. The story does not rely on plot and action to move the story forward but relies on the development of mounting inner tensions both within and between the few characters that populate the book. The difficulty in this novel is that the climax - which depicts the full scope and depth of Ethan's tragedy - occurs decades later, in the outer shell of the story as told by the narrator rather than in the tale of Ethan's young love for Mattie, which may be why some readers were disappointed with the book. A sensitive reader should not fail to be hit by the longing, the powerlessness, the stillness, and the tragedy depicted in this short and simple but elegant book.

Fromme is a poor man in Massachusetts, married to an emotionally suffocating wife. At the novel's inception, he is in love with a younger woman living with them, and this relationship constitutes the bulk of the novel. Wharton explores the psychological dimensions of the relaitonship as they try to work around their awkward circumstances while trying to engage their powerful emotions for one another.To me, I think the strength of this book rests flat out in its brilliant portrayal of what it is like to be a man, trying to connect with a women he loves. I think this is an excellent book for both men and women, and I firmly believe it can even improve relationships by enhancing couple's understanding of each other. Wharton presents the characters in ways that I think women can relate to. As I read this, I felt none of the shallow quarrels we typically find between men and women in popular culture, and I left certain that both genders can learn about each other much more if they would only take novels such as this one seriously.

Ethan Frome is a farmer in Starkfield, Massachusetts, at the beginning of the 20th century. He is unhappily married to Zenobia (Zeena), a suspicious, hypochondriac, bitter, narrow-minded, ignorant and discontented woman. He is strongly attracted to Zeena's cousin Mattie Silver who shares their household and is entrusted with all the chores which Zeena refuses to do. Ethan's tragic fate begins when Zeena peremptorily decides that they need a "hired girl" which would of course imply Mattie's departure since the Fromes don't have the means to employ two girls.

A novel of great intensity with its slow developing tragedy and characters plunging towards their destiny. The author's masterful economy of language vividly renders the oppressive "silent ache" that permanently hinders communication between Ethan and Zeena. The vision of the three main characters is done in an almost cinematic way as they are trapped indoors in the severe Massachusetts winter. The narrative pattern is original too since the whole plot is told by an unnamed narrator who met the taciturn Ethan many years after the events he is about to tell us. The reader has moments of doubt when the narrator tells a story in all details and long passages of dialogue he could not possibly have known or heard during his meeting with Ethan. But Edith Wharton's extraordinary craft makes the story break away from the contingencies of the frame and it comes to moving life for the reader. A superb novel, one of the finest and most intense narratives in the history of American literature.

The best part of this edition is the cover illustrator. Jeffrey Brown deserves more attention -- the illustrations were great.

Elizabeth Ammons took a straightfoward story and post-neo-racia-femini-homo-colonia-hegemoni-classstruggled it in her introductory notes. This is what passes for scholarship? Good grief. This book is not so difficult to understand, that she had to decide that race underscores the whole thing. And Toni Morrison as an expert opinion leader? I'm insulted, but I'm not surprised.

Last, one would think in a world where Howard Zinn's corrupt scholarship has been so thoroughly discredited, that scholars would be reluctant to cite him so prominently in their work. Seems reckless.

Edith Wharton wrote about what she knew: misery and lost chances. That's Ethan Frome. It becomes all the more poignant and painful to read it as an adult -- but good literature does that. It grows on you.

Ethan Frome, a book written by Edith Wharton was a very good book about the heart wants what it wants. Ethan Frome, the main character has to find his heart and make a choice if he will stay with his wife, Zeena whom he married after his mom died because of his loneliness, or run off with Zeena's cousin Mattie whom he really does love. It has characters that you will love, as well as dislike. It had a good explanation of the characters and went into good detail about what was happening throughout the book. My favorite character is Ethan because of his naturally caring personality and his kindness towards others. Many times during the story we are conflicted on the finally decision he will make between Zeena, and Mattie. He will encounter times when he will need to choose his own happiness or if he should do the right thing. He will learn that you can’t always have both. He falls in and out of love many times. But the ending is a thrilling twist to the plot line of the whole book. Ethan Frome will forced to make quick decisions, and lie to keep up with what his heart wants.

"Ethan Frome" is basically the classic literature version of a chick-flick on Lifetime. While normally I wouldn't watch the movie, the book is wonderfully written and engrossing. There's love, tragedy, a surprise ending, and a heavy dosage of emotion evoking scenery - a great story.

Ethan From is a young man who is stuck in life. At the beginning of the 20th century, he must work hard, love hard, and deal with the struggles of life. He is virtually a slave to his hypochondriac wench of a wife, who constantly blocks Ethan's every possibility for enjoyment of fulfillment in life. He's a prisoner to his responsibilities, and combined with the restrictions of hard winters, it's sapping his strength.

Ethan's life changes when his wife's cousin comes to stay with them. Since his sickly wife, Zeena, "can't" do any work around the house, her cousin, Mattie, is going to trade work for room and board. Soon enough, the classic love triangle develops, tearing Ethan between his guilt-ridden traditional marriage and his heart-wrenching desire for new love. Ethan is in agony, not just because of the internal struggle of decision, but also because of the sheer joy that he experiences from the slightest interaction with Mattie.

With the brilliant foreshadowing throughout the book, and the descriptive prose that allows the reader to experience the scenery and town, the "classic" label is well deserved.

While unknown to anyone but himself, Ethan is forced to make a decision is the essence of this book. It's a story of morality and obligation. Do what is perceived as the correct thing to do, or follow your heart without reservations?

Ethan Frome is short enough to be read in one sitting, and is probably best enjoyed in one sitting. It portrays a turning point in the lives of three people, a married couple and the young attractive woman who has come to live with them.
The novel covers only a few days in their lives, but captures the sad suffocating life, the way in which their weakness traps them into making decisions which instead of freeing them, will further ensnare them.
The beauty of the novel comes in the portrayal of the characters and the town that they inhabit. The language Ms. Wharton uses is lovely and heavy, perfectly suited to her characters and their ultimate downfall.
This is the first book I've read by Edith Wharton, but I'm now looking forward to reading "Summer" and "House of Mirth". Although the author seems to specialize in unhappy endings....her writing is so good, you'll keep coming back for more.

This is a short, intense novel that absolutely gripped me when I read it. The cold, bleak setting seems so appropriate to Ethan Frome's existence. A life full of obligation and duty, with no hint of joy or spontaneity.

Mattie Silver, a cousin of Ethan's wife Zenobia (Zeena) brings a small amount of light and life into Ethan's life. Ethan pays a heavy price for this, as do both Mattie and to a lesser extent Zeena.

This is a sad novel about duty, tragedy and mutual obligation. It is not a light read, but it is a wonderful piece of prose that demonstrates that there is a form of beauty in brevity.

Highly recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I was so disappointed to see the negative reviews of this novel by other readers, but I found Ethan Frome to be beautifully written and moving. Edith Wharton writes a haunting tale of one man's inability to gain a more fulfilling life because his integrity will not allow him to escape from the duty and burden of caring for others who depend upon him. While this novel lacks the verbal gymnastics and the twists of plot that might attract a younger and more modern audience, the simplicity of the story is one of the novel's strengths as it powerfully evokes Ethan's powerlessness to change his fate, reflected in the stark and overpowering winter landscape. The story does not rely on plot and action to move the story forward but relies on the development of mounting inner tensions both within and between the few characters that populate the book. The difficulty in this novel is that the climax - which depicts the full scope and depth of Ethan's tragedy - occurs decades later, in the outer shell of the story as told by the narrator rather than in the tale of Ethan's young love for Mattie, which may be why some readers were disappointed with the book. A sensitive reader should not fail to be hit by the longing, the powerlessness, the stillness, and the tragedy depicted in this short and simple but elegant book.

Ethan Frome is a superb tragic love story that unfolds as the most pivotal moment in Ethan's life.
Ethan falls in love with Mattie Silver, the daughter of one of his wife's cousins, who came a year earlier to help with the house chores while his wife convalesced. This love becomes the only bright spot Ethan can ever remember having. He had to give up his barely begun career as an engineer to go back to the family mill to take care of his invalid father,before he died,and then his mother,who became sick and invalid as well. It is during this time he met his wife Zeena and,after the passing of his mother, they were married.
At the time he falls in love with Mattie, he is hopelessly in debt, teetering on the brink of ruin, and trapped in a loveless marriage to a woman he really only feels a sense of duty toward rather than love. Edith Wharton's description of these pressures and the longing love he has for Mattie make this a story that immediately engrosses the reader, pulling them into an exhilirating tale of the one true love finally found that is at the same time torturously, maddeningly beyond all hope of attainment.
Wharton's best work in this story, however, is the ulra-tragic twist she gives it at the end. I won't say anything more about it. Its just one of those things that makes reading worth doing.
The novella is only 81 pages long but packs such a furious punch in each of its' pages by forgoing the overly descriptive scenery and doubling up its' focus on the characters. The story moves along quickly at a great pace. Take the 2 hours to read it. What else you gonna do, watch Seinfeld? You've already seen it.

Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is set in the backward New England village of Starkfield, where the winter makes the inhabitants prisoners for six months of the year.

Ethan Frome, the tragic hero, is an intelligent, honorable, hard-working farmer who is frustrated at every turn. Trapped in a destructive marriage, unable to pursue his aspiration to become an engineer in a larger town where there are "fellows doing things," he ekes out a living of sorts on a farm in an inhospitable landscape. He finds beauty and peace when his wife's cousin joins their household, but what chance is there that he can build a permanent relationship with her?

This is a rather bleak tale, and Ethan Frome's life is hardly a life at all. But the book is beautifully written, and it also has the virtue of being short.

The Penguin paperback edition has an excellent introduction by Doris Grumbach, beautiful typography and cover art, and a nice, pliable feel in one's hand.

After reading the book Ethan Frome... at the age of thirty, I can't help but wish I had been assigned this one in High School. This was a very thought proking story.
I don't want to go to deeply into the story line because I really don't want to give too much away... but I must say the ending is shocking and expertly foreshadowed by Wharton.
Wharton's telling of this story through a third person narrator is brilliant. We get a little piece, a glimpse of what happens in the story in the first chapter. In this glimpse we see an aged Ethan in town with a huge scar on his face and head.... and Wharton talks of the terrible, "Smash Up" he was involved in.
When I read it, I couldn't help but race through the book to find out just what the "Smash Up" was. I love when a book gives you such motivation to speed through it. This bit of foreshadowing was masterfully brilliant and expertly done.
During the story we see Etan Frome, a conflicted and yearning young man. Stuck between his ailing wife, Zeena and her young relative, Mattie who has come to live on their farm.
What Ethan wants more than anything is Mattie... but he knows he can't have her.
The bulk of the story brings us into his thought life. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. We see Ethan waffling, hedging, scheming and hurting. He is stuck in the life he chose and can't seem to escape it's grasp.
Ethan Frome is a conflicted and complex character. I just loved Edith Wharton's portrayal of this man... brilliant!!
Read this book it is without a doubt a classic and well worth your effort!

A great read on a cold winter's weekend. Read it over two days to digest it thoroughly. Edith Wharton takes you to Starkfield, Massachusetts where you can feel the cold, the isolation and the confinement.

I last read "Ethan Frome" more than forty years ago. I am so glad that I decided to re-read it. I liked it when I first read it and I still like it. The narrative is crisp and tight. The characters are well-drawn, believable and multi-dimensional. Even Zeena evokes sympathy.

There's a good reason why "Ethan Frome" is called a classic. Even after 100 years, it still holds up. Five stars!

"Ethan Frome" is a novel carved from black ice. It is a tragedy unalleviated by humor, with nothing to ease the iron grip of a malign Fate. Superbly written, uncompromisingly tragic, full of striking and memorable winter landscape imagery, with an ending that is unexpected and thought-provoking, it is undeniably great literature. I just felt that the profound sadness of the tale somehow compromised the artistic integrity. Edith Wharton experienced much sorrow in her own life and I think this somewhat narrowed her vision. So be prepared for a novel that will move you, impress you and stay with you, but is not likely to put a smile on your face or a spring in your step!
In the same vein, look for Gillian Anderson's astonishing performance in the movie version of Wharton's "The House of Mirth" (a misnomer if ever there was). Not always easy to take, it is tragic acting at its brilliant best.

I recently checked out another edition of this book from our local library to enjoy this great writer's melancholy tale once again. The library had the 1997 Scribner paperback edition, with an afterword by Alfred Kazin.

Don't read that edition! Choose one of the other available editions, like this one or others offered by the store. Kazin totally ruins the reading experience. He compares Wharton unfavorably with other writers and mocks her choice of words and word pictures. When he does compliment her, it is always preceded by a caveat that strips her of her every achievement.

What an uncharitable piece of writing. It's incomprehensible to me why a publisher would chose to accompany Wharton's fine tale with this mean-spirited rant. An online encyclopedia says of Kazin that he wrote "out of a great passion -- or great disgust -- for what he was reading." You can say that again.

I enjoyed Wharton's writing in The House of Mirth, even though I wasn't the hugest fan of Lilly Bart. I thought I'd try Wharton again with a change of character - and it worked! Ethan Frome started off a bit slow with a description of the town and allusions to Frome's past life, which were sort of confusing. Also, the colloquial and vernacular language was difficult to get through at first. But don't give up!

Basic premise is that Ethan Frome, who took care of his ailing parents and now takes care of his spiteful, ailing wife, barely eeks out a meager living tending to a family farm. Mattie Silver, a relative of his wife, moves in with them as a housekeeper after her parents are killed, and Ethan develops a deep desire for Mattie.

