Finally finished with Ethan Frome, and I have to say, it's exactly what I expected from Wharton. It's a sad read, tortuous when you're used to modern writing. Wharton does a great job of painting a pretty gloomy picture, and you feel from page one for Ethan Frome and his situation. But with each page, you feel more for Mattie - this poor girl who by setting her sights close to home, literally, blinded herself to the possibilities around town that would've freed her from the position she was in.
The ending was surprising, but also to be expected. A book from that era always had to have punishments for "wrong-doing" and thinking. And yet, part of you feels like Frome could've avoided all those problems at some point. Ah, the sadness of one's station....
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