Ethan Frome is married to Zeena, a woman he doesn’t love. Trapped in his unhappy marriage, Ethan has no joy in his life and no hope for the future. One day Zeena’s cousin, Mattie Silver, comes to stay with the Fromes. Mattie is everything Zeena isn’t – warm and loving and pretty – and soon she and Ethan begin to fall in love.
Ethan Frome is a short book with a simple but very effective plot, so for those of you who haven’t read it yet, I don’t want to go into any more detail about it and risk spoiling the story for you. But although this is not a particularly complex story, it is a powerful and memorable one.
The tone of the book is very bleak, filled with foreboding and a hint of tragedy to come. The only characters explored in any depth are the three main ones (Ethan, Zeena and Mattie) but all three are realistic, believable people. Ethan and Mattie’s relationship felt real and natural, and I wanted them to find happiness together. Zeena, as seen through Ethan’s eyes, was portrayed as such an unpleasant person I found it difficult to have much sympathy for her, but it was clear that she was also stuck in a desperately sad situation.
The most striking thing about this book, for me, was the tense, claustrophobic atmosphere Wharton created, making the reader feel locked within Ethan’s miserable world. The town of Starkfield, Massachusetts is as stark as its name suggests; the descriptions of the snow, the ice and the cold all contribute to the heavy feeling of oppression which hangs over the entire book. The wintry landscapes are so vivid I wished I’d saved this book to read on a snowy day, as I think it would have made a perfect seasonal read! As well as the winter imagery, I also loved the way the book ended. I thought it was obvious what was going to happen but I was wrong; there was a twist at the end that gave the story an unexpected conclusion.
This is the first book I’ve read by Edith Wharton and although I did like it, it hasn’t become an instant favourite. I can definitely understand why people love it, but it didn’t affect me emotionally as much as I had expected it to. I don’t know why not because it was certainly a tragic story, so maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood for it. Overall, my first experience of Wharton’s work was a good one, but I think I’ll have to try another of her books before I can decide if she’s my type of author or not – any suggestions as to which one I should read next?
She Reads Novels 
I have this one on the kindle but I havent gotten around to reading it. I have read The Age of Innocence which I thought was ok not brilliant and The Custom of the Country which I enjoyed alot because it was quite a funny book mostly. I hear that the House of Mirth is meant to be quite good.
I haven’t heard much about The Custom of the Country – I’ll have to look for that one!
I read that The Glimpses of the Moon is Wharton’s most optimistic novel. Compared to The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth, I agree. It reminded me of Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. Films for The Age (1993) and The House (2000) are worth watching.
Thanks, Cheryl. I see it was 2011 when I reviewed this book and I still haven’t read anything else by Edith Wharton! The Glimpses of the Moon sounds good.
You definitely need to try more Wharton before making up your mind about her. EF is so different from her other books, at least in subject matter. The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence are both wonderful. Think of them as much more enjoyable (and easier to read) versions of Henry James.
I’d like to try both The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence. I’m glad to hear they’re easier to read than Henry James!
Ethan Frome is such a departure from Wharton’s other novels. Of her books, I have read, it is my least favorite, with The Age of Innocence being my favorite.
Maybe I chose the wrong one to start with, then. Hopefully I’ll like her other books better than Ethan Frome.
The only Wharton I have read is ‘The House of Mirth’ which came up on one of my book group lists. I was very sceptical about it before reading it, but was gripped immediately and know that I have to find time to seek out more of her work. I would definitely recommend that to you as a title to try next.
Thanks, Annie. Based on what you and other commenters have said, I think I’ll definitely try either The House of Mirth or The Age of Innocence next.
My first Wharton was The Age of Innocence which didn’t excite me terribly, but then I read The House of Mirth for a discussion and I literally could not put it down, I read the whole thing over a weekend. Lily Bart’s story just gripped me. I read Ethan Frome after that and I love it just as much.
I’ve read several of her novels and I like some more than others, but I think she’s also a really talented short story writer. My two favorites are Roman Holiday and Xingu, which I think is just hilarious. Her ghost stories are good also, and you can find them all in one volume.
The House of Mirth sounds wonderful. I hope I’ll be as gripped by it as you were! The ghost stories sound interesting too – maybe a book for this year’s RIP challenge.