The circumspect obsession Frome has with Mattie Silver is hot (by 19th century standards)! Wharton's description of the cautious shadow-boxing between the two, especially when Frome's wife is out of town, is electrifying. Frome is stimulated by the way Mattie drops her eyelids when she's talking and the way she plays the mistress of the house when Zeenia is away - very simple gestures or actions drive Ethan wild. The fact that he can't have her as his wife, deepened by Zeenia wanting to send her away, intensifies the feelings Frome has for Mattie. A truly refreshing "courtship" compared to those seen on the OC and other modern day dramas.

To be honest, relatively little actually happens in Ethan Frome, but the interaction between Ethan Frome and Mattie Silver is awesome!

I finished Wharton's Age of Innocence not too long ago and decided to try another one of her works. This one is quite different in setting and tone. Here it is dealing with poor instead of rich characters and is dreary throughout. Even though the tone is bleak, the story caught my interest due to the fact that it seemed feasible. I finished this novel feeling extreme gratitude for my wonderful wife and situation.

The narrator, George Guidall, does a good job and was articulate and portrayed the characters well. This is a short book with a total time of 3 hours 46 minutes.

I can recommend this audio book for someone interested in a classic American tragedy.

First of all, I want to say -- Stephen Masse, you are an exquisite writer and I absolutely concur with your review (expect that the love between Ethan and Mattie was unfulfilled rather than "unrequited." It was definitely requited:). Thank you for what you said about this book, I so rarely find anyone who fully appreciates it. I don't think that I can add much more except to say that I read this book at a time in my life that absolutely matched the emotion found within it, and it will always be my most cherished book for that reason. I thank my sister (and her flawless taste in all things beautiful) for insisting that I read it. When she suggested it, just the title "Ethan Frome" immediately grabbed my attention. The name of the main character itself was so evocative of something fathomless beneath a silent surface. My first reading of it was incidentally in the dead of January, which added greatly to the experience.

Reading this work, my jaw literally dropped so many times at the visceral, poignant visual and emotional imagery that Wharton evokes, and I honestly felt like I was going to have a heart attack at the story's climax. I've never read anything else that can quite match its intensity. You can bet that I sobbed my eyes out, from the climax to the end of the story. I related so much to the story on so many levels that it was the most profoundly intimate reading experience I've ever had. I return to it often to once again glimpse rare vistas of raw beauty and power. I recommend this book with all my heart.

I love classic novels. One of my favorite things in life is grabbing a book, getting settled in for the night in my chilly bedroom, and not just being swept away into a story, but also to an entirely different period in time. Classic novels are the most beautifully written time machines.

That said, Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome" is beyond a doubt beautifully written. Since I live in New England, I can say with 100% assurity, she writes paints a picture of our frozen landscape and doesn't forget to sprinkle it with bits of beauty alone the way. I feel engaged in this story from its very first pages.

The most haunting part of this book is the author's way of letting the landscape describe the characters. Zeena is cold, gray, white just as a winter landscape, just like her calico wrap. Mattie is always compared to the sun, summer, the melting of spring, or sunshine itself just like her cherry red scarf and lips.

Still, I must say, I did not find any sympathy for the main character, Ethan Frome. Ethan embodies absolute and total cowardice to me. A man who lets circumstance dictate his life instead of his own mind. I'm reminded of David Copperfield's first line, "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." Ethan's first line would be more like, "I will never be the hero in my own story."

He takes care of his parents instead of striking out and making enough money to have a hired girl do this for him. He marries a woman who cares for his mother and instead of taking the time to do better for himself that she now provides, he did nothing much at all. Mom dies and instead of being along in wintertime, Ethan asks Zeena to marry him. That's always a great reason to ask someone to marry you! It's always a terrific reason to not finally go on and get busy living life. Remember, he does not marry Zeena because he owes a debt to her, but because he did not want to be alone in winter. He said if it had been spring, things might have been different. Totally ridiculous.

Then Zeena becomes ill and to me, she is the person deserving pity in this novel. She had no idea Ethan didn't really love her at all. His proposal was not, "I don't want to be alone." Zeena marries him, found out soon after of his cold demeanor, then became ill as a way to probably get some sort of attention from him, but he could not give her any. She was now just a familiar burden. He could give her young cousin, Mattie, attention, but not his own wife. He could also feel pity for Mattie, but never for his wife.

To add insult to injury, instead of leaving Mattie alone and maybe securing her a place in the home or elsewhere in the world, he must tell her how he feels, he kisses her, he gets jealous of anyone speaking to her, and basically behaves exactly opposite to the way a husband should behave. She is young and silly, naive, and should have been treated as a family member, not a romantic prospect.

Maybe this story's first line should say: "If you are too cowardly to do anything at all with your life, you'll feel right at home with Ethan Frome." I love this book, but am always a bit blown away when a large number of people feel sympathy for a character that is morally bankrupt and emotionally a coward. A character who had opportunities to be so much more than he was, yet wasted his own life and two others in the bargain.

Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome", is a wonderful book and can be read with little effort. The story, which takes place in early 20th century, is based indirectly on a man's inability to achieve success-in spite of the number of hardships he is faced with through his young life. However on the surface, the book is directly based on the same man's infatuation with a young woman. Thus the plot. The style in which Edith Wharton uses is at times direct, simplistic in nature, and at other times technical-leaving the reader yearning for more depth and imagery. The reader is also left with some insight onto how this story may have come about. Midway through, the story scantly begins to resemble a dairy entry. Though based on somewhat actual events, the story is written as a diary entry with underdeveloped dialogue and character depth. Edith Wharton does however do a great job of transitioning from one story's layer to another.

Personal Insights:
I have had this book in my collection for 12yrs and only until recently decided to open it up. Lucky for me it was a book that I was easily able to fit in my back pocket and read on the bus back and forth to work. Though it might be a nice story to read and take in, the author does butcher the ending-leaving the reader confused. If stylistic imagery and immense character depth filled with entertaining dialogue is what you desire-then prepare yourself to be disappointed. But if you're an avid reader, such as myself, then do read this book for the sake of experiencing the trails and tribulations this couple experienced in Starkfield.

Edith Wharton's writing is the opposite of what current-day popular fiction is. This story has little dialogue, almost no action and lots of description, yet I was riveted to the book by the tension that Wharton maintained throughout the story.

This book is a classic, and easy to read in one day. It is almost a short story.

I first read Anita Shreve's introduction. Anita claims to have been chasing Edith Wharton's storytelling technique throughout her own writing career. This is evident in "Weight of Water."

"Ethan" is a sad story that concludes with at least one, and maybe two morals. It is the story of a man trapped in an unhappy marriage to a hypochondriac. When he meets his wife's cousin, he falls deeply in love and can think of nothing else.

The book has a tragic and unexpected ending. The ending of this short little novel is the best part of the book in my view. Things turn out so that you think, "why didn't I see that coming," when in fact, you didn't.

I highly recommend this book.

"Ethan Frome," by Edith Wharton, is a fine example of Wharton's skill and power as a writer of fiction. But beyond that, this is a really depressing read. The story is basically a domestic tragedy set in the cold, grim town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The title character is a poor farmer whose wife, Zeena, seems to be a hypochondriac. Their life together is complicated by Ethan's problematic attachment to Zeena's cousin, Mattie, who has come to live with them.
Wharton's prose is impressive on many levels. She really brings the reader into Ethan's tormented mind, and the effect is heartbreaking. Her representation of American vernacular speech is intriguing, as is her use of foreshadowing. Ethan--"the most striking figure in Starkfield, though he was but the ruin of a man"--is a memorable creation.
Ultimately, "Ethan" is a horrific vision of human coldness, cruelty, bitterness, hopeless, and longing. Despite Wharton's abundant talent, the book is a hard pill to swallow.

Reviewing a classic like "Ethan Frome" is a humbling assignment. But here goes.

To be totally practical, the book has four things going for it:

-- It is short--100-150 pages depending on page size--and thus a quick read...really more a novella than a novel.

-- It tells a complete story beautifully.

-- You will never get a more bitter portrayal of New England's winter desolation and the hardships it placed on people in the pre-modern era.

-- The impact on human choice of pent-up sexual desire or simple yearning for connection has rarely been more powerfully or delicately portrayed. That discreet approach was a function of the era in which Edith Wharton lived and the class to which she belonged. And frankly, in our crass age it is refreshing.

All in all, this book is both a powerful human tragedy and beautifuly instructive of how one can imply raw emotions without flaunting them in tabloid form. It is a gem.

I really enjoyed this book. It is my first Edith Wharton attempt. I read it one rainy weekend this past spring as heavy storms kept us all pent up. I highly recommend this book to every reader. I can't say more than other reviewers have already said nor can I say it more effectively. To the students assigned this book, I suggest that you look at how Wharton writes. The fascination the world has with a forbidden love is a popular theme, but Edith Wharton weaves magic into the familiar plot by adding a flair for charming description, intricate detail and symbolism that chills every reader to the bone. If you don't enjoy Wharton's novel as I and many others have, think of reading it as an experience on your to-do list. Ethan Frome should be on everybody's to-do list.

Perhaps this is one book that shouldn't be assigned in English classes throughout the country. It seems that noone who is "forced" to read Ethan Frome actually enjoys it. I picked this up during an Edith Wharton phase and really enjoyed it. It is short and gripping. Ethan is a pathetic character who has to deal with the consequences of his actions for the rest of his life. By trying to escape his shrewish wife, he only tied himself to her more completely. Ethan Frome is a sad novel about doomed romance and the desperation of New England winters. I would not recommend it as an Edith Wharton primer, try Summer or The Buccaneers first. Once you have gotten hooked on Wharton, give Ethan Frome a try.

A simple yet profound story, Ethan Frome is a captivating and intriguing tale of two lovers who must cast aside their love to accept the rules of society. The exciting and compelling love story is entertaining as the story captures the reader's interest the entire time. Although the Ethan Frome follows a basic plot line, the tale still remains a joy to read.

Ethan Frome is set in the New England town of Starkfield. The narrator sets out to learn the life of a mysterious character in the town- Ethan Frome. He sees Ethan one day and is puzzled by the man's simple yet agonizing countenance. The narrator attempts to piece together the tragic incident, leading to Ethan Frome's depressing attitude by questioning local residents, but it is due to a violent snowstorm that the narrator is able to link the story together by being forced into an overnight stay at the Frome's. The story centers around Ethan Frome's love of his wife's cousin Mattie, and his inability to express his love out of the respect for his own wife, eventually leading up to a tragic and horrifying incident.

The storyline is basic, yet beautifully written as Edith Wharton captures the beauty of the New England landscape, which she uses to portray the various moods certain characters are feeling. She creates a masterpiece by metaphorically linking each character to a certain setting. The characters in the story are very dynamic, with extremely contrasting personalities, making their actions and dialogue captivating and entertaining. As the plot continues, readers can feel their varying moods, as Edith Wharton uses the landscape to change the atmosphere of the setting. The imagery is moving and sensual, and readers fall in love with the environment.

The astounding ending links back to Edith Wharton's personal experience as she too experienced an ineffectual man, linking back to the story's Ethan Frome. His inability to take charge of his actions reflects the inadequate husband Wharton had leading to an unsuccessful and unhappy marriage.

A short novel filled with beautiful imagery and engaging character's, Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is a wonderful story to read.

Trapped in a loveless marriage to an invalid wife, New England farmer Ethan Frome's colorless existence changes when his wife's enchanting cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to visit and help out on the farm. Ethan finds himself paying attention to his appearance and wanting Mattie to admire him. The forbidden attraction grows when Ethan's nag of a wife, Zeena, leaves home for a brief period. Wharton makes Ethan and Mattie's plight achingly optionless, and her observations of human behavior are, as usual, dead on. Although Wharton is best known for her novels about New York high society, "Ethan Frome" remains not just my favorite Wharton novel--but also one of my favorite "classics."

I decided to write a review of this book because even though the last time I read it was over 20 years ago for a High School English class, I still remember the story so vividly. Obviously it had an impact on me. Other reviews here say, "Boring, nothing happened, the man was stupid and made stupid choices." That was exactly the point! At the age of 14 it was brought home to me that it is easy to get into a situation where one small bad decision after another leads you to a life that is just plain awful. It encouraged me to consider the concequences of my actions 5, 10, even 20 years down the road. The concepts in this book are relevant to so many modern situations (How will your later life be affected if you get pregnant/do drugs/flunk school now?) A smart English teacher will incorporate these discussions into any class requiring this book for reading.

I first read "Ethan Frome" in high school, where despite my fantastic teacher, I was left unimpressed. I revisited it again in college with an open mind, in the spirit of seeing whether or not my tastes had changed - they hadn't. I attempted it once more, and was forced to conclude that I will simply never enjoy this short story.

As a long-time resident of New England, and a repeated survivor of its winters, I found Wharton's descriptions excessive and melodramatic. The book appears to attempt to tell the saddest and most pitiable tale it can muster, but characters must be engaging and relatable before they can be pitied, and Wharton's characters are so closed off from each other and the reader that they are utterly inaccessible.

I could find no pity in myself for the embittered Ethan, whose own problems he created out of sheer foolishness. Nor any compassion for Zeena, a rather vile plot device whose only purpose seemed to be to ruin the lives of others. And certainly not for the hapless Maddie, whose insipid and inane presence served only to irritate the reader and muddle the story.
Ms. Wharton attempts to hide her shallow characters behind decorative language and even more shallow metaphors, in an attempt to add depth to the story. She fails rather extravagantly, using cookie-cutter, formulaic symbolism and utterly dismal language. Her metaphors are constructed in such a manner that you cannot fail to understand them as they seem to hit you over the head with their meaning.

The bottom line: The true "tragedy" of this story is that this book is forced down the throats of children under the pretense of being a "classic", when the only knowledge to be gleaned from it is "what not to do".

This Seahorse edition is supposedly annotated according to its description, but I could find no evidence of it. It does contain an author’s biography at the end, but other than that it is just the main text. That said, if you don’t mind missing out on the annotations, this is a very good ebook edition, very well organized for maneuverability within the text and pleasingly organized. A decent reading copy for the price.

