Ethan Frome is the sad story of a hopeless marriage worsened by the blossoming of star-crossed love. Ethan and his invalid wife Zeena resent their loveless marriage and life together. When Zeena's sickness requires additional attention, Zeena's cousin Mattie is invited to Starkfield. Mattie's lovely and warm personality contrasts Zeena's cold character, revealing to Ethan how much is missing from his life. He and Mattie immediately fall in love, but with Zeena's constant presence their love is doomed from the start. All of the characters are well-defined, especially Ethan. Although her writing style is hardly complex, Wharton, a woman, demonstrates an amazing skill in creating a believable sensitive and stern main character. Her vivid descriptions of nature throughout the book create an environment that is chillingly beautiful and captivate the reader. Wharton creates a sense of isolation and regret, often countered content and happiness. Ethan Frome is a classic. Wharton writes a novel that is both easy to follow and sophisticated. The ending is extremely suspenseful with a surprising result. This novel is recommended for anyone who wants to read a short, simple love story.

Once in a while you have to put down those current novels, and read some classic literature. And Edith Wharton is one of the best.

This story takes place in the cold, bleak winter farmlands of Massachusetts. Ethan Frome, a poor farmer, has a hard life tending to his land, trying to make a meager living, and also taking care of his ungrateful, demanding, sickly wife, Zeena. When her cousin, Mattie, comes to help her, Ethan's life changes completely. He falls deeply in love with Mattie. This being the 1800's, he must endure the stifling conventions of that era's society also. There love for each other proves to be a fascinating story.

I loved this book. This is a story that will definitely take you away. You'll actually feel you are there. Edith's detail description of the scenery and landscape of that time are truly vivid. I found myself pausing from my reading to look outside to see if it was actually snowing. I highly suggest you find time to read "Edith Wharton's books, you'll be grateful. I certainly was!

This story portrays the life of an unfortunate man whose unhappiness, depression and weakness causes him to become a helpless prisoner and a lost soul that will continue living in the lonely village of Starkfield, Massachusetts forever.
Edith Wharton's, Ethan Frome begins by introducing the narrator as a character. The story then proceeds to go back in time, which takes over the bulk of the book. She also includes, within her story traces of foreshadowing and irony, which keeps the reader focused and interested. Wharton distinctly describes the environment with imagery and diction in order to sufficiently create the mood and tone of the story for the reader. Wharton's writing style attracts the reader and successfully develops an unexpected ironic twist, which makes this story one of a kind.
The tragic story of Ethan Frome takes place in the dull and isolated village of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan From, the central character in the story, and his unhealthy wife, Zeena, live in quiet and sorrow, which puts an end to their marriage. Due to Zeena's illness, her cousin Mattie Silver is called to take over the responsibilities of the house. Mattie's bright and happy presence attracts Ethan immensely, causing a spark to ignite in his nonexistent life. Mattie's youthful appearance and her energetic personality contrasts with the dark and wicked characteristics of the evil sister, Zeena. Mattie and Ethan's unspoken love creates the foundation of Zeena's jealousy and rage. Her need for attention and sympathy allows her to dominate and control the lives of Mattie and Ethan. The combination of fate and Zeena's imposing power contributes to Ethan and Mattie's forbidden and unperceivable love. Ethan's constant pursuit of happiness and attempt to escape from Zeena's restraints and the confinements of the village inevitably cause unwanted results.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. It is one of the few that I have read more than once. It is a short novel, but it is 81 pages of dynamic work. The story moves along quickly at a great pace so a reader can read it in an afternoon.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about a forbidden love between two individuals that would do anything they could in the world to be together. It is a tragic love story, but so is life in its most unusual way. Wharton's best work in this story is definitely the catastrophic twist she gives it at the end. The outcome is overwhelming and tear-jerking. Edith Wharton's description of these pressures and the longing love Ethan has for Mattie makes this a story that immediately holds the attention of the reader. It pulls the reader into an invigorating tale of the one true love finally found that is at the same time torturously, maddeningly beyond all hope of attainment.

