I read 40 or so pages into this book and decided I wasn't interested enough to finish it. Then over the course of a couple of weeks I started another book, but found myself thinking about this story. I came back to The Weight of Water and finished it immediately. I found the details leading up to the historical murder to be fascinating. It was hard to follow the author when she switched between the historical portion and the modern story of her book. I would read a paragraph or two thinking I was one place, and irritatingly discover the other character was in fact narrating. I don't see where Jean was pushed to the edge, especially as compared so directly to Maren! I was disappointed with the ending of Jean's story and was left wanting for a couple of missing details. Lastly, I didn't find Jean to be all that interesting of a character. I was interested in the progression of her marriage, but not really feeling for her individually like I did Maren. I liked this book in spite of my review, mostly because of Maren's story. This was a quick, easy book to read: a weekender. I would read another book by Anita Shreve; I found her use of language to be so beautiful. I would bookmark particular passages just to read again later, because they place you in the exact feeling she describes. That alone was worth the read.

I found that my appreciation for this book increased in the days following my completion of it. I struggled at first with the rapid shifts between the contemporary events described by the narrator, Jean, who becomes increasingly suspicious of her husband's attention to another woman on an extended yachting trip, and the memoirs of Maren Hontvedt, the sole survivor of a brutal evening one-hundred years ago when two Norwegian immigrant women were murdered on the forlorn island of Smuttynose. Both stories unfold slowly but with a lingering sense of unsettlement, of something simmering beneath the surface. And then as quickly as a summer thunderstorm, Jean is confronted with a great loss at sea and Maren reveals the true events of the night that Anethe and Karen Christensen were murdered. The symmetry between the lives of Jean and Maren resonates throughout the book and culminates in both women's compulsion to retell their tragic stories.

Shreve's narrative is as spare and controlled as the emotions of our two narrators which makes it all the more effective when the storylines bubble over and shatter the fragile balance and tempo. Read this book and you will be rewarded with a good mystery, psychological insights, a surprising sexual encounter, a catalogue of Norwegian delicacies such as rommegot, krumcake, and skillingsbolle, and nagging questions on human behavior and morality.

I have read a number of Anita Shreve's books, and "The Weight of Water" resembles her other works in several ways. Shreve relies heavily on the atmosphere of the New England coast to set the mood of her novels. In "The Weight of Water," the setting is the Isles of Shoals, an archipelago near the coast of New Hampshire. The rocky and forbidding landscape, with its harsh weather and sudden squalls, is a mirror of the characters' stormy and often destructive feelings and actions. "The Weight of Water" follows a few days in the life Jean and Thomas Janes, a married couple who have become insecure in their relationship with one another. They, along with their young daughter Billie, are on a boat belonging to Rich, Thomas's brother, and Adaline, Rich's girlfriend. Jean, a photographer, is on assignment, taking photographs of a site on the Isles of Shoals where two Norwegian immigrant women were brutally murdered in 1873. Jean finds a diary written by a survivor of the murder, and this diary serves as a backdrop for the events of the present time.

The story of the Norwegian woman who survives the murders, Maren Christensen Hontvedt, is a compelling one. Maren emigrates to America reluctantly with her husband, John. Shreve, through Maren's diary, beautifully portrays Maren's emotional torment as she leaves her native land and sets up house in this inhospitable climate. Later, Maren and John are joined by other members of their families. How did Maren's sister-in-law and sister come to be brutally murdered one horrible night? Shreve gives her own interpretation to these events, and it is ghastly as well as mesmerizing. The "main" story of Thomas and Jean cannot compete with the "secondary" story of Maren and her family in terms of emotional resonance and intensity. Still "The Weight of Water" is notable for Shreve's mapping of the landscape of the Isle of Shoals as well as of the human heart. Why do we destroy ourselves and others? How much suffering can we take before we snap? Shreve is an expert at dissecting the fragile heart of a woman.

This book is a companion piece to "The Last Time They Met," Shreve's latest novel, since both books deal with the life of Thomas Janes.

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.

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!

The tragic story of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton takes place in the dreary and lonely village of Starkfield, Massachusetts. Ethan From, the protagonist of the story, and his sickly wife, Zeena, live in silence and unhappiness which ultimately destroy their marriage. Due to Zeena's tedious illness, her cousin Mattie Silver is called upon to take over the responsibilities of the house. Mattie's vibrant and radiant presence attracts Ethan immensely, causing a spark to ignite in his nonexistent life. Ethan's love for Mattie deepens each time their eyes meet. Her youthful appearance and her lively personality starkly contrast with the dark and evil characteristics of the wicked Zeena. Mattie and Ethan's unspoken love forms the basis of Zeena's jealousy and rage. Zeena's need for attention and sympathy allows her to dominate and control the lives of Mattie and Ethan, similarly like the relationship between the puppeteer and its puppets. The combination of fate and Zeena's imposing power to contribute to Ethan and Mattie's forbidden and unpreservable love. Ethan's constant pursuit of happiness and attempt to escape from Zeena's restraints and the confinements of the villlage inevitably cause unwanted results.