I'm not sure why folks read the store reviews with regard to the classics, so I will try to be relevant with this one.

1. I started an aggressive reading program seven (7) years ago at the age of 51. I delayed getting to Edith Wharton because I was intimidated by her. I thought she was unapproachable and uninteresting. Big mistake. Her autobiography, "A Backward Glance" is a hoot. But for a first Edith Wharton story, read "Ethan Frome."

2. "Ethan Frome" is all of 70 pages long; it can be read in one sitting.

3. Edith Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Literature.

4. Get the Wordsworth edition; it has a wonderful introduction/critical review of "Ethan Frome" as well as Edith's own introduction. But don't read the Wordsworth introduction until AFTER you've read the story. (You should read Edith's introduction, however.)

I enjoyed this book. It was well written and short.
Ethan Frome is a tragedy about a man who is married to Zeena, a woman who he was not in love with. Zeena is strongly concerned about her health and tends to be depressing company. In comes her cousin, Mattie Silver who is young and healthy. Ethan is strongly attracted to her and she to him. He is torn between the two women while trying to make a living on his farm. When Zeena tells him that Mattie must go, Ethan is beside himself and he discovers that he cannot affort to flee with Mattie which is what he yearns to do. Neither one can say goodbye.
What will they do? You'll have to read to find out.

I was required to read this book in my sophomore AP English class, and I was reluctant at first but then began to fall in love with this book. The book, although seen as depressing, is uplifting in its truth to life. Life is not perfect, so why should stories be anything different from life?
The Greeks created two genres - the tragedy and the comedy - and although tragedies will make us cry and leave us with a saddened heart, they bring us a sense of accomplishment. Afterall, our lives are not as bad as our friends who are living the story of a tragedy. Wharton's book is a quick and easy read that tells so much about actual life and forbidden love and the tragedies that ensue.

"Life, is the saddest thing, next to death." Edith Wharton

This brief peek into the lightless lives of Ethan & Zeeny Frome and Mattie Silver left this reader thankful that the novella wasn't very long. After all, how much bleakness can one person take? While I was perusing this one, I kept thinking to myself `what a shame, if only these people could have been born nowadays...' For in the Frome's little world, the early 20th century world of rural New England, divorce was rarely on option. Instead it seemed to be a privilege almost solely reserved for the extremely wealthy and/or celebrities. Also, Ethan's sickly, hypochondriac wife Zeena is obviously suffering from depression, which of course back in those days was about as treatable as all those phantom illnesses Zeena incessantly griped about.

So our ill-fated protagonist with his altruistic, caring nature is trapped. He is trapped because he is poor. He is trapped in a loveless marriage with a gloomy, woeful wife who does nothing all day but whine. He is trapped in a star-crossed love affair, with both participants knowing full well their heading down a one-way sled-ride to perdition. Ergo, I now know why Edith would pen a quote like the one above? All you have to do is read this short, sorrowful story and you will plainly see for yourself.

The million dollar question obviously is this: Why on Earth would anyone want to read such a melancholy tale about three people doomed to such an unfavorable fate? I am being 100% honest when I tell you folks that I did not think I was going to care for this one at all. I didn't think I was going to care for it after the first two chapters either. However, I couldn't stop reading it... I tried to stop, but I couldn't. The prose, as depressing as it is, is still loaded with charm and at the end of the day there's just no denying that Wharton is one hell of a great writer!

This is NOT a novelette that should be required reading for high-school or even college students. Most of their budding brains have not had enough experiences in life to appreciate and fully comprehend this one. This is a very adult yarn, as are most of Wharton's works, loaded with symbolism, while possessing her favorite theme of illicit love. And of all her heartsick idealists, Ethan Frome is without a doubt her most tragic character. In fact, move over Jude Frawley, Tom Joad, Clyde Griffiths, et al... cause Ethan Frome is arguably the most doomed of you all!

Again, my interest never waned while reading this one. It was very beautifully written and extremely thought provoking. What more can one ask for in a book? To say I was pleasantly surprised would be like saying Monet was a pretty good painter. 5 Stars despite myself!

This is set around 1911 but I couldn't put the book down, what a love story. I am very taken by this beyond words, it will remain one of the most favorites I have ever read, though bittersweet, it was truly a story I couldn't stop reading. I adored Ethan, I felt sad for Mattie, angry with Ethan's cold wife....I read this book in 2 days, loved, loved, loved it. Sad but such a story!

This book was really beautiful, if a little tragic. It had fantastic emotional suspense and tension. It was a little like Romeo and Juliet, but I liked this better. It was a bit short but interesting. It's a good quick read and the characters are well-formed. Would I read more by this author? Probably not. Would I recommend this book to others? Definitely.

See the full review on my website:
[...]

Don't read this novel if you need to be cheered up, but Edith Wharton's "Ethan Frome" entertained me. The narrator first sees Ethan at a local post office in his gloomy New England town- walking like the "jerk of a chain," scarred, and looking depressed. As the narrator meets Ethan, and talks to the town about him, he is able to uncover Ethan's tragic story of his two loves in life- his wife, whom he feels a deep about of commitment to, and her cousin, who is like a fresh spring field of flowers he needs in his dark, cold life. The novel is FULL of symbolism, and at the end you'll suddenly realize what all of it meant. I can't tell anymore without ruining it. Enjoy!!

While I appreciated the germane theme of "life is short -- so make the most of it," I did not, however, particularly appreciate the utter despondency and insufferable malaise of Wharton's storyline. The morose setting of a fictitious New England town in the cold winter adds to the gloom and dreariness of an already hopeless milieu engendered by the abject despair of title character Ethan and the incorrigible antagonism of his wife, Zeena.
I didn't know whether to pity Ethan - or to laugh at him. His weak lack of resolve against the insufferably truculent and extremely annoying Zeena as well as his glaring inability to make his own decisions both contribute to make this book to be anything but a "page-turner" -- to put it mildly. Ethan is nothing short of pathetic. I empathize with Mattie to a certain degree, yet the ending (with Mattie) of this short novella is so pathetic that I was left shaking my head -- at how stupid they all are.
I gave it a generous 3 stars for its pertinent message of "hey, don't be like us because we're morons." While I highly enjoyed Wharton's The House of Mirth, this book, in essence, is no House of Mirth - in more ways than one.

Yes, yes. No kidding. Found this book this year. Maybe four months ago. No one mentioned it to me. Just one of those random choices at the bookstore during a random visit. Just a random choice of a book I'd not yet read. Just a great choice !

To quote a friend of mine, Vindetta, "It's heartbreaking."

If you want to know what karma is, look it up. If you want to experience karma, feel it and understand it, you can do so in this novel through the lives of three characters.

A thin book, well under 200 pages, but NOT a thin novel. A fantastic edition of American Literature.

Kabol

This book is just too depressing. But those who say (like Louis Gallo above) that Ethan would just have gotten a divorce are missing the point. The world was not always so free of social constraints as it is now and that is why the characters are stuck in their destructive situation. Today we all just do what we want free from strong senses of obligation but that was not the world that this book is taking place in!! One has to LEARN about the time setting and have some notion that the world has changed! But this book goes over the top for depressing and I would not read it again.

I had to read this book for my English class, and I can honestly say that it was the only novel that I read with interest the entire year. Ethan Frome draws the reader into the tragic life of Ethan Frome, a man bound by the demands of his unproductive farm and his sickly wife, Zeena. His true love is for Mattie, Zeena's cousin. However, Ethan is a prisoner of his own poverty and his wife. He cannot run away with Mattie, because he does not have the money. Furthermore, Ethan, while he does not like Zeena's tyrannical behavior, feels he owes her in some way because she had taken care of his parents before they died. He also feels compassion for her being sick. This and many more uses of discrepancy are used by Wharton in this novel. The ending is very ironic: Mattie and Ethan's decision to leave Zeena ends up in them being bound to Zeena for the rest of their lives. You'll have to read to book to find out what they do. Although slow moving in some parts, this novel does use many symbols and images, and I would recommend it only to readers who can analyze novels and comprehend them in the manner in which the author intended.

The obvious protagonist of this story is Ethan Frome, although he is disguised as a middle-aged man who lived just outside a small, barren community. He is a diligent worker who receives meager pay in comparison to his labors on the family farm that he shares with his wife. Clearly, he is the protagonist because, not only is he the main character, but he was also mentioned by Edith Wharton to be the protagonist in the introduction of the story. If this had not been so, I still would have said that Ethan Frome is the protagonist because he was always so willing to help people. One example of this is when he was so insistent on having Mattie Silver, who was a poor relation of his wife, Zeena, remain their hired girl. However, Mattie was not only a hired girl to Ethan, and this presented him with many conflicts within himself. The exact moment that he realizes that he is in love with Mattie is beautiful and is in this quote, `They stood together in the gloom of the spruces, an empty world glimmering about them wide and grey under the stars.' He felt his love for Mattie was wrong because he thought that it was his duty to love Zeena. Zeena was so overbearing and Ethan thought that it was his job to care and love her because she was his wife and she was ill. Zeena was most definitely the antagonist of this story because it seemed that all she wanted to do was sit around the house and feel sorry for herself. In this I do not think that she was also the villain because she changes her ways for the better. She often forced Ethan to make decisions he did not want to make. There was only one time that he actually put his foot down and did what he wanted for a change.
One case of conflict between Ethan and his society was Mattie and Ethan's relationship. In the harshness of their community for Ethan to find love somewhere else when his wife was ill was frowned upon. Of course, adultery, is a sin everywhere, but the type of connection Mattie and Ethan had was different. In the one night that they had alone together they did nothing but talk. In this night a red glass bowl was broken. The bowl was one of Zeena's, and one that she cherished. This is major symbolism because the shattered bowl is a symbol of Mattie and Ethan's relationship. They realize, just as there is no way that they could ever mend the bowl, there was no way they could ever find a way to be together.
A conflict with nature that arises in this book between Ethan and Starkfield. Ethan is bound to where he lives with chains, and it seems the harder he tries to free himself from them, the more engrossed he becomes. The county where he lives has been his home all of his life, and was his families home before him. He is a poor man and cannot afford to move anywhere else even though it is his dream to live in the city and become an engineer. This bleak and desolate nature of their community provides a sharp and ironic contrast to Zeena's illness. It is ironic that such a weak person could survive in such a harsh climate and condition of weather. Additionally, Zeena is an ironic character because her personality is very similar to the weather of their society. The nature of Starkfield also influences Ethans personality and tells us why he is so attracted to the young and spirited Mattie, who brings color and spice to their household. Furthermore, friendship is immensely important because without Ethan's friendship to Mattie, I do not think that he would be able to survive.
Later in the story, when the plot thickens, Ethan's wife says she is ill and wants to make Ethan hire another girl to work for them. This would mean that Mattie, foe of, would not have to work with them and would have to leave. Ethan has trouble saying no to his wife, mainly because he feels compassion for her being ill, but also because he feels guilty for loving someone else. Zeena, who is clever and omniscient of Ethan's relationship with Mattie, twists Ethans' words around until she gets what she wants from him. Ethan has the illusion that his wife is helpless and needs him to provide for her. This is yet another thing that binds Ethan to his life. In this way it is an extremely important family relationship that Ethan and Zeena share. Even though it is not a good relationship it still makes the plot. Without Zeena this would be just another story for it would be lacking the romantic tragedy of Mattie and Ethan.
Ethan, seemingly under Zeena's spell, was idealistic that one day he and Mattie could create some life together, a life that would not involve Zeena. Mattie does not appear to be quite as impractical as Ethan, and knows that if Zeena does not wish for her services, she will not have her services. Mattie sees only one option out. This is leads to the most crucial part of the story, when Zeena sends for a real hired girl and forces Mattie to move to the next town, where she would be left to fend for herself. Ethan makes an important decision here, between leaving Zeena and going with Mattie, or making Mattie stay. Instead, he and Mattie decide to make a final journey together; a sleigh ride at night on a icy, foreboding hill by the coast of Massachusetts. Their plan goes drastically wrong, and forever binds them to Zeena. In this part of the novel, human value becomes increasingly significant. This is where we realize that Zeena does in fact have a heart and does care about the well-being of other people, especially her relatives.
The narrator, who is only in the beginning and end of the novel is extremely important because she provides us with background information on the characters and what they are like. Edith Wharton, who is the narrator, starts by telling us of Ethan Frome and then embarks on a journey to find out about Ethan's past from the people of Starkfield. She goes about finding this information as if she was actually in Starkfield and was talking to one of her characters. This is what truly makes the story come to life. The narrators interest in the terrain of Massachusetts, starts with her love for nature, but her desire to make the story more personal leads her to creating the character Ethan Frome. In the introduction of the story Edith tells us of the in-depth of Ethan Frome and she obviously spent time inventing his character. At the end of this story the narrator proves to be worth even more because she finishes the tale of `Ethan Frome' when it has been years, perhaps decades, later in the story and, finally, provides us with a resolution.
This story could definitely be considered parallel to other romantic tragedies such as West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet. The plot of this story, however, is not quite so complex. These are novels speak about forbidden love. All of these novels have showed us what the power of true love can drive people to do. When compared to Nineteen Eighty-Four, this book showed much more love and courage. In Nineteen Eighty-Four Winston was weak and was willing to do harm against Julia to spare himself. In this novel, love tragically drove Ethan and Mattie to their crippling fate, leaving Zeena, the weakest, to care for them for the remainder of their lives.

Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is no doubt one of the bleakest tragedies in classic American literature. Everything from the sparse landscape to the unappealing personal circumstances within this depressing tale hint at a gloomy conclusion. When we first see Ethan Frome, the narrator describes him as a broken man, both physically and psychologically, even from a first glance. As the narrator learns more about Frome from townspeople and eventually Frome himself, this first impression proves to be quite accurate. After the unnamed narrator employs Frome to drive him to work, he slowly learns a few surprising tidbits about the obscure man.

