Reader discussion: Ethan Frome

Public reader discussion about Ethan Frome in the WeRead Catalog by Edith Wharton.

What are some of your favorites that are less than 300 pages?

By BisonCreek

I’m definitely into the big chunky 1000+ page books, but I also love grabbing something that really hooks me and is short enough to finish in a couple sittings. A few recent reads I liked: - *A Room of One’s Own* (Woolf) - *12 Years a Slave* - *The Fire Next Time* (Baldwin) - *Post Office* (Bukowski) - *Best of Simple* (Hughes) - *Somebody with a Little Hammer* (Gaitskill) - *The Inconvenient Indian* (Thomas King) - *Interpreter of Maladies* (Jhumpa Lahiri) - *Road to Wigan Pier* (Orwell) Also, not all “short” books are quick reads—sometimes I’m only doing a few pages at a time with around ~100-page stuff, like Macchiavelli, John Stuart Mill, Marcus Aurelius, etc. Would love to hear what everyone’s favorite easy/fast-but-still-good books are (not empty calories).

Have you ever read a book that you hated and wanted to put down but had to read for class or work? What was it, why did you hate it, and how did it impact you?

By ancientbutton

I’m kind of in the middle of taking a break from Julian Jaynes’ *The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind*, and this one is honestly pushing me to the point of crying from pure anger and frustration. Jaynes’ attitude toward ancient cultures is just… insulting in a way that really bothers me, and then the whole thing with circular logic and all those made-up terms like “metaphrand” doesn’t help. Plus the writing feels so pompous and packed with words that it’s exhausting. I’m really tempted to just toss it on a bonfire, but I still have to get through it for the “Third Man Factor” discussion—of course, that’s a concept I actually liked before I was forced to read this. I’m not sure what this is going to do to my impression of the whole idea in the long run. I’ve never had to read something I disliked this completely. Has anyone else had a similar experience? What ended up being the lasting impact for you—did you ever end up changing your mind at all?

Ethan Frome: what's the point?

By BlueRaven60

If you really liked the book, what part of it hooked you?

The school system has ruined reading for kids and its just sad

By WritesSignal

It’s weird how reading is supposed to be something fun, where you can just pick what you want and enjoy it at your own pace… and then school comes in and ruins that. They hand you some super old book you’re probably not into (like it’s supposed to be interesting just because it’s famous), then they slap deadlines on it so you’re reading in a rush, and on top of that they make you annotate the whole thing. Honestly, forcing kids to read is probably the biggest reason people end up hating reading. Maybe someone would’ve loved epic fantasy or horror or sci-fi, but school picks stuff like “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and then they end up hating the book and assume they hate reading. Or maybe they actually like reading, but deadlines just make them anxious the whole time, which kills the fun. It’s also depressing because once kids graduate, a lot of them just don’t read again. There are so many different worlds and stories with all kinds of stuff—romance, betrayal, sacrifice, magic, adventure—and I feel like so much of that just disappears because school beats the love out of it. I feel like school would be way better if they didn’t force one specific book with a finish-by date. Let students choose something they’re actually interested in, and then have them write about what they thought or what they think might happen next. Let them decide how they want to read it and what genres/authors they’re into. Edit: I saw a lot of comments and I get that most people don’t agree, and that’s totally fair. I’ll admit I might be biased—what got me into reading was my teacher letting us choose what we wanted and then doing a project on it, and for the first time I actually had fun reading, so I might be applying my experience a little too broadly.

What Are You Reading This Week and Weekly Rec Thread

By solar_heron

So what have you gotten through this week? What did you finish, and anything you’d recommend (or want to be recommended)? Also, please don’t just drop a title and call it a day—I actually want to see what you thought about what you read.

The House Of Mirth Is Excellent Psychological Analysis

By SwiftCricket

I felt like The House of Mirth really gets into what makes Lily Bart tick, like her whole mindset and what she actually cares about. The book also seems pretty straightforward about why she values the things she does, and she pretty much sticks to that throughout. Everyone else has their own wants too, and you see how all those different goals and relationships play out and what it costs them. It all felt pretty believable to me—like the events match who the characters are, so it didn’t come off fake. What do you all think of it? And do you know of any other books that dig into people’s personalities and relationships in a similar way?

