a year of classics

Small goals equal high likelihood of success.  Good thinking!

Yes, my original goal for participation in the 5M4B's Classics Bookclub was a mere four titles, and I gleefully reported that I had met that goal by the mid-point of the year in my last check-in back in June.  While I only tackled one short story this quarter, I'm happy to still be on track to complete the four books that I had originally chosen, with a few surprise additions.

This quarter brought me to the bleak and cold Massachusetts winter somewhere around the turn of the 20th century in the form of Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome.  Really, the only reason I put this short novel on my goal's list was that I remembered that it was required reading back in high school English class, and I had a vague memory of enjoying it.  If pressed, the only context I could come up with for the story was a terrible sledding accident.

Then I read it over the course of a 24 hour period one weekend (yes, it's very short!), and it all came back to me.  The pain and misery and melancholy felt by all the characters in a setting that made me chilly just by reading it.  My very brief thoughts after finishing it:

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
I did like it, yes, although there's really no way to feel happy while reading this story at any point.  I'm a fan of Wharton's writing style, but the melancholy and misery that pervade this novel are overwhelming and definitely affecting.  Poor Ethan.   Poor Mattie.  And poor Zeena.  That's all I can think after reading this short novel for the second time in my life. 

Man, this story is a total bummer, BUT!  Once again, I found myself reading along quickly and enjoying Wharton's use of language and imagery.  I was captivated by the presentation of a marriage that wasn't based on any deep level of intimacy or emotional connection, but by circumstance and perceived necessity.  (Even Ethan ponders that it would likely not have occurred had his mother passed away in springtime rather than winter.)

But the descriptions of Ethan and Mattie's attraction to each other- the conversational ease they discover, the innocence of Ethan's desire to simply touch her hand- this is intriguing.  I'm not out to justify adultery, but I find it difficult to not feel sympathy for the terrible hand Ethan was dealt in life and wish that he could have once experienced a relationship with another person that provided an opportunity for a shared love.  Unfortunately, there's not much happiness to be found in Ethan Frome, but for a short novel, Wharton sure does pack a punch in her literary talents!

If you've found a classic book in your hands lately, be sure to join us over at 5 Minutes for Books' Classics Bookclub to link up your blog post or chat with us in the comments section.


Cheers for classics,