One night, due to extenuating circumstances, Ethan takes the narrator into his home to stay the night. From there, the story switches to an omniscient point of view, detailing how Ethan became his current self. It is an age old tale: Man loves woman, man cannot have woman, Man and his love attempt to be together. Sadly, this love story has a tragic ending for everyone involved.

Despite Wharton's magnificently descriptive writing, the story tends to drag at particular points. The book may have been better suited as a short story as opposed to a novel. Overall, the story itself was thoughtful and well written, just not very captivating at times.

I have read many books throughout my life, widely ranging from teen fiction, fantasy, romance novels, historical fiction, etc. Yet few of them can be truly known as "great". When I picked up the book, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, it truly changed me. The book is centered on the life of Ethan, a young man who is caught between the entanglements of his marriage to Zeena (his sickly wife) and his uncontrollable love for his wife's cousin, Mattie. While 27-year-old Ethan struggles from his loveless marriage to Zeena, whose ill health and complaints smothers even the most powerful optimism, he finds comfort and solace from Mattie's lively spirits. Yet even this last cling to happiness becomes shattered when Zeena decides to send Mattie away. Ethan, torn beyond grief, has the choices of keeping his honor or following his heart. The haunting love triangle is from my view a conflict between the self image of a person and the emotions that lie beneath. The characters, in essence, are a symbol of the tormented souls that is a part of everyone's reality. While the ideal image, or in other words, face value of life is one blessed by joy, Ethan Frome unveils the world of truths, of angonizing moments, sorrow, and pain while it also exposes the eternal craving that is the driving force which keeps up the sparks of hope within the characters. The vividness and depth of the book is an amazingly genuine depiction of human nature, and the meaningfulness of the words only made it more beautiful a story.

I think this book is great for anyone who enjoys some deep and serious reading with truth behind it. It is a classic piece of literature, but at the same time, it is also a intricate work of art.

Ethan Frome is a short novel that packs an immense emotional punch owing to the incisive writing style of Edith Wharton. Her talent was so fine tuned that this allegorical tale of two star-crossed lovers trapped in a bleak set of circumstances is tonally consistent whether she was writing of the human beings involved or the stark winter landscape of rural New England. The story is told as a flashback being related to a visitor to "Starkfield" well after these events have taken place. The style and plot are reminiscent of Hawthorne and although Wharton was a native New Yorker living in France few have captured the New England she portrays here more vividly.

published in 1911, this, i can guess, was no feel good hit of the summer. this is dark stuff about the loneliness of a man ensnared by the hard life of a turn of the century farm, with a hypochondriac wife who allows no place for joy in their lives. enter a ray of light: the wife's cousin, hired for household duties. ethan frome is smitten. things do not go well. for all the sadness this work radiates, it is beautifully atmospheric and captures a time and place with vividly drawn characters. edith wharton is a masterful novelist who you should certainly read. this is just not a cheerful tale, for sure. like many of life's tales.

Bleak, haunting, heartbreaking. Short and pithy, impossible to forget, probably a bit advanced for the high school crowd, but they need every chance they can get to escape from their rap music and video games. Read the book because it is the real deal, and the "Ethan" movie was a stinker on so many levels. Actually some material in here may be appropriate for high schoolers after all, because the novel contains some messages about the de-romanticizing of suicide attempts, and a sotto voce warning that the person you marry in haste might turn out to be someone different than you thought...

Ethan Frome is a well written book, with surprises everywhere. The outcome of the story is unexpected, like many of the events that take place during the course of the novel. The story is a basic love story, but with a bit of a change to the ending. The ending is to good to give away, but all that can be said is that it is unexpected. It could be happy or it could be sad, it really depends on the way you look at it. The story starts off by introducing the narrator, which really has no change on the outcome of the story line. Then it goes to a flash back of twenty years ago, and that is where the story mostly takes place. The main character, Ethan Frome, and the protagonist of the film fall in love with one of his helpers. The person who stole his heart, Mattie Silver, loves him too. But there is one problem, and that problem is that Ethan is already married to a women name Zenobia Frome, but people call her "Zeena". The two forbidden lovers are forced to be split up. "Zeena" is forcing Ethan hire a new worker in place of Mattie, due to "Zeena's" health problems. Ethan was told to take her away, and on the way they decided to stop. When they stopped they decided to sled, because they had already made previous arrangements. Going into their second run, Mattie proposes an idea, which is to run into a big tree together. By doing this they would escape their lives of heartbreak, and they would be able to die together. While Mattie is moaning, Ethan realizes he doesn't want to die. The story cuts back into present day, when the narrator is at an overnight stay, at the home of the Frome's. The narriorator is introduced to two woman. One of them is his wife, and one of them is a crippled woman named Mattie Silver. I think that this book has a very memorable ending, and is worth reading. Mat Freeman

Hawthorne will always be my favorite American Writer. I only had a brief exposure to Wharton in Women's Writing. But if her "Ethan Frome" is a typical indication of her abilities, she could very well be Hawthorne's closest runnerup. Her images are beautiful. The love triangle has been a subject of literature since literature began, and yet Wharton seems to present it in such a memorable fashion. The icing on the cake is the ironic, but realistic ending. If you like this book, you MUST see the movie where Liam Neeson does Ethan.

Adequately written and captivating throughout, Ethan Frome is a nice, short, and interesting read. Illustrating the turbulence of an unattainable love, this story is about the tragic life of Ethan Frome, a man torn between his duty and his desire. Mirrored after the tragedy in her own personal life with ex-husband Edward Wharton and secret lover Morton Fullerton, Edith Wharton successfully paints the misery of her protagonist and his star-crossed lover Mattie Silver in this perfect "snuggle by the fire" read.
I found the beginning of the book to be an interesting lead in, an unknown narrator visiting a cold and wintry Starkfield, Massachusetts where he meets Frome and two peculiar old women that are living with him. The drab setting that Edith Wharton cascades the small town with sets the gloomy atmosphere that pervades its characters and community throughout the story. Wharton utilizes the presence of this harsh winter weather as a symbol of the characters' battle with interior and exterior forces; they have to physically battle the icy, heavy snow while psychologically fighting the lust of human nature.
Vividly captured are the emotional pain and sufferings each character in the story goes through, from Ethan's insatiable hunger for Mattie to a poor town simpleton's piteous gaze upon the troubles dealt to the Fromes. Wharton is able to fully connect with her audience as her empathetic emotions bring vehemence and truth to every word. She explores the candid thoughts of her characters, engrossing the reader with an up close and personal look into the tormented mind of Ethan Frome that consequently creats a fascinating masterpiece of romantic catastrophe. Though the story's ending did not turn out how I would have liked it to, it greatly underlines the messages that Wharton tries to convey to her audience. The theme of not being able to escape the past, the bitter results of duty vs. lust, and the everlasting marks a person carries after relationships encompass themselves within this novel and all come together at the end.
This short yet satisfying read is a book fit to read by the fire on a cold wintry day, its harrowing tale of a secret lust and the human being's innermost desires are revealed and brought to life by this heartfelt creation of Edith Wharton's talent.

I enjoyed reading Edith Wharton's classic, Ethan Frome. The book has gained many responses, varying by each reader, whether it be an impressive or dreary read; however, I had the ability to see past the monotonous, uneventful, and bleak storyline. Wharton paints a vivid landscape of the New England weather and emotionless quality of each character. Though these characters appear impassive, Wharton subtly indicates the self-conflict within each character. Despite the repetitiveness of the characters' tone and mood, Wharton leads the storyline to its peak, and just when you assume something unexpected is bound to occur, the story falls back into its predictable state. The book itself moves along slowly, though Wharton's writing style engages you and allows you to continue on. I especially enjoyed reading the last chapter or so of the novel. The unanticipated ending made the read all worthwhile.

I was simply surprised to find that so many reviewers found this book to be boring! This book is anything but, and the beauty of it is that it's short and easy to read (for all of those with extremely busy schedules)
It is a tragic love story but, so goes life. I found the characters to be wholly believable and their trials to be something most of us can or will be able to relate to at some point within our lives.
I say, if you are looking to read something that appeals to a vast array of emotions,without having to commit to a 900 page novel, this is worth a try. It only took me one day to read for Christ's sake...what do you have to lose?

WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T READ THE END YET! DON'T LET ANYONE SPOIL IT FOR YOU, EITHER!
As an unsuspecting reader---reading this novel with no outside influences---Ethan Frome will have an impact on you. I feel it is the true definition of a tragedy, and when you finish it you'll discover why.
Throughout the entire book, readers witness the inner conflict with which the protagonist (Ethan) is struggling. This is where the true drama takes place, albeit there's plenty of external drama.
The novel is short enough and easy enough to read in two days' time. Just resist the temptation to read ahead to the conclusion, okay?

Ethan Frome is a very good tragic novel about the challenges love can create when an obstacle is placed in its path. Edith Wharton does a great job of characterization and with the telling of the story. The story takes place in New York in a small town of the western part of the state. This sets up most of the actions and conflicts throughout the novel and fits the plot very well. The novel, Ethan Frome, is a very good story about the struggle of a man who is torn between his wife who is sick and needs attention and care and a young woman who comes to help and he falls in love with. Zeena, his wife, knows about his secret but is helpless to do anything and focuses all her energies on trying to recover from her illness. Mattie comes to the house innocent and falls for Ethan just as he does her. Through out the book there are many times where they find themselves in a situation where they do not know what will happen next. In Ethan Frome, the characters used are very believable and fit their parts well. The characters, Mattie, Zeena and Ethan fit together and contrast each other enough to create the right amount of conflict. All of the town's people fit the story just as good as the main characters. Mattie seeming innocent and Zeena being all-knowing gives an interesting combination that leaves Ethan to fill in the open areas. New York is the perfect placement for the novel. The weather and climate creates conflicts for Zeena and her medical condition and sets up the ending of the story for Mattie and Ethan. The cold weather and snow create an environment that makes for slow and tedious travel that allows Ethan and Mattie spend a good deal of time together. The conflicts created are very good and follow through the whole story. The story is very well described and never left a question about why something happened or how it did. Edith Wharton describes the story very well and gives us characters that we can relate to and understand. The setting she used is also described to help us relate to what it was like. In all it is a very good book that most people will probably not want to put down.

I thought that Ethan From was a very good book. I was very interesting and suspenseful. Even though it was a shorter story I thought that the character were developed well and I thought the plot was very good. It was a good tragedy. I like the characters in Ethan Frome. Edith Wharton does a good job of developing the characters. The characters were very compelling and real to me. You feel sorry for Ethan because he can not get away from his farm and his life. Wharton make the characters like Ethan and Mattie very sympathetic characters. She does a good job of making you feel connected to then and sorry that things were so tragic for them. The plot of Ethan From was very good. It was very sad and ironic especially at the end. Wharton wrote in my opinion a good tragedy. I thought it was very beautifully written. It was full of symbolism though some of it was hard to catch. I found that the story was very interesting you kept reading to see what would happen next in the story. It was a sad tale. The book deeply affected me. I found it so sad and ironic I especially was affected by the scene where Ethan and Mattie go down the hill in the sled. You know they will not succeed but you still hope it will happen for them and that thing will work out. I believe that Ethan Frome is a good book. I would recommend it to any one who like and emotional tragedy. The characters and plot are bother very good. Wharton proves why she is known for being such a good author. At the end of the book I felt truly sad for Ethan and every thing that had happened to him.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a pretty good book! Ethan marries Zeena, because Zeena was taking care of his sick mother. Ethan had no way of repaying her for her work, so he married Zeena. Zeena became ill and wasn't able to do any work around the house. Zeena sent to get her cousin Mattie to help around the house. As time goes by Ethan falls in love with Mattie. Zeena has some clue that their is something going on between them. She tells Ethan that she is going to send Mattie away and bring someone who is more helpful. Ethan doesn't want her to leave and he wants to leave with her, but doesn't have enough money. While Ethan is taking Mattie to the train station they stop and get on a sleigh one last time. There is a sharp turn at the hill and an elm tree in front, and they wanted to hit the tree and died. They did hit the tree but did not died. Zeena ended up taking care of both of them, and they all lived together in the farm!

Ethan Frome is readable today, unlike something like The Scarlet Letter, which I barely suffered through, and it may have been decent at one time, but it hasn't aged well. It's a slow-paced, depressing romance novel that, for reasons unknown to me, was selected as required reading in my high school. You don't have to look hard to find a better choice. The story isn't terrible; however, it's neither original nor intriguing, but dull and rather dated. The ending fits with the rest of the book, and although it doesn't really surprise you, it doesn't make you feel cheated, either; so the book is consistent, but it's consistently underwhelming.

