Week 27: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (Wordsworth Classics, 2007, original 1991, paperback)

I read this for two reasons. The pragmatic reason was that I was behind on my 1-book per week goal, so I needed something short. The other reason was because I’ve come across Ethan Frome very often while grading AP exams. I figured I should read this classic novel before reading too many more of those exams.

Because of those AP exams, I had a general idea of the plot of this story. I knew that a tragic snow sledding accident occurred towards the end. Knowing that, though, did not distract from my enjoyment of this novel. It in fact may have brought me into greater sympathy with the characters.

In such a sparse number of pages, Wharton crafts a taut character study of a man trapped in a loveless marriage. She doesn’t create a harpy of the wife, as it’s not necessary to cast her in spiteful tones for us to feel sympathy for Frome’s situation. In many ways, Frome is not a unique man. He made decisions that were right for him at the time. But now he lives a life without love; that is, until he meets Mattie, his wife’s cousin.

In Mattie and Ethan’s romance, we feel true passion in typical Wharton narration. Nothing overtly sexual happens between Mattie and Ethan, yet the tension of eating a meal together without the wife is ripe with sexual desire. Wharton’s writing is filled with emotion, yet still reserved. The balance is the true beauty of her writing.

The ending, after the tragic sledding accident, raises questions about romance and love; and perhaps gives us insight into why Ethan’s marriage has faltered. There is a sadness in this novel that is both realistic and romantic.
I can certainly understand why students remember this book and why teacher’s assign it. It is beautifully written, with characters of depth. I’ll look forward to reading more essays about it.

Next week . . . Against Happiness by Eric Wilson.