The Gossip Girl of Her Time: On the Pleasures of Edith Wharton’s Pulpy Minor Novels

By tide_mostness2002

I feel like Edith Wharton really should’ve teamed up with Walt Disney—at least then one person might’ve actually had a happy ending. Not sure why it didn’t happen.

Ethan Frome- Hopelessly delusional romantic?

By shelfSanger

I just finished Ethan Frome and I can’t stop wondering if a lot of the “relationship” between Ethan and Mattie was mostly in Ethan’s head. It feels like he thought they were having these real intimate moments right under Zeena, but to me it reads more like Mattie was just being careful and trying to not rock the boat and keep what she had. And then it’s only after things get really bleak for her that she actually clings to him and suddenly their feelings feel real. I get the sense she had nothing left to lose and was probably super lonely, so maybe that’s what pushed her into that super wrong idea of romance that kind of locked everything in. Does anyone else see it this way?

What is ya'lls opinion on "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger?

By VolumeBrush

I read it myself and I thought it was pretty good. I liked the whole growing up vibe, and how it shows the tough side of the real, adult world. Still, I’ve heard a bunch of people complain about it, so I’m not sure where it really lands. What do you all think—good or bad?

Do you reserve certain books to be read during particular times of the year?

By corner-late837

I grabbed Ethan Frome lately since it sounded like it’d be a good “cool me off” summer read, and then I realized I should’ve waited until it’s colder out. I ended up starting The Bell Jar instead and it just feels right for this time of year. Does anyone else do stuff like that? Like, do you have certain books you try to read at specific times every year? What do you usually pick up when the seasons change—certain genres or whatever?

What’s a deep cut you can’t stop thinking about?

By couplet

I’ve liked Edith Wharton ever since high school, when we read “Ethan Frome.” So this past summer I picked up “Summer” (I know, lol), and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s not like her most famous thing, but it honestly blew me away. Has anyone else read books by big-name authors that turned out to be way better than you expected—like, not their usual “go-to” work? And please tell me someone else has read “Summer” too, because I don’t know anyone in real life who has.

White nights by Dostoyevsky

By sageShelf2006

I’m honestly really curious what everyone’s biggest feeling or thought was after reading this story. And what can I even say? Like, what’s he trying to get across to us in all of his work—do you really know? Maybe it’s worth asking yourself why you love *White Nights* so much. Is it just because it’s short and easy and it’s about love? Or is there something deeper going on? No, I don’t think it’s only that. I think it’s about that deep need we all have but are too scared to say out loud, so we let Dostoyevsky say it for us. And yeah, it’s kind of magical reading something like that, where you end up going right into your own heart and soul… but the real thing is when you take what you learned from the book and actually say it out loud, like it’s part of your life. Edit: I just skimmed some other people’s takes on the story and I’m like… seriously surprised. I want someone to explain it to me, because I can’t accept it. Does anyone here actually *get* Dostoyevsky? A lot of you seem too surface-level. You have to go past this harsh world—forget the disorders, the fears, the ugliness society keeps handing you. Why is it so easy for you to swallow it all so fast? Why did you forget what Heaven felt like? If you really want to see his work, you have to clear away the junk that gets thrown at you and clean up how you look at things.