Edith Wharton's fictional novel "Ethan Frome" takes place in an urban area outside of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan Frome is a poor farmer, who is married to an unhealthy wife that he does not love. Zeenie, Ethan's wife, is a hypochondriac but fails to realize it; she loves taking care of people when they are sick. Although when she has no one to take care of she acts sick to get attention from Ethan and others. While at a dance, Ethan spots a beautiful young women by the name of Mattie Silver. He immediately falls in love with her without even knowing it at first. One winter day, Mattie was forced out of the Frome household because of Ethan's wife Zeenie. That afternoon, Ethan asks Mattie for one more night together. Ethan decides to take Mattie on a sled ride on there last night together. While going down a hill, Ethan miscalculates a rock ahead of him and hits it. Sadly, Mattie is knocked unconscious after a blow to the head. Thirty years later, Zeenie is taking care of Mattie at the Frome household due to her condition after the accident. Now Ethan spends his life not only with his wife, but with his love as well. I think people should read this book because it shows the dark views on people and love. This classic novel will have you thinking love and how far it may go.
Isaac Armas

The novel, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton is a very exciting and eventful story. It tells of a man, Ethan, who is destined to a life of caring for others. Before their deaths, he cared for his ill parents and now is caring for his seemingly ill wife. His wife's cousin, Mattie, comes to live with he and his wife and Ethan falls in love with her. Seeing this as his only way to escape his fateful life of taking care of his spouse, they dare to leave together. I believe that Edith Wharton's novel is full of suspense and passion, which also contains an ending that is unforgettable.
The author is telling the story of a very unhappy man. Mattie gives him a sense of youth and fun that attracts Ethan to her. When his wife comes to the conclusion that Mattie may be a threat, she sends her away. When Ethan realizes he cannot live and be happy with Mattie, they decide that they will die together. In their attempt, something tragic and unsuspected happens. This shows that when one is faced with a problem, many people believe it is easier to avoid it than actually deal with it. Wharton's theme shown here is very evident and true. This is just one theme of many that are present in her work.
Wharton's work is very well-written and has made me a big fan of her writing. Her way of expressing the themes of her writing is very unique and informative. I believe that Ethan Frome is a wonderful novel with great themes and concepts.

Don't read this one if you're looking for a happy ending. Luckily, I knew ahead of time that it was comparable to a Greek tragedy. I probably wouldn't have read it if it hadn't been such a short book (99 pages). But, I figured that I could easily give up such a small amount of time for a classic. I enjoyed Edith Wharton's writing style, and will probably read more of her works.

The narrator, who is nameless throughout the story, comes from New England. The carpenters happened to go on strike and left the narrator, a labor negotiator, jobless. He becomes stranded in a small town called Starkfield and eventually he boards with Ethan Frome. The narrator is mystified by the mysterious local townsman called Ethan Frome. Ethan Frome, the protagonist of the story, lives on an unpretentious farm in Starkfield, Massachusetts. He hastily married, his cousin Zenobia Pierce, to fill a void from the premature death of his mother. His spouse soon develops an illness that seemingly traps him in a commitment for life. Ethan's luck and efficiency runs low as the farm soon begins to deteriorate. Ethan's only refuge from his arduous life is his fantasy about his wife's cousin, Mattie Silver. Mattie Silver, the antagonist of the story, comes to assist the Frome's during Zeena's illness. Mattie comes from a poorer family, which shows as she becomes a burden to the Fromes. She had never had any formal house training or nursing skills. Mattie served as pleasure to Ethan but was a nuisance to Zeena. Zenobia Frome (Zeena) assisted Ethan while his mother was dying. After her marriage with Ethan she had become ill. Zeena is interested about treatment for her illness but in the future refuses an operation because she is skeptical about hospitals. Zeena is alienated by the undesired company of Mattie in her house. She is jealous of the time Mattie and Ethan spend together. Significant settings in the novel are the Frome house and Varnum Hill. The Frome residence serves as an important part of the novel because it houses all of the main characters. It is technically a house, but it also serves as a prison cell. It is a cell to Ethan because of his responsibility to keep the farm in good shape as it has been in his family for generations. Zeena considers the house a cell because she is isolated there with her illness in there as she watches her body and marriage slowly but painfully deteriorate. Mattie also finds the house to be a prison because it reminds her of the fact that she could never open-heartedly have Ethan. When Ethan and Mattie finally are alone, without Zeena, the house reminds them of their guilt because of Zeena's illness. At the end of the novel the cell theory proves true. Ethan, Mattie, and Zeena are locked in the house together rarely having visitors or speak of the incident that happened between them. Varnum Hill is the most significant setting in the novel. It serves as the setting where we first meet Ethan and Mattie and they reveal their attraction to each other. It will also be the last time we see any attraction between the two. It represents the beginning and the end of their relationship. Varnum Hill also represents where we encounter the romance in our story. All of the real intimate moments such as when Ned Hale and Ruth Varnum were kissing and Mattie and Ethan proclaimed their love, always happened on the hill. Varnum Hill is a romantic symbol in the book. Symbols play a big role in the Ethan Frome tale. When we initially were introduced to Mattie in the book, she was wearing a distinctive cherry red scarf. Later in the book she wears a red ribbon in her hair during dinner. The red color on Mattie shows reality to Ethan. The red scarf reminds him that he cannot be with Mattie because he is married to another. When she wears the red ribbon to dinner, he feels as if they are a married couple but the ribbon always shocks him back to reality. The cat in the story represents Zeena's venom even though she is not present. The cat oddly sat in Zeena's vacant chair during dinner and broke the pickle dish. The cat also secretly watches Ethan and Mattie's every action when they are alone. It almost seems as if the cat is Zeena's eyes. When Zeena scolded Mattie for breaking the pickle dish, it really was not over the pickle dish itself. She really was upset about her marriage and how it seems as if it broke too. The story carried an implied metaphor about a sleigh. The sleigh represents fate and how you can only steer your fate so much, but when there are bumps one cannot avoid, you end up taking them head on. Ethan has a variety of different conflicts throughout the book. Ethan battles his desire frequently. Every time he tries to ward off the desired Mattie, he constantly has to remind himself of Zeena. In the end, his desire was too strong and he proclaimed his love to Mattie by taking the plunge down the hill. Ethan and Zeena are subtle about the way they quarrel over Mattie. Instead of fighting they would take hurtful jabs at each other. Zeena wants to get rid of Mattie because she harbors evil feelings over their affair. She cleverly does not speak plainly about those feelings. She instead states that Mattie is an incompetent worker and wants a new nurse. Ethan knows Zeena's plans and tries to come to Mattie's defense by complaining that they do not have enough money to afford an another nurse. Zeena gives the final blow by explaining that if Mattie is replaced the expenses would remain the same. Ethan has no rebuttal and therefore backs down for now. The most obvious conflict is in the end when Ethan tried to hit the Elm tree head on. As they were gliding down the hill at the last second, the sled swerves slightly so that they hit the tree, but not head on, or hard enough to kill them. Ethan does a lot of fighting in this story but unfortunately he also does a lot of losing. The story of Ethan Frome is bittersweet. Mattie and Ethan ended up together but it was not what they were expecting. It strangely resembles the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. The lovers both could not be together or apart without hurting themselves or someone else. Both pairs of lovers thought that taking their lives was the only way out of their sad state of affairs. Sadly, this is where the stories differ in the fact that Mattie and Ethan did not die, they were deformed together forever. My only question to the author Wharton is why did Zeena in the end let Mattie and Ethan back in the house to live together again? I think she sees the guilt in Ethan but despite that fact still wants to care for her husband in his time of need. Even though he committed adultery when his wife was very ill, I feel pity for him by the end of the novel. My pity or sympathy comes from the fact that Ethan is a human being with faults and vulnerable human emotions. I relate to his indiscretion and do not judge him as a caring person.

Unhappily married to a hypochondriac wife, imprisoned in a small town, never able to study as he wanted, Ethan Frome is given hope by the young and vivacious Matti Silver . An orphan she comes to take care of the Frome household. Wharton tells the story of Frome and Silver's relationship , their restraint as their feelings grow more powerful towards each other, in a compelling way. The tragic denoument in which their never realized love leads not to freedom but to deeper frustration makes this a truly cheerless work.

"Ethan Frome" kept me in the dark the entire time I was reading until the very last page. The narrator, who remains nameless throughout the novel, introduces the reader to Ethan Frome, the main character, and tells the reader of his "smash-up." He describes the scars on his face and how Ethan's right leg is shorter than the left, and I was compelled to read the entire book to find out what the "smash-up" was and why it happened. After the introduction from the narrator's point of view, chapter one takes you twenty years back in time and begins to tell the story of Ethan's poor, miserable life, which is the main portion of the book. You learn about his wife Zeena, whom he quickly married when his mother died because he couldn't imagine being alone. Mattie Silver, Zeena's cousin, comes to the home to care for Zeena when she becomes weak with prolonged illness. Ethan quickly falls in love with the younger, more beautiful Mattie, and is surprised to find she loves him too. But he is unable to pursue a relationship due to his marriage and his poverty. At the end of the novel, Ethan and Mattie make a desperate attempt to avoid having to separate forever. The outcome of this final attempt results in Ethan's "smash-up" and ends up binding them both to Zeena for the rest of their pitiful lives. I will not tell you what happened because it was the great suspense that drove me to read and made the ending so powerful.

Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, is a story within a story telling the life of a man named Ethan Frome. The opening of the book begins with a narrator on a business trip in the town where Ethan lives. Ethan even interacts with the narrator, which leads him to question Ethan's life further. This is what leads into the story within the story. Ethan Frome is married to a woman named Zenobia, or Zeena. Zeena was the nurse for Ethan's father and after he passed away, they married only to avoid a lonely life. They live a miserable life together until Zeena's young, beautiful, and outgoing cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to live with them as a helper around the house. Before long, Ethan falls in love with this new and exciting woman. Ethan spends time everyday dreaming about what it would be like to be with Mattie. He helps her with all her chores and tries to sneak in extra time alone with her. Life is pretty content for Ethan until one evening, Mattie breaks Zeena's glass dish from her wedding. Zeena is so angry with Mattie that she finds a way to make sure she leaves their home. Zeena uses the excuse of her poor health to send Mattie away and hire a more useful worker. This news is almost like the end of the world to Ethan.
One evening, Ethan and Mattie bring the book to its climax. They talk about running away together and being in love. This is when the accident happens. Ethan and Mattie are sledding down a steep hill with a large oak tree at the bottom. They decide that they would rather kill themselves than have to be separated. Unfortunately, the crash was not hard enough. They both survive, but severely injured. The book ends with Ethan and Mattie living under Zeena's care. Ethan and Mattie betray Zeena for having a secret relationship and they all end up living a miserable life.

Ethan Frome was written by Edith Wharton. I thought the bool was slow going at first and i did not think i was going to enjoy the book to much. The author had teh book moving slow, because the first part of the book was coming from the narrators point of view and mind. The narrator took his time telling us who this man Ethan Frome was and why he was important in the story. ethan was a quiet and odd man to me. He had a smashed up face and was not very sociable if you were to pass him on the street. Ethan had a hard life as a farmer and where they lived farming was not a big part of life, so why he was a farmer wa unclear to me. I did not enjoy te book as much as i had inticipated. I heard the book was good so i was expecting something different out of the book. Zeena was quite crabby so when she was in the parts of the book i did not enjoy it to much either. this is because she seemed to make the other characters around her crabby as well. I did not mind the book once it got going ad had developed more of a setting and inttoduced more characters. Ethan fell in love with Mattie and I was disappointed that they did not end up together. I thought it would have been a good ending. The way the book ended made me mad because it went from them drivig to the flats to them all living miserable together. It was wierd that Mattie went along witj attempting suicide because it was nto of her nature usually. overall the book was not the worst but I expected more of the book. I was suprised too that Zeena was not ill and that she ended up taking care of Ethan and Mattie as well. I guess if nothing else came out of this ending, at least Zeena realized how hard it was to look after someone and that they all survived. Even though they all were miserable, I enjoyed the book when it was faster paced. Ethan Frome was not my favorite book but the ending had a twist that was unexpected. i would have liked it to end with them all finally being happy with their lives.

Though the book itself is light and easily pocketable, the story is much the opposite. The weight of this story sat with me for days while I tried to decide if I thought it was a hopeful or tragic story.

I've decide it's somewhere in the middle...the underlying hope that the main character, Ethan Frome, has makes the story that much more heart breaking. (You may not find it easily on the first read, but read it again, and it starts to shine through)

In Ethan Frome, Wharton gives us a tremondous lesson about obligation, loyalty, and most of all about love minus rose colored sunsets and happily ever afters.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Word of warning, though when I tried to read it a few years ago, I was daunted by it's bleakness. After picking it up again, I've come to cherish it. If you don't immediately love it, read it again and let it sit with you.

I have always had this strange obsession about Ethan Frome. It's very different from Edith Wharton's other novels. This is a very depressing story about love, marriage, duty, desire, and morality. It's a quick read and unbelievably gloomy. But, it's amazingly well-written and captivating. I highly recommend it!

I love Edith Wharton, but honestly I don't understand why Ethan Frome is considered one of her best works.

Firstly, reading it, I felt like I'd already heard this story before. This novella about a man who is confined by his social status and unhappy marriage, and unable to realize his desires - be that a different profession or marriage to a different woman - is just all too familiar. Of course, Wharton's writing is as always remarkable, but the story itself is not impressive. Maybe my coldness towards it has something to do with the fact that I can't muster any compassion for the characters. Ethan is weak, unable to stand up to his wife or own up to his own responsibilities. Zeena - his hypochondriac wife who finds her only pleasure in taunting him. Mattie - a helpless girl who has an eye on her cousin's husband. I don't know, these people's problems just seem too melodramatic to me.

And secondly, I can't really take this novella seriously, because let's face it, the setting and the characters are well beyond the Wharton's scope of knowledge and thus never ring true.

Overall, a decent, albeit overpraised read. I much prefer Wharton's works which deal with the subjects more familiar to her: The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, The Custom of the Country.

Here I am at age 75 and had never read this book, though I had read House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence--both since age 65! I was introduced to Wharton by my wife and took to her immediately (as I was introduced to and took to Willa Cather late in life. Of course, my wife is not a professional academic and can read what she wants. This novel took me over from the first page. Wharton's masterly inweaving of the metaphor of snow and bitter cold into the tale of a bitterly cold relationship between a generous and kind husband and his bitter, hard, manipulative wife gripped and overwhelmed me, as did the role of the hapless and innocent Mattie. In 150 pages we have one of the great works of American fiction. Why do I let people talk me into reading trash, like the Da Vinci code?