I really had high expectations for this book - the author worked for the Wellcome Institute of the study of the History of Medicine affiliated with Cambridge University - and I felt a historical look at how women's experience of illness (since men are rarities in the hysterical world) ties into modern conceptions of chronic illness would be particularly insightful. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the level of scholarship in this volume. Her earlier chapters centering on the development of the clinical concept of "hysteria" through the 19th and early 20th century are her strongest and best researched and the insights she makes regarding connections between influential thinkers are excellent.

Showalter ties the psychological basis of vaguely explained or ephemeral illness to more modern diseases like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with its numerous psychological and physical symptoms and pinpoints the difficulty of many chronic illness sufferers. Namely that we "live in a culture that still looks down on psychogenic illness, that does not recognize or respect its reality. The self-esteem of the patient depends on having the physiological nature of the illness accepted. The culture forces people to deny the psychological, circumstantial, or emotional sources of their symptoms and to insist that they must be biological and beyond their control in order for them to view themselves as legitimately ill..." While this insight is excellent and, I believe, very true, what the author misses out on is the profound personal nature of the experience of chronic illness with its various ramifications.

Her final conclusion - that feminism and the feminist interpretation of the "hysteria" phenomenon has raised women's expectations of themselves without the inherent power to fulfill those expectations and that the way we should deal with this outcome is simply to study the various aspects of hysteria further - falls flat and does not seem to be well-grounded in the previous context of the book. Unless you are really interested in 19th century medical/women relationships (the one strong point of the book), I think you can miss this one.

Hystories, by Elaine Showalter, is elegantly written and enthralling. Showalter presents a clear and engaging history of hysteria as social phenomenom and medical curiousity. Showalter covers key players including French physician Jean-Martin Charcot and the father of modern psychiatry Sigmund Freud. She reveals how males have used traditional views of hysteria to deride women. As well, she reports early feminists' scathing critique of this treatment and how early female psychiatrists denied or pleaded ignorance of hysteria. "Nineteenth century women, who lacked a public voice to articulate their repression" occasionally expressed through excepted modes of hysteria. Also this is a social commentary on modern hysteria and its diverse probable manifestations such as alien abduction, anorexia nervosa, chronic fatigue syndrome, gulf war syndrome, satanic ritual abuse, multiple personality disorder and recovered memory. Showalter states early on that "Redefining hysteria as a universal human response to emotional conflict is a better course than evading, denying or projecting its realities." She goes on to explore hysteria in a manner that accords it's manifestations the same respect as traditionally "physical" diseases. Controversial and passionately maligned by the special interests groups studied, Showalter's Hystories stands out as an intellectual and compassionate treatise on historical and modern hysteria. Showalter handles a difficult and touchy subject with poise and backs her work up with meticulous research, amply footnoted in the bibliography. Her compassion shows in passages such as this: "The conficts that produce hysterical symptoms are genuine and universal." In some passages, her wit and humor show: "I want to emphasize my belief that hysteria is a part of everyday life. Whenever I lecture about hysteria, I cough." Clarity and insight predominate throughout: "Psychiatrists who worked with shell-shock patients recognized that the most courageous, intelligent and virile soldiers could break down under pressure." Showalter equates manifestations of modern hysteria with the "shell shock" victims of war. Hysteria represents one "language" the stressed modern mind may use to express through the body when other modes of expression are short circuited or unavailable to an individual. Her premise is basic: modern conditions ranging from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to Gulf War Syndrome develop from the unbearable pressures of living with the stresses of our modern society. The extreme reactions this book receives from sufferers of modern iatrogenic disorders are understandable from an emotional standpoint, but unfounded in logic or fact. Modern science has proven the link between mind and body. Emotions and attitudes effect body chemistry, the development of physical illnesses, and the level of potential healing in the individual. Showalter's equation that these syndromes and other hysterical phenomena develop from a mind-body imbalance should not even raise eyebrows. Yet Showalter's thoughtful scholarship has evoked ironically hysterical reactions from her critics, including death treats, harassment and scathing reviews that ignor scientific research. Some detractors have tried to impeach Showalter's qualifications to even discuss the subject. Elaine Showalter is a medical historian and professor of The Humanities, as well as a professor of English. Those ample qualifications shine in this logical, crisp, compelling book. Although narrowly focused on hysteria, Hystories qualifies as a book of interest to students and practitioners of mind-body medicine, mainstream medicine and alternative healing. Hystories is also an intriguing read for those interested in psychology, social science, history, or popular culture. If you wish to explore mind-body medicine indepth, I also recommend: The Balance Within: The Science Connecting Health and Emotions by Esther M. Steinberg M.D., Molecules of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., Who Gets Sick by Blair Justice Ph.D., Head First: The Biology of Hope and The Healing Power of the Human Spirit by Norman Cousins, From Paralysis To Fatigue: A History of Psychosomatic Illness in the Modern Era by Edward Shorter, The Creation of Health by Caroline Myss Ph.D. and C. Norman Shealy, M.D. by Larry Dossey M.D., The Mind Body Prescription: Healing the Body, Healing the Pain by: John E. Sarno M.D., Why People Don't Heal and How They Can by Caroline Myss Ph.D., Alternative Medicine Guide to Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia and Environmental Illness
by Burton Goldberg, Editors of Alternative Medicine Digest and
The MindBody Workbook by David Schechter M.D., The Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty
by Jimmie C., M.D. Holland, Sheldon Lewis,
Transpersonal Medicine: The New Approach to Healing Body-Mind-Spirit by G. Frank Lawlis, Larry Dossey M.D. and
Healing Beyond the Body: Medicine and the Infinite Reach of the Mind by Larry Dossey M.D.