Two Seasons of Edith Wharton in Ethan Frome and Summer

By cipherSail937

I’ve been really into Edith Wharton ever since I read House of Mirth last year. This summer I ended up reading two of her shorter novellas that kind of deal with the same feelings, just in different ways. I read Ethan Frome with r/bookclub back in July and then got through Summer in August with a couple friends. I’d love to talk about them a bit. Compared to House of Mirth, these both start out in rural New England and go into two different kinds of tragic, maybe even hopeless, love. Just for the timeline, House of Mirth came out in 1905. Ethan Frome was in 1911, and Summer in 1917. Not long after that she wrote The Age of Innocence, which won the Pulitzer in 1920. What they share is this strong sense of place, with all the nature and weather detail building up the mood and making it feel like two different seasons of love, maybe. Both also have this really suffocating social vibe, with the local people always seeming suspicious, judgmental, and sort of everywhere, at least the way the main characters see it. In Ethan Frome, Ethan feels trapped by the farm he inherited and by the money situation that makes change almost impossible. The town is kept at arm’s length, but it’s still always there in the background of his misery. Charity Royall in Summer has a similar problem, since the place she’s in doesn’t really seem to offer her anything as she’s growing into herself, and her guardian is kind of awkwardly somewhere between helping and going too far, especially now that she’s older. Her boring job at the old library can’t really compete with the green, sweet world outside. Then Summer brings in, sort of like a soft wind with flowers starting up, a new person who slowly changes things for both Ethan and Charity for a little bit of happiness and lets them imagine a different ending that, like summer itself, isn’t going to last. Even in Summer, the elm and the mountain are still hanging there in the background symbolically. And pretty soon the weather turns, and both Ethan and Charity have to deal with a cold truth they can’t really wish away. The winter air wins out, and both of them end up living with the consequences. Change feels almost impossible, like it’s way off in the distance, only showing up in dreams. After finishing both books, I’ve kind of been stuck thinking about their endings and wondering if that short little stretch of sweetness was worth what comes after. Is it better to have loved for even a moment than never at all, even if it ends up taking more from you than it gives back? If you want something short but really memorable, I’d recommend Ethan Frome in winter and Summer in 2026, if you’re following the Edith Wharton calendar of drama. Have you read either one? What did you think?

The classics I read in 2023 that got me back into reading!!

By Fox_Canyon

I’d honestly love to know what classics hooked you or brought you back into reading! I’m a recent college grad and I used to be a huge reader. In school, English was always my best class and I’d go looking for deeper stuff—symbols, themes, all that. In high school I was really into a bunch of fiction (like *Their Eyes Were Watching God*, *The Great Gatsby*, *Wuthering Heights*, *Frankenstein*, *Hamlet*, *Things Fall Apart*, *Metamorphosis*, *Macbeth*, *Jane Eyre*), but then some teacher experiences basically made me dislike fiction for a while, so in college I mostly stuck to non-fiction. After graduating in 2023, I decided I was going to give fictional classics another chance. Here’s what I read last year and what I thought: - *The Bluest Eye* (5/5) — WOW. I’m absolutely going to binge the rest of Toni Morrison next. It honestly made me feel a lot—horrified, sad, and like I finally got it. I don’t even know how she does it, but it felt like she could tell you so much without “showing” in a normal way. The character stuff was really sharp. - *The Awakening* (5/5) — I’m a little worried that I relate to Edna. Or maybe Chopin just understood depression way too well and used the ocean as a symbol. - *Brave New World* (4.2/5) — dark, creepy, and way too thought-provoking. Kinda brilliant and terrifying and honest? Like…all at once. - *Ethan Frome* (3/5) — Ethan is kind of a mess, but the writing is still good. I wanna read more Wharton in 2024. - *Songs of Innocence and Experience* (2/5) — I didn’t vibe with it. Too sweet and positive for me. Edit: I think I got bored and wasn’t really paying attention during “Innocence,” so I’m blaming my ADD and I’ll probably reread. - *The Haunting of Hill House* (4/5) — horror isn’t really my usual thing, but I loved how Shirley Jackson wrote it. - *The Lottery* (4/5) — yep, another Shirley Jackson. The way she treats the horror so casually is honestly unsettling in its own way. Like we just all move on after something awful, especially when it’s against people you don’t really know. - *Little Women* (5/5) — duh, but it’s also way more than I expected. More than just “growing up,” it’s got way more going on. - *Anne of Green Gables* (5/5) — I laughed, cried, and instantly fell for the whole vibe. Also Matthew. And I kinda loved how it felt like little chapters of life happening in order. - *Anne of Avonlea* (4/5) — those twins annoyed me, but I still laughed and cried and fell for the romance again (this time: Gilbert). - *Anne of the Island* (5/5) — Gilbert Blythe… yeah, I’m done. - *The Tenant of Wildfell Hall* — seriously, masterpiece. Part 2 was hard to get through because the toxicity and the trauma were so intense. It hit me enough that I had to put it down a few times. Anne Brontë really understood toxic relationships, and it reminded me of the way Emily Brontë did Heathcliff and Catherine. Also, I keep wondering if their parents were toxic too—was that ever talked about? I know Charlotte didn’t love it because she thought it didn’t feel like Anne, but I still think it’s a really well-written book. Now I’ve got two men to obsess over: Gilbert and Gilbert. - *A Room with a View* (4.4/5) — I loved the symbolism with the wild nature. Also, I noticed something about me while reading: I always end up liking classic lit guys whose names start with a “G.” - *The Picture of Dorian Gray* (4.4/5) — I liked it a lot but also got annoyed because a huge chunk of it is just dialogue. Still, there were so many good themes and it’s got really strong gay undertones (or overtones—whatever you wanna call it). Wilde’s whole take on art is interesting. - *Poems 1817* (3/5) — dude loves pretty nature language. Beautiful, sure, but where’s the real honesty? - *Pride and Prejudice* (4.5/5) — I get the hype now. Darcy’s not my usual type (quiet shy guy isn’t my first pick), but I see it. Also that man was definitely a simp. Loved the satire. - *Dracula* (3/5) — it was Halloween. So it worked for that mood, but I’m not sure it blew my mind. And now I’m starting *Anna Karenina*!! Any tips for reading Russian lit for the first time?