Ethan Frome was well written with some great symbolism, but didn't really have much of a story. This book could have been summed up in 20 pages. It had this little story that was stretched out for about 200 pages, which made it really boring. It goes by really slow with little going on. "The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton is much better. If you're going to read one of her books, you should read that over "Ethan Frome".

This book is a sad tale of lives gone terribly wrong, and people who had potential but couldn't use it due to illnesses. The unrequited romance between Ethan and Mattie, the sickness of Zeena, the botched suicide attempt, and the life on a cold, unproductive New England farm made the book very very depressing, and overall was a representation of stagnation.

A very hard book to get into. I had to read it for school, and found it to be a chore. Despite the tragedies that are otherwise interesting, yet disturbing, Edith Warton unfortunately presents them in a bland, and rather impersonal manner. It has been hailed as a great novel, but I wouldn't call it essential reading.

I think Ethan Frome is a pretty amazing book. I thought that by reading an older book, I wouldn't be able to understand what's going on or that Edith Wharton was going to use big English words that I didn't understand. But she didn't. I didn't want to put this novel down. I read it in 3 days. All I could imagine was what was going to happen next and especially how it was going to end. These are the kind of stories I like to read about. Although I loved the book, I must say I hated the ending. First of all, the last line was horrible. What am I supposed to take from that? What does it mean? And I was very disappointed in the fact that Mattie and Ethan tried to commit suicide but she became paralyzed (or something-I'm not even sure) and he became detached from the rest of the world. I think the ending could have been much better. It was very unexpected. But other than that, I loved the book! Thanks Edith Wharton!

Despite what you might read above, Ethan Frome is a masterpiece of the naturalistic form. As you must know through study, determinism is the doctrine that man's actions and mental activities are governed by causes outside his own will. In this case, because Edith Wharton was a naturalistic writer, Ethan Frome's whole life was controlled by his heredity and his environment. This interpretive fiction is also a great example of the omniesent point of view. The author chose all of the images superbly while writing this piece.
The setting is winter because nothing is alive in winter and because it is so bleak and impassable. The protagonist (Ethan) is a ruin of a man. Wharton portrays him perfectedly through her writing. He is emasculatory. He has no children nor does he frolic at any time with children or possess any fartherly or masculine traits other than hard work. The antagonist (Zeena) is sickly, bloodless, and flat chested. She is hardly the picture of a woman, nor is she the picture of life. Mattie (the bone of contention) is the picture of life, she is the picture of hope; However, hope in a frozen hell is hardly hope at all.
This book has so much to offer to the observant reader it hardly seems necessary to give away the ending or the plot. The point is, this story is about man's inability to overcome heredity and his environment. And Ms. Wharton does this masterfully.

I think that the high school students who felt that they had "Ethan Frome" pressured upon them don't appreciate the message that Edith Wharton is trying to express or didn't read the book. Here is an excellent book that any teenager, no matter how much they hate to read, can relate to. Ethan and Mattie's unexpressable love is easy to understand and is brought to one of the highest emotional peaks of any book that I have ever read. Imagine being young and passionate while married to a wife who is seven years your senior, depressingly dull and constantly sick. Her beautiful cousin who is there to help about the house, falls in love with you and you're absolutely unable to express your love in any way at all. Who can't relate (or at least imagine that they can relate) to that? Edith Wharton knows the essence of human love and expresses it vividly and emotionally in "Ethan Frome."

Edith Wharton gives us a beautiful gift with Ethan Frome. She paints such vivid, lovely, yet desperate images with words; you can envision the blue colors of the snow of New England so clearly. The greatest strength of this novella is its character portrayal. Wharton makes the reader care so much for Ethan and Mattie...and even feel the great sadness of Zeena's life. The reader leaves this story with a greater amount of compassion for the needs and longings of fellow humans.

Ethan Frome was a pretty good book. I really liked the way Edith Wharton described things in the book. Instead of Zeena's house being dark and gloomy, she wrote, "the shutterless windows of the house were dark. A dead cucumber-vine dangled from the porch like the crape streamer tied to the door for a death." I actually felt cold when I read the descriptions about Ethan and Mattie walking home in the snow or when they were sledding. I also liked how the characters seemed real and believable. Zeena is negative, sickly and unpleasant. Ethan is trapped and looking for happiness. Mattie needs someone to care about her. I also think the plot was interesting and very ironic because instead of escaping his unhappiness, Ethan and Mattie make things much worse in the end.
I did not like the book in some ways because it is very slow moving and seemed to get too romantic. It's a pretty depressing book, too. There are a lot of references to death, and I felt really bad for Ethan at the end of the book. His life was miserable before Mattie, and much worse after trying to escape his life with Zeena by trying to commit suicide with Mattie. I'm glad it's only a book and not a true story.
This may be a good chick-flick book, but it only rates a 3 as a book for a guy.

For starters, nothing good happens in this book. Why is it that books assigned to schoolkids (statistically the most likely to commit suicide and suffer from depression) are usually relentlessly depressing? I found this novel extremely hard to get through, not just because of its dark subject matter but because I wanted to run, screaming, from these characters and the setting.
BTW, I also hated the Great Gatsby, so there.
I give it two stars because the quality of the writing is pretty high, but this is a book few (sadists?) would read for enjoyment.

In Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton , the world is simple, yet confusing. Throughout the book Ethan struggles with the forbidden love for Mattie, while also trying to love and support his sick wife, Zeena. Wharton's detailed depitction od a struggling male mind is phneonmenal and unusual. Wharton goes down to the essence of Ethan's feelings.
The book starts out with a hint of sexual tension and gradually escalates to Ethan finally grabbing Mattie in his arms and saying he feels deeply for her. Once Mattie declares her love for Ethan a reader will finally feel serene and content and will predict a typical ending. Wharton however does not right a conventional ending, and I think readers may be disapointed.
I feel that the book is well thought out and, for the period it was written, very sandalous. The book really impressed me except for the ending. I feel it ends abruptly and that I did not have time to fully understand and realize the severity of what had happened. Overall, however, the book was fabulous.

Once in a while you have to put down those current novels, and read some classic literature. And Edith Wharton is one of the best.
This story takes place in the cold, bleak winter farmlands of Massachusetts. Ethan Frome, a poor farmer, has a hard life tending to his land, trying to make a meager living, and also taking care of his ungrateful, demanding, sickly wife, Zeena. When her cousin, Mattie, comes to help her, Ethan's life changes completely. He falls deeply in love with Mattie. This being the 1800's, he must endure the stifling conventions of that era's society also. There love for each other proves to be a fascinating story.
I loved this book. This is a story that will definitely take you away. You'll actually feel you are there. Edith's detail description of the scenery and landscape of that time are truly vivid. I found myself pausing from my reading to look outside to see if it was actually snowing. I highly suggest you find time to read "Edith Wharton's books, you'll be grateful. I certainly was!

This story is the type that you could read when you are bored. "Ethan Frome" is intresting and you do get attached to the characters. The story plot is alright, but it could have expanded more. I liked the moral it was trying to teach. I got the idea that the moral of the story was to be careful of who you marry and marry when you are really in love. The ending had alot of irony in it. I mean, Zeena was barely capable of standing her own illness, and than she was left incharge of taking care of both Mattie and Ethan. If Ethan was smarter and would have thought of the situation more throughly, he and Mattie wouldn't end up the way they did. He has always lived a bitter, miserable life, and his actions with Mattie weren't any better. Overall, the story was pretty decent. I did enjoy it some what, but I really didn't like the ending.

I read this book because it was recommended to me. I can't imagine why. It has all the emotions of a rock, has no depth, nor did it strike my interest in any way. For nearly the entire book, I found myself criticizing the main characters for their lameness and stupidity. It is now taking up space somewhere in a corner, and will probably remain there until it turns to dust. There was only one good thing about this book: it was short.

In the snowy town of Starkfield, Massachusetts, live Ethan Frome and his wife, Zeena. While Zeena is ill-stricken, Ethan finds comfort and friendship in their housekeeper, young Mattie Silver. The book portrays poverty and dull routine, the claustophobia of village life, lack of communication, and illicit love as its major themes. Edith Wharton uses the sense of fatality as the major case of symbolism. She writes of winter dreariness, the bareness of the Frome farmhouse, and the insufficiency of Ethan's sawmill to properly portray her thoughts. If you enjoy reading about forbidden love, such as Romeo and Juliet, then Ethan Frome is for you. However, be careful, because the use of British language can make it tough to read if you don't have an open mind, or if you're looking for something not-so-serious.

Ethan Frome is a tragic figure and his situation is timeless. There are obstacles facing him on every side - a barren farm, customers who don't pay for goods from his sawmill and a devious and allegedly sickly wife. Wharton does an excellent job of adding another obstacle with her descriptions of isolated, narrow minded New England of the last century. A great read. Hard to believe that anything so classic could be such a page turner.

Half romance, half psychological horror story. Has an unexpected, unusual ending. Ethan Frome's wife is the wicked soul-destroying villain I'll never forget. Definitely not for the reader who is in the middle of a depression. Author has great powers of description and tension building skill.

This book is completely different from all the other Edith Wharton societal commentaries. Ethan Frome is stark in the handling of its characters and in the narration of the story.

I particularly enjoyed the evocative description of winter in new hampshire. It seemed to be depicted through the eyes of one who truly appreciates beauty even in its grayest tones.

The story however is very heartbreaking and haunting. I read it many months ago, but keep recalling parts of the book or aspects of its characters. Definitely unforgettable.

Title: Ethan Frome Author: Edith Warton In this book there are a few main characters Ethan Frome, Zeena, Mattie and Jotham Powell. Ethan and Mattie can be called the protagionists and Zeena and Jotham can be called the antagonists. Ethan works in a lumber yard where he cuts trees and ships them to places. Mattie is the housekeeper for Ethan and Zeena (they're married). Jotham is a co-worker with Ethan. This book is set in winter and during a time with no electricity. In this novel, Ethan is in love with Mattie and wants to leave with Zeena, but since Zeena is ill, she could not make it on her own. Ethan tries to spend dquality time with Mattie, but that is very difficult. One day when Zeena needs to go to a special doctor, Ethan asks Jotham to take her so he can spend time with Mattie, but makes up an excuse and says he needs to collect money. When Zeena leaves, Ethan works but when he gets home, he sees that Jotham is there with Mattie which makes him very mad. Zeena was a very idealistic character. She was always looking for attention and was not happy until she got it. Ethan made a big mistake when he said that he will stay with Zeena because now his life will never change. one thing strange about this book, is that there wasn't really any family relationship. Something I think would have been a big plus. I did not really like this book because it was very cold-hearted. Zeena always complained about little things which made it very annoying. There was also a lot of secret hatred in the book which the characters did not show, but you could sense it. There was some conflict with self in the book on the decisions that Ethan made. I thought his decisions were not the smart ones but I canot change that. I'm not a book critic, but to me the book wasn't what I expected it to be. I'm not stopping anyone from reading it, but I wouldn't recommend it. There wasn't really any good points in the book. At times the book could become confusing. There were some points in the book that there were hard to understand. I would give this book one star.

I am fascinated by the way the author portrays Ethan Frome. She begins the novel from the view of a visitor to the little town of Starkfield. This visitor is intrigued by the solemn, crippled man and gradually learns more of his life story. Ethan had previosuly married Zeena out of pure desperation for a human companion. Their marriage quickly turns stale. When Mattie comes to work as a housemaid, Ethan grows to love her upbeat spirit and cheerful attitude. He is then torn between loyalty to his wife and his love for Mattie. Zeena banishes Mattie from their home, causing Ethan to struggle with the decision whether to run away with her or not. This book clearly shows the importance of love. It was a fairly easy read, and I would recommend it to anyone.

A classic tale of love and woe from early in our century. A typical cold, dreary winter in the Northeast is the setting for this tale of twisted emotions and allegiances. Wharton does an excellent job of setting the mood with her apt descriptions of the winter and the characters' moods. The unexpected love discovered by Ethan for Mattie causes his wife to become an obstacle to their happiness. An obstacle he tries to break through as it is symbolized in the tragic turn of events at the end of the novel. This haunting tale of lost love will hang with readers after finishing the novel.

This is a profoundly sad, often hopeless look at one man's life and the two women he is involved with. There is nothing in this novel to cheer the heart but the writing is textured and alluring. Certain sentences leap off the page to tug at your heart. Also, the twist at the end really does leave a reader surprised. Life can be like this book sadly enough.

That was what my 10th grade class called this novel when we had to wade through it. The plot, like so many of her stories, centers around an impossible love which ends without consummation of any sort. The book drags in a vast white expanse of New England snow and hopelessness. In a time where women are usually the ones "trapped" into marriage, it was interesting to see the tables turned for poor Ethan, but overall the story seemed contrived and predictable with an overly melodramatic end. I feel very lucky that I tried other Edith Wharton novels after reading this one first, as I would have missed out on a fantastic view into the inner workings of high society through the Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. This is arguably her worst novel and I would advise steering clear. The most interesting aspect any of us in our class could light upon was all the color symbolism. In the white snowy expanse of the environment every color had a meaning even down to the color of Mattie's hair ribbon. Still not enough to justify the time spent unfortunately. Sorry Edith....

I hated this book! It was to hard to follow, the story line was boring and hard to understand! This is what i would have said if i read this book as a teenager, like most do in high school. I was introduced to this book as an adult in my thirty-something's.
"Ethan Frome" is full of the same life struggles that we all face today, not only in making a living but, also in love and family duty's. What makes this a sad story is the fact that Ethan's longing for education and not being able to complete it. His whole life is ruled by his family duty and the lack of money. You start to wonder what life might had been like for Ethan if he was a man of mean's
I loved this book because i could see alot of myself in some of the struggle's Ethan incountered. I would recomend this book to everyone!