Elaine Showalter\222s Hystories: Hysterical Epidemcs and ModernMedia is a must read for anyone seeking a better understanding of howfeminism has been co-opted by the mental health industry and how mental health professionals have exploited - if not created - modern hysterias. Anyone wondering how women seeking empowerment ended up with the symptom pool of the times and ever-decreasing credibility as victims will gain invaluable insight from this well-researched book. Showalter shows that hysterical epidemics are not at all limited to women, however, particularly in the newest epidemic known as the Gulf War Syndrome. Readers can easily see how mental health professionals have played leading roles in profitably instigating several of the most visible hysterical epidemics - such as multiple personality disorders and recovered memories - while avoiding objective evidence and effective treatment of hysterical tendencies.

Showalter\222s Hystories bravely challenges the assumed causes of our most visible hysterical epidemics and gores some sacred cows in the process. Those who have a desperate psychological need to avoid any alternative explanation for chronic fatigue syndrome or the traumatic effects of alien abduction, satanic ritual abuse, or long- repressed childhood sexual abuse will want to avoid this book at all costs. Readers open to a more skeptical but solidly substantiated perspective will find this book well worth reading.

Although not a mental health professional herself, Showalter has much to teach mental health professionals who might otherwise prolong the devastation of our current hysterical epidemics. Her book is sufficiently credible and clear that it may help save all of us - particularly unwary women and followers of pop psychology - from the next hysterical epidemic.

If these are indeed biographies of feminist intellectual icons, you certainly wouldn't know it from this collection of shallow, rambling essays. After reading this book, I have no sense of these women as feminists or intellectuals, nor of their ambitions and accomplishments. However, I'm overly informed on other aspects: About 10% of each mini-biography is devoted to an overview of the subject's life. The other 90% deals with their looks, fashion choices and the cads and Ken-dolls they slept with. How disappointing that "Inventing Herself" seems to mean "Defining Herself Through Men."

There's a great deal of entertaining gossip in Elaine Showalter's study of feminist intellectuals, but almost no thinking per se whatsoever: almost the entire book is a mélange of who wore what when and who slept with whom; it seems to reduce the works of many important feminist intellectuals (such as Susan Sontag) to little more than sex and shopping. While such important intellectual figures as Virginia Woolf and Judith Butler receive scant mention, there are pages galore about the contributions of such crucially important feminist thinkers as Camille Paglia, Oprah Winfrey, and that famed intellectual Princess Diana. (No doubt the author must thus be trying to tell us something about what she means both by "feminist" and "intellectual.")

In case you don't have the time to accomplish the very important task of reading every single book written by influential women, this book is a wonderful way to become at least familiar with their philosophy, and where they stood in the context of their times. The accounts are lively and readable, and can serve as a reference for later on you when you might have time to explore more deeply the writings of the individual women who interest you.