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Title: Ethan Frome

Author: Edith Wharton

Narrator: Pete Cross

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-12-17

Publisher: Dreamscape Media, LLC

Genres: Classics, American Literature

Publisher's Summary:

Burdened by poverty and spiritually dulled by a loveless marriage to Zeena, his older and ailing wife, Ethan Frome is emotionally stirred by the arrival of their youthful cousin, Mattie Silver, who becomes employed as household help. Mattie's presence not only brightens a gloomy house but also stirs long-dormant feelings in Ethan. However, their growing love for each other is discovered by the embittered Zeena, and it presages an ending to the tale that is both shocking and savagely ironic.

Members Reviews:

Oh, Edith, you've done it again!

I love the emotions she evokes in her writings, but it's just so darn depressing. Ethan Frome isn't nearly as endearing as House of Mirth, but it still pulls at your heart. Somehow, despite his actions, you sympathize with Ethan to a point, lining for him to find peace even though you know it's hopeless. I think the reason I enjoyed House of Mirth more is because I didn't know the outcome of the story, so there was always some piece of me that held onto hope. In Ethan Frome, however, Wharton introduces Ethan as a depressed, disfigured man with secrets, then takes you back in time to how he came to that point. You begin the story knowing he ends up unhappy, so there isn't any room for hope. You're simply edged on by your curiosity to find out what exactly brought about his doomed existence in life.

Despite not really caring for the story itself, I feel I must give Wharton her dues by rating at least 3 stars; her writing is just so beautiful! Like I said, I was curious from the get-go of how Ethan Frome got to where he was. I wanted to know what came of each character, even though I don't think I deeply cared for any of them. It's a strange kind of detached curiosity, almost like reading a bad gossip column (though written about 10x better lol). You must know what happens to the characters even though you'll probably discard the information shortly after finding it out.

If you enjoyed Ethan Frome just a little, you must go on to read House of Mirth. I'm sure you'll enjoy it just as much, if not more.

Ethan Frome and Summer

Surprising character, not what I expected. He did not improve his life by falling in love with another woman. It was a sad book, about a dissatisfied man. His wife was sour and tried to get sympathy and attention by her ailments, but just succeeded in alienating her husband. He and his paramour tried to leave by committing suicide, and failed, and then had to suffer the consequences of this failure, for the rest of their lives.

Summer was about a silly listless girl that took up with a newcomer. It was kind of creepy that the man who adopted and raised her wanted her for a lover and married her when the man who got her pregnant left her for his original fiance.

Tragic but enjoyable

81. One of the most tragic characters in literature is Ethan Frome. I really enjoyed this work, the author uses wonderful words to describe her scenes of the country side. I also found that her discourses of the characters hold to the dialect of the area. The beginning and ending of the story are told as a narrative by a visitor to the village, the middle section is the story of Ethan and the history of his relationships. I have seen the visual with Liam Neeson in the role of Ethan and thought it was true to the book and wonderfully portrayed.

A classic I read in High School

I re-read this recently after not having read it in about 30 years.