Edith Wharton's masterpiece is a dramatic story that takes us into the most private recesses of a remote New England village. Astonishing for its beauty and simplicity, this novel of great love shadowed by tragedy is a genuine American classic.--Diana Dell, compiler, "Memorable Quotations: American Women Writers of the Past."

Edith Wharton is a master of the dark literature that will haunt the reader for days after completion of one of her works.
As is the style of Wharton Ethan Frome is a wonderful story which each reader takes away something different. The "Anthesis Theory" is the one best describing this novel. Every one of the characters has an alter ego, Mattie and Zeena, Ethan and the Narrator. That is what posssibly makes this story so sad.
To read anything Edith Wharton wrote is to read a work of art.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was a really interesting. When you first start reading the book, it's not that interesting. But as the story progresses, the book gets better and better. Ethan Frome is about the love story of Ethan Frome, Zeena Frome, and Mattie, Zeena's cousin. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, but Zeena wants her to go, so Mattie and Ethan try to commit suicide but it fails. Edith writing at times was boring and at times interesting. I would overall recommend it though, because of the interesting story.

The story of Ethan Frome is a wonderful story that pretty much everyone can relate to. A love for something, or in this case, someone, which cannot be proclaimed due to responsibilities that society has outlined. This book delves deep into the meaning of these two ideas, Passion vs. Responsibility and actually makes you rethink both of them.

When I first picked up this book, I figured it would just be a quick easy read. This was true for the most part in that it was a quick and easy read, but the way Edith Wharton has been able to take everyday simple elements and turn them into something so much more was simply extraordinary. I soon found myself not being able to put the book down until I had finished the entire thing and I was very pleased with the roller coaster of emotions this book presented me with. Once you start reading, you actually feel as if you have taken the place of Ethan Frome and are always just waiting to see what will happen next. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a nice easy read or for anyone interested in symbolism because there is plenty of it. Ethan Frome is simply put... a fantastic story and a must read!

When my english teacher told us we had to read Ethan Frome, I believed that is was going to be boring. To my surprise it was interesting and caught my attention from the start. The book had a surprise ending because Ethan ended up living with both Zeena and Mattie. In the end it was ironic because all three turned into the person they disliked. Ethan became cranky just like Zeena, Mattie became paralyzed which meant she had to depend on someone like Zeena did in the start and Zeena had to take care of Mattie like Mattie took care of her in the start. In concluson I recommend this book to readers who like sad love stories. Another thing I liked about this book is that you could picture this happening to someone in the world or like this situation.

This is a profoundly sad, often hopeless look at one man's life and the two women he is involved with. There is nothing in this novel to cheer the heart but the writing is textured and alluring. Certain sentences leap off the page to tug at your heart. Also, the twist at the end really does leave a reader surprised. Life can be like this book sadly enough.

That was what my 10th grade class called this novel when we had to wade through it. The plot, like so many of her stories, centers around an impossible love which ends without consummation of any sort. The book drags in a vast white expanse of New England snow and hopelessness. In a time where women are usually the ones "trapped" into marriage, it was interesting to see the tables turned for poor Ethan, but overall the story seemed contrived and predictable with an overly melodramatic end. I feel very lucky that I tried other Edith Wharton novels after reading this one first, as I would have missed out on a fantastic view into the inner workings of high society through the Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. This is arguably her worst novel and I would advise steering clear. The most interesting aspect any of us in our class could light upon was all the color symbolism. In the white snowy expanse of the environment every color had a meaning even down to the color of Mattie's hair ribbon. Still not enough to justify the time spent unfortunately. Sorry Edith....

I hated this book! It was to hard to follow, the story line was boring and hard to understand! This is what i would have said if i read this book as a teenager, like most do in high school. I was introduced to this book as an adult in my thirty-something's.
"Ethan Frome" is full of the same life struggles that we all face today, not only in making a living but, also in love and family duty's. What makes this a sad story is the fact that Ethan's longing for education and not being able to complete it. His whole life is ruled by his family duty and the lack of money. You start to wonder what life might had been like for Ethan if he was a man of mean's
I loved this book because i could see alot of myself in some of the struggle's Ethan incountered. I would recomend this book to everyone!

Edith Wharton's masterpiece is a dramatic story that takes us into the most private recesses of a remote New England village. Astonishing for its beauty and simplicity, this novel of great love shadowed by tragedy is a genuine American classic.--Diana Dell, compiler, "Memorable Quotations: American Women Writers of the Past."

Edith Wharton is a master of the dark literature that will haunt the reader for days after completion of one of her works.
As is the style of Wharton Ethan Frome is a wonderful story which each reader takes away something different. The "Anthesis Theory" is the one best describing this novel. Every one of the characters has an alter ego, Mattie and Zeena, Ethan and the Narrator. That is what posssibly makes this story so sad.
To read anything Edith Wharton wrote is to read a work of art.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton was a really interesting. When you first start reading the book, it's not that interesting. But as the story progresses, the book gets better and better. Ethan Frome is about the love story of Ethan Frome, Zeena Frome, and Mattie, Zeena's cousin. Ethan falls in love with Mattie, but Zeena wants her to go, so Mattie and Ethan try to commit suicide but it fails. Edith writing at times was boring and at times interesting. I would overall recommend it though, because of the interesting story.

The story of Ethan Frome is a wonderful story that pretty much everyone can relate to. A love for something, or in this case, someone, which cannot be proclaimed due to responsibilities that society has outlined. This book delves deep into the meaning of these two ideas, Passion vs. Responsibility and actually makes you rethink both of them.

When I first picked up this book, I figured it would just be a quick easy read. This was true for the most part in that it was a quick and easy read, but the way Edith Wharton has been able to take everyday simple elements and turn them into something so much more was simply extraordinary. I soon found myself not being able to put the book down until I had finished the entire thing and I was very pleased with the roller coaster of emotions this book presented me with. Once you start reading, you actually feel as if you have taken the place of Ethan Frome and are always just waiting to see what will happen next. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a nice easy read or for anyone interested in symbolism because there is plenty of it. Ethan Frome is simply put... a fantastic story and a must read!

When my english teacher told us we had to read Ethan Frome, I believed that is was going to be boring. To my surprise it was interesting and caught my attention from the start. The book had a surprise ending because Ethan ended up living with both Zeena and Mattie. In the end it was ironic because all three turned into the person they disliked. Ethan became cranky just like Zeena, Mattie became paralyzed which meant she had to depend on someone like Zeena did in the start and Zeena had to take care of Mattie like Mattie took care of her in the start. In concluson I recommend this book to readers who like sad love stories. Another thing I liked about this book is that you could picture this happening to someone in the world or like this situation.

Edith Wharton's book Ethan Frome is a good book. Many people can relate to Ethan's situation of loving someone else, when they are already married to somebody. This plot is very captivating and because of this the reader connects with the characters. The characters in the story are very relatable, for example Ethan's shyness toward telling Mattie that he loved her, this relates to some guys today. To make the story more interesting Ethan should have followed through with his plans of running away to stay with Mattie. I also thought it a surprise that all three of the main characters Ethan, Zeena and Mattie ended up living together at the end of the book. I recommend this book to anyone but more toward women because its a love story.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I really liked Mattie's character and sometimes I liked Ethan's character as well. However I couldn't help but notice that Ethan isn't a real man. What man would let his wife make life changing decisions without him? Especially if her choice really didn't sit well with him? If I had been Mattie I would have dumped Mr. Frome for a real man. Of all the low, cowardly, spineless people I have ever read about Ethan's character reigns supreme. However the second to last Chapter (when Mattie and Ethan talk about their love for one another) made me cry. A book had never made me cry before and I never understood people who cried over books. But this book made me cry. However the end was horrible! I didn't expect a happy ending, but I mean come on! I don't want to spoil the book so I won't talk about it but geez! What a way to end a book!

I listened to this book on tape during my long commute to work and found myself mesmerized to the point that I almost felt myself a hazzard. More than once during the books most intense parts I made myself eject the tap so that I might gather my thoughts. This book moved me, the emotions described are so raw and the feellings so beautifully described that I was deeply touched.
That said, this book is not for the week at heart. Once you have read (or listened to) this, your next book will have to be lighter. I know I just might go with a Dr. Suess book next.

I liked this book a lot. It was very interesting, and it can relate to a lot of people these days. My opinion is that you have to fall in love with somebody first and then think about marriage, and Ethan didn't love Zeena at all, he just did it because he didn't have any way to pay her back for taking care of his sick mother. Later on in the marriage he fell in love with another girl(Mattie) that came to help out in the house because Zeena was sick. Ethan and Mattie kept on hiding their relationship from Zenna for a long time until they both had an accident and Zenna had to take care of both of them.

This is a good book. Not a great one, a good one. It portrays a winter landscape and a small town. Unfortunately, the characters of the small town are flat. The main character is a ponderous middle-aged man who has had an unlucky life. I enjoyed the book, which I read in about 3 hrs. The ending isn't 'enough,' somehow, and I was left feeling like something more had needed to be said. I do intend to read more of Wharton, if only to say that I have.

Also, it's quite a quick read for anyone wishing to re-enter the world of classic literature. Ethan is a young man in a marriage of convenience to a woman (Zeena) who is constantly sick and unable to do much to take care of herself. It is a loveless, burdensome marriage. He falls in love with Zeena's cousin (Mattie) who is staying with them in order to help out, and because she needs a place to live. Tragic results ensue when Zeena attempts to rid herself of Mattie and take on a new hired girl.

I highly recommend this.

This book was awesome! Its super short so I'm not going to say anything about the plot. If you are a romantic you should probably steer away from this book. Otherwise this book is fantastic!!! I am telling everyone I know to read it.

A great story of wasted love, compassion, and the eagerness of men to escape from their "prisons." Description of the landscape in relation to the mood of every scene is masterful. The unspeakable pain Ethan and Mattie have to suffer is unbearably heart-wrenching. Surprising and revealing ending.

The novel, Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, is set in a snowy landscape of New England in the nineteenth century. Ethan Frome, which is the main character, takes care of his house, farm, and sick wife, Zeena. Zeena's cousin, Mattie has come to live with them and care for the house and Zeena as she fights her way to recovery. Ethan has a hard time with this because he was starting to fall in love with this young lady, which took place when Zeena left to find out that she was suffering from a kidney disease. Ethan knowing it is morally wrong, wants to be with Mattie more than anything even if he gets publicly embarrassed.

A delightfully hideous tale of irony. Ethan Frome pulled at my heart as I imagined mimicking his life of self-torture and imprisonment. Edith Wharton's attention to detail and description in Frome's setting extracted my soul and placed it poignantly in early 20th century New England. A must read for everyone.

Hi my name is J.T. I'm currently a freshman in high school.I began reading a little more this year, not only because I have for English class but for my own enjoyment and pleasure. About a week ago I started to read Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. My teacher said that this has been a book that has read for many years even when she was in high school. Let me tell you this was a very book but what I didnt understand is what the red pickle dish symbolized.I will remember through high school and I hope to purchase this book as soon as possible. If you have read this book and would like to fill me in please do and e-mail me at [email protected]

I am not a big reader, but I have to confess, this is one of the best books that I have ever read through out my lifetime. If you are looking for an undercover love story, than Ethan Frome is without a doubt, the perfect book for you. I do not usually give too many books 4 stars, but I feel that this book was extrodinary. It had everything that I perfect book should have.Great imagery, great theme, great wording, and great charecters. To conclue this statement, if you are looking for a wonderful storry to read in your spare time, then you should definately pick up Ethan Frome.

I believe that this story brings you into a different setting that you might not be in at the time. When I first started to read the book, it became very uninteresting and I couldn't concentrate at all. But as soon as I got up to the part "All his life was lived in the sight and sound of Mattie Silver, and he could no longer conceive of its being otherwise," I knew that I was in for a story that would have me urging not to put the book down until I found out the denouement.

To tell you guys and gals the truth, when I got to the end of the book, I had mixed feeling about the book. I told myself that sometimes satisfaction that you want to attain, might end up being the suffering you deserve. Also, the second and last thing I thought, was that the life we have now, can be the life that we regret in the future.

This book is tremendously [bad]. The main character is whiney and unintersting and for some reason Wharton expects us to care about what happens to these whiney self indulgent charaacters. Rediculous. There is no pain except the unnecesary pain the caharcters put on themselves because they are so bored they have nothing better to do. New Englend must be awful.
The ending with the sled has to be the most triumphant and undoubtedly funny scenes in all of literature. I personally cheered and laughed out loud. Unfortunatly Wharton wrote it with a straigt face intending none of the humor that is there.

Ethan Frome was given to me many years ago, and remains a favorite. Probably the most spare, relentless and incredibly human story of unrequited love in American literature. The male point of view of an unfulfilled marriage is impeccably drawn by Edith Wharton, and the reader's sympathy for Ethan Frome grows with each page. Of course the New England winter setting adds the grip of cold and darkness to the fictional town of Starkfield, and the character of Mattie Silver so bright and warm in contrast to the worn and manipulative Zenobia -- one can not read this book without strongly felt heart activity.

Wow! This is the first book that I have ever read and then turned around and immediately began to read again. Powerful. Surprising. And such a poignant example of how the choices that we make can change our life forever. Ethan Frome, the man, is imbedded in my brain. Masterful. Don't bypass this one.

Ethan Frome is a good book about love. It describes a love story about a married guy who falls in love with someone else. At first he hid it from everyone until he could not take it any more. He felt it was wrong especially since his wife helped live through a lot probloms. Although he decided to run away with his new love. Toward the end he felt he could not deal with it and him and his love decided to die together. Their plan did not work and left them scared. ... I recomend this book to everyone who loves romance, but not to anyone who is depressed.

