Books

Ethan Frome

Ethan falls in love with Mattie, the cousin of his miserable wife, to disastrous results. 

It’s a lovely, tender, tight little book. It’s faithful and fair to both the strict social norms of its setting and the feelings that provide the impetus for their transgression. 

While Ethan’s wife Zeena is a bit less complex than Ethan and Mattie, her unflattering portrait is perhaps the most memorable of all. But across the board the character development is terrific. 

You also get an uncommonly strong sense of place from the book. If you’ve ever experienced the northeastern United States in the winter, it’ll make you reach for your warmest coat. 

It’s the opposite of flashy. It lacks the garish gestures that characterize modern romance stories, and it ends in tragedy. But despite all that, in its understated way, it’s one of the most romantic books I’ve ever read. Despite all the physical and emotional frigidity, it’s kinda hot. 

Highly recommended.

My Antonia

Loving portrait of a young immigrant girl growing into adulthood on the frontier.

The narrator is an orphan who moves to the frontier around the same time as Antonia, and falls in love with her. You will, too. She’s tough, charming, and overflowing with life. 

The book is also a portrait of Antonia’s time, place, and people. It works well on all those fronts as well. Wonderful anecdotes, wonderful characters.

The prose leaned more poetic than was good for it at times, but that’s my only quibble. 

Reading this felt like being initiated into something secret and beautiful. I love this kind of love. 

Recommended for anyone.