what does “zero day” mean?

By chilly-pocket

I’m trying to find the meaning of the “zero day” thing, but all I can turn up online are definitions from way later (2000+). I don’t have access to my old university computers right now either, so I can’t dig deeper. If anyone else knows what it’s supposed to mean here, I’d really appreciate it—thanks!

Shirley Jackson

By BraveWonder

I don’t know why, but every time I read her stuff I get whiplash. I just finished *The Haunting of Hill House* and the whole time I was like “ugh, this is kind of a slog, I’m not getting into it.” But once I was done, I went back and thought, honestly, that was really good. Same thing happened with *We Have Always Lived in the Castle*. I went in blind and kept thinking this isn’t really my kind of book—it's just so weird and off. Now that I’ve read it, though, it’s probably one of my favorites.

Books That Dump You into a Pit of Despair

By footnote_book

I’d probably put Josephine Hart’s *Damage* on that list too. It’s really dark, and I didn’t feel like there was any real redemption in it. Edit: I meant to link to that article.

What's your favorite tragic love story?

By LateBeaver

I’m a little ways into Wuthering Heights (again) and it hit me that a lot of my favorite books basically fall into that tragic love story category. Does anyone have good recommendations?

[Book Review] Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

By Reed_Novel

Hey! I saw you posted with the “Self Promo” flair—just make sure you drop links to your socials (like YouTube/Twitch/Twitter) so people can actually find and support you.

Ethan Fromm

By ash_margin

Just finished Ethan Frome and wow…I’m honestly pretty horrified, and I usually eat up classic literature. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this much dislike for a main character when they weren’t supposed to be some kind of anti-hero. It doesn’t really seem like Wharton meant it that way either, at least not to me, especially since I’ve seen comments that she was pretty critical of society forcing miserable marriages to stay together. I’ve only read one other Wharton book (Summer), so I know she can do bleak endings, but this still felt rough. What kept getting stuck in my head while I was reading is how easily this could’ve been told from Mattie or Zenna’s POV, or maybe both. Like, Zenna sending Mattie away could’ve been about keeping her out of his way, and Mattie going along with the suicide pact could’ve been trying to protect the next girl from whatever he’d do. I dunno—has anyone written something like that?