Sometimes look at the thousands of generic love novels resting on a shelf in K-mart. They are almost identical in form: each cover has a beautiful girl, and a well-built man with his shirt off. When you read them, all of the discriptions and allusions are the same, and the characters always have sex at the end. This disgusts me because true love is not expressed in these novels; only a popular common fantasy among housewives is. Ethan Frome is a far more sophisticated romance novel, for the far more sophisticated romantisizer.

This book had a very good plot. I liked it and reccomend it to anyone. The author writes it with alot of description of the characters and the setting. The story begins with the narrator having to meet Ethan Frome, the main character, by accident. The story then evolves on how Ethan is married to Zeena, but ends up falling in love with Zeena's cousin, Mattie. They try to flee together but both have an accident . Sad ending, but just a well written story that I just loved reading.

Yeah, I had to read it for an english class, which stinks in the first place because having to pick apart every novel you read in high school will discourage any kid from reading--and I'm on the Literary Mag! I have to admit, I saw the movie before the book, just because I love Liam, who played a wonderful Ethan. This book's other characters, you know besides Ethan Zeena and Mattie, were so flat and had no point. I really didn't understand who any of the other people in the book were accept maybe their jobs in the town. With that many flat characters, how can it be interesting? Only the end is enjoyable, and then when it goes back into the author's view, it becomes (and ends) boring again. See the movie.

I THINK ETHAN FROME WAS A GREAT BOOK BECAUSE THE AUTHOR EDITH WHARTON CREATES A CIRCLE OF EVENTS THAT CAUSES A EXAMPLE OF TRAGEDY. BUT WHEN ALL THE EVENTS ARE PUT TOGETHER IT BECOMESA DEEPER INTERNAL STRUGGLE FOR HAPPINESS AND LIFE. I THINK THE STORY SETS UP THE READER IN THE MELANCHOLY LIFE OF ETHAN FROME. THE ONLY BAD PART WAS WHEN ETHAN MARRIES HIS COUSIN ZENOBIA. THE PART I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY CRAZY WAS WHEN ETHAN AND MATTIE TRIED THE KILL THEMSELVES BY RIDING A SLED INTO A TREE.

I really enjoyed the novel Ethan Frome. The style that Wharton uses really gets the reader involved. The words she uses to describe the way Ethan and Mattie feel about eachother touch your heart. The way she makes Zeena seem, really makes you hate Zeena. Zeena is one of those characters that you just can't feel sorry for no matter how hard you try. Overall, the novel was very well written and really keeps you interested throughout.

Ethan Frome was a good story. Ethan Frome and Zeena were married to each other. Ethan Frome fell in love with another woman named Mattie Silver. Ethan Frome had to keep his love a secret because Mattie was Zeenas cousin and because he was married to Zeena. In the end Ethan and Mattie try to run away with each other. Ethan and Mattie crash into a tree as they were sledding down a hill. Mattie survived but Ethan died from the crash. I recommend this story because it teaches you many morals and it is written clearly.

If u enjoy reading tragic love stories then this is the book for you! This book bored me to death. It might be short but it takes forever to read! I rate this book two because it didn't go anywhere. It only took place at the farm and had only three characters. And what the heck was the pickle dish? The good thing about this book was the imagery. It is very descriptive.

I love Edith Wharton's work. I read it mostly for the mellifluous prose. This book, however, is dull in every sense. The prose are flat and spare. The story is flat and spare. And I hate it. It was boring. Usually her stories are engaging, interesting, and hard to put down. I knew when I bought this book it would be bad. I asked myself, "What the hell does Edith Wharton know about indigent peasants?" And after reading "Ethan Frome" I realized she knew nothing! Stick to the glittering affluent New York life that you knew and were a part of. I admire Edith Wharton's attempt to branch out and I'm sure she meant every word she wrote (since apparently her own marriage was falling apart), but the book is still boring. Read any other book by her, especially The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth.

This is an excellent book about heartbreak and what happens when you get what you ask for. It is the saddest story I ever read. This is a short story, but you will not be able to put it down once you start.

The blurb for this novella, and most of the reviews, seem to agree that nature-loving, gentle Ethan is a man who has experienced a hard, pitiless existence through no fault of his own. The only light in his life is his love for Mattie, which is thwarted by his manipulative and self-centred wife. Well! Let me press my thin lips together, and utter a merciless judgement on that little piece of nonsense!

The novel opens with the narration of a stranger to Starkville who sees about the village the tall, slightly crippled, gaunt and uncommunicative Ethan Frome. When circumstances conspire to have the narrator stay the night at the Frome homestead, the novel then continues with the story of Ethan, told from only Ethan's viewpoint. We learn of Ethan's pain, Ethan's anguish, Ethan's unrealized passion.

Given all the Ethan input, I have to say that I still sympathize with Zeena's position. She came to the isolated farm to nurse Ethan's dying mother, and subsequently Ethan felt lonely and asked her to marry him. Big mistake for Zeena! Once married, he found the older Zeena boring. When she talked to him, he didn't even bother to answer. Finally she stopped talking, started whining, became sickly and the communication stopped altogether. When her young cousin, Mattie, arrived to help in the household, Ethan mooned about, gazed adoringly at her, took an uncharacteristic interest in his own appearance and started helping out around the house. Surprise! Zeena gets annoyed! Duh!

Poor (literally) Mattie was only 20 years old and trapped in Frome household. Ethan was kind to her, gave her a lot of attention and, if you can trust the narratiom, she falls in love with Ethan. She was, after all, a young and impressionable girl who would freeze on kindness and perhaps weave romantic fantisies around that kindness. Ethan also encouraged the crush and fanticized about the possibilities of that emotion. Zeena, his wife, does what she can to put a stop to it. Of course.

It all ends in tragedy. Of course.

The women come out badly. Is it possible for a female writer to be a misogynist? Or is Wharton's intention to make us realize that both Zeena and Ethan are actually a victim of Ethan's romanticism.

I was surprised to receive this very thin, small novel, but within those 175 pages, Edith Wharton has woven a supremely delicate and beautiful tale. If you're looking to be taken away to another place and another time - but only have a few hours - this is the book for you! Anita Shreve's introduction is equally impressive.

The sledding scene in this book is memorable only because it's so awful. Who the heck tries to commit suicide on a sled? And Mattie bugged the crap out of me. But not nearly as much as Ethan. The story is populated by a whole bunch of people I could care less about. And, of course, in the end, there is still no real justice for Ethan's long-suffering wife. I was forced to read this book many years ago in high school and my disdain for it has not waned over the years. I truly cannot understand why it's considered a classic.

This is probably the worst book I have ever read (in terms of entertainment, I'm sure it might have some good lessons, but what's the point if you don't want to read the book?) I could not even finish it because it was so bad. Slow, depressing, and boring.

I hate this book more than any other I've read. Edith Wharton indulges herself in a meticulous catalog of imaginary human misery. It is, in it's way, the spiteful grandmother of all the modern fiction that rejoices in the pathetic dysfunction of annoying nobodies. Read it and you have wasted precious hours of your life that you could have spent seeking real joy.

This is the sort of book that makes people hate life. I mean, really, was there anything even remotely redeeming about this one? The only bright spot is when we were hoping the guy would become an adulterer and run away from his wife! That's not a good sign.

Don't read this one. It'll leave a bad taste in your mouth and suck the joy out of your day.

Ethan Frome paints a vivid portrait of the beauty that is wintertime New England. Unfortunately, that's about all it does right. I was surprised to find the lack of both interesting and sympathetic characters in a novel that appears to be a character study.

Ethan Frome, the protagonist, is selfish and cruel toward his wife's illness. At times I despised him more than any character due to his extreme self-centeredness. In fact, his only characteristic that I can almost relate to, a repressed intellectualism, is barely even mentioned.

Mattie Silver, Ethan's object of desire, is an underdeveloped character in the most extreme sense of the phrase. It is unclear what her motives and feelings are even by the end of the story. However, this underdevelopment may have been for the best. The little that we are told about Mattie only adds to the disenchanting strangeness and sloppiness of the book. Most of the time, she comes off at immature and thoughtless.

Zeena, the supposed antagonist, is actually the easiest character to feel for. But don't get me wrong, she's unlikable just like the rest of the characters.

Overall, I suggest you avoid this book if at all possible. It's a loppy book with no real purpose or message.

Ethan Frome is one of the "those books" that I will never understand. I suppose if what you desire to try and experience is darkness, despair, and pretty much complete abandonment of what makes the human spirit a thing of beauty then perhaps this is the book for you.

It focuses on characters who choose, when a "sledding accident" occurs, to wallow in the very depths of self-pity. What a wonderful (not) story to read... This book is effectively a "crime against the human spirit" and I find it hard to imagine how any author could pen such bleakness. I suppose that is the "attraction" of this book, those who desire a journey into the lives of people who have really chosen to not live anymore, just to exist and spread as much misery as they can. The fact that people do read this kind of "material" is a concern all to itself.

I've read literally thousands of books in my life, in all genres, and I can say without hesitation that Ethan Frome is one of the worst books I have ever read.

Recommendation: Avoid

This book is the downer of the century. Just when you think something is going to happen BAM!!!! the book is over. I accidently finished the book. Thats pathetic! Most fiction has a rising action that is not present in this book. Its a great book about nothing.

I believe this is one of if not the worst book ever writen. The stroy goes no where. It is the story of a sad man that does not teach us any thing useful. I believe the only reason someone should read this book is because the have to. If given a choice i would have picke any other book. Unargueably the worst book ever

I hate this book more than any other I've read. Edith Wharton indulges herself in a meticulous catalog of imaginary human misery. It is, in it's way, the spiteful grandmother of all the modern fiction that rejoices in the pathetic dysfunction of annoying nobodies. Read it and you have wasted precious hours of your life that you could have spent seeking real joy.

This is the sort of book that makes people hate life. I mean, really, was there anything even remotely redeeming about this one? The only bright spot is when we were hoping the guy would become an adulterer and run away from his wife! That's not a good sign.

Don't read this one. It'll leave a bad taste in your mouth and suck the joy out of your day.

Ethan Frome paints a vivid portrait of the beauty that is wintertime New England. Unfortunately, that's about all it does right. I was surprised to find the lack of both interesting and sympathetic characters in a novel that appears to be a character study.

Ethan Frome, the protagonist, is selfish and cruel toward his wife's illness. At times I despised him more than any character due to his extreme self-centeredness. In fact, his only characteristic that I can almost relate to, a repressed intellectualism, is barely even mentioned.

Mattie Silver, Ethan's object of desire, is an underdeveloped character in the most extreme sense of the phrase. It is unclear what her motives and feelings are even by the end of the story. However, this underdevelopment may have been for the best. The little that we are told about Mattie only adds to the disenchanting strangeness and sloppiness of the book. Most of the time, she comes off at immature and thoughtless.

Zeena, the supposed antagonist, is actually the easiest character to feel for. But don't get me wrong, she's unlikable just like the rest of the characters.

Overall, I suggest you avoid this book if at all possible. It's a loppy book with no real purpose or message.

Ethan Frome is one of the "those books" that I will never understand. I suppose if what you desire to try and experience is darkness, despair, and pretty much complete abandonment of what makes the human spirit a thing of beauty then perhaps this is the book for you.

It focuses on characters who choose, when a "sledding accident" occurs, to wallow in the very depths of self-pity. What a wonderful (not) story to read... This book is effectively a "crime against the human spirit" and I find it hard to imagine how any author could pen such bleakness. I suppose that is the "attraction" of this book, those who desire a journey into the lives of people who have really chosen to not live anymore, just to exist and spread as much misery as they can. The fact that people do read this kind of "material" is a concern all to itself.

I've read literally thousands of books in my life, in all genres, and I can say without hesitation that Ethan Frome is one of the worst books I have ever read.

Recommendation: Avoid

This book is the downer of the century. Just when you think something is going to happen BAM!!!! the book is over. I accidently finished the book. Thats pathetic! Most fiction has a rising action that is not present in this book. Its a great book about nothing.

I believe this is one of if not the worst book ever writen. The stroy goes no where. It is the story of a sad man that does not teach us any thing useful. I believe the only reason someone should read this book is because the have to. If given a choice i would have picke any other book. Unargueably the worst book ever

I decided to read this book after seeing it on a list of supposed classics and the positive reviews here on the store. Boy do i regret it.

I am now wondering what is the criteria for labeling a book "classic" because i can not appreciate ANYTHING from this book. Watching paint dry would be a better way to pass the time.

I'm also starting not to trust the postive reviews on the store since this the second time i've been burned by you guys (Huxley's "Island" also sucked)

We chose this book because it was on the classic list...but it is definitely dated. It was very melodramatic, and the characters were not likeable. I definitely see the relationship between classic authors and their modern counterparts, but this book was just painful to read!!

This review is about the purchase of a book. Nothing spectacular occurred. I purchased, it was shipped and I read the book. The fact that nothing spectacular occurred is good. My expectations were met.

This book was indeed a short tale, but it was possibly the worst book I have ever read. There's nothing appealing about it at all. I was forced to read this for my English class, and that was the only reason I even finished it. I kept expecting it to get better. I was mistaken. This is definitely Wharton's weak point. There was no real story to this book. If you enjoy short, meaningless, redundant tales than you will like this book. No offense to the countless others who like this book; I guess I'm missing the appeal! DON'T READ.

This stands as the longest work of "literature" I have ever been forced to read. Not due to the page count, as it is actually rather (mercifully) short; it is merely the most monotonous and plodding work of fiction ever published, in any language. When I read the book, I had hoped for a punchline - at some point the story would actually take form and progress. Instead, I felt as though I had been accosted by one of those people who insist on showing you their boils and bunions while you are trying to eat your lunch. Its only merit is that it is a prime example of what aspiring writers should NEVER produce. If this book were distributed in Guantanamo, Amnesty International would object, and rightly so. This is the pinnacle of academic torture, and those who assign it should be investigated, very closely.