Wharton's Ethan Frome begins by introducing the narrator as a character. The story then proceeds into a flashback which consumes the majority of the pages. She also includes, within her story hints of foreshadowing and irony which keep the reader focused and interested. Wharton distinctly describes the environment with excessive imagery and diction in order to sufficiently create the mood and tone of the story for the reader. The author's writing style attracts the reader and successfully develops an unexpected ironic twist which makes this story unique. This excellent story portrays the life of an unfortunate man whose unhappiness, depression and weakness cause him to become a helpless prisoner, a lost soul, who will continue living in the lonely village of Starkfield forever.

*****I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about a forbidden love between two individuals who would do anything in the world to be together.***** I give this story, Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton two thumbs up and five stars.*****

I've read all of Anita Shreve's books. This one wasn't as good as A Pilot's Wife or The Weight of Water.

Her latest book tells the story of the stock market crash in 1929. We see the struggle of the mill workers and the impact of such a horrendous economic blow to all of the various social classes. Honora Beecher is at the centre of the story though the novel is told from 5 different perspectives.

Shreve is an outstanding writer in that she uses wonderful, descriptive language and she can explore the human condition and the range of emotions like few other authors. I enjoyed this part of the book, but the story was a little too slow. I felt that some of the characters just didn't come to life like they could have...Vivian, the jaded socialite especially.

Overall, this was a good book, just not her best.

Anita Shreve's latest book, "Sea Glass," is a quiet novel that deals with the universal themes of life, love, loss, hope, beauty, tragedy and death.

"Sea Glass" begins in 1929, when Sexton Beecher, a typewriter salesman, marries bank clerk, Honora. They decide to make their home in a rather dalipidated, but still romantic, New England beach house. Honora is a fulltime wife and homemaker and besides the usual things all wives and homemakers do, Honora loves to take long walks on the beach and collect bits of colored glass worn smooth as silk by the waves of the sea. Eventually, Honora meets and becomes friends with Vivian, a wealthy woman who happens to live nearby. The world seems, at least to Honora, to be an almost perfect place.

When things are too good, they usually don't last and Honora learns this lesson the hard way. The Great Depression causes problems for Sexton and Honora, but it brings Honora unexpected pleasures as well, in the form of handsome Quillen McDermott and his twelve year old friend, Francis.

This is a book that is told from the point of view of many of the characters involved. In almost every case this works, and it works well. The exceptions are Vivian and Francis. In the early sections of the book, Vivian plays such a prominent part that we come to believe she will be an integral part of the coming storyline as well. Instead, she seems to fade a little more with each passing scene.

Francis is also problematic. His chapters are written in long sentences that let us know he is smart, but lacks the education he should have at his age. This wouldn't be bad in and of itself. The problem arises because the rest of the novel is so quiet and so poetic; Francis' chapters seem a little abrupt, as if they're jarring us out of a lovely reverie that we just don't want to leave.

Shreve is good, at least in this book, at creating convincing, believable characters and then making them come to life. The tension and excitement that exists between Honora and McDermott is especially memorable.

Although the description is good, the symbolism of the sea glass, however, is a bit heavy-handed, especially near the end.

This is a quiet book, with no great surprises and no great suspense. It doesn't delve too deeply into the minds and hearts of the characters involved, but then, we don't always want something that's earthshaking. I think most women will find more than enough to relate to in this book and Anita Shreve fans will probably love it.

Anita Shreve's latest book, "Sea Glass," is a quiet novel that deals with the universal themes of life, love, loss, hope, beauty, tragedy and death.

"Sea Glass" begins in 1929, when Sexton Beecher, a typewriter salesman, marries bank clerk, Honora. They decide to make their home in a rather dalipidated, but still romantic, New England beach house. Honora is a fulltime wife and homemaker and besides the usual things all wives and homemakers do, Honora loves to take long walks on the beach and collect bits of colored glass, worn smooth as silk by the waves of the sea. Eventually, Honora meets and becomes friends with, Vivian, a wealthy woman who happens to live nearby. The world seems, at least to Honora, to be an almost perfect place.

When things are too good, they usually don't last and Honora learns this lesson the hard way. When the Depression causes Sexton to lose his job, his car and even jeopardizes the house, Honora is, of course, frightened. Sexton does find work at the local textile mill, but the job isn't a good one and a strike soon jeopardizes that as well.

Sexton and Honora's home become the center for the strike organizers and this event will, eventually, turn Honora's world upside down. When she begins to cook meals for everyone who meets at the house she meets handsome, Quillen McDermott and his twelve year old friend, Francis. Although times are very difficult, Honora suddenly finds that she is enjoying herself. Both the constant company and the presence of Francis, to whom she becomes a surrogate mother, are comforting. But, where McDermott is concerned, Honora may just be finding things a little too comforting and complications arise. These complications and how they are solved make up the bulk of the book.

This is a book that is told from the point of view of many of the characters involved. In almost every case this works, and it works well. The exceptions are Vivian and Francis. In the early sections of the book, Vivian played such a prominent part that we come to believe she will be an integral part of the coming storyline as well. Instead, she seems to fade a little more with each passing scene.

Francis is also problematic. His chapters are written in long sentences that let us know he is smart, but lacks the education he should have at his age. This wouldn't be bad in and of itself. The problem arises because the rest of the novel is so quiet and so poetic; Francis' chapters seem a little abrupt, as if they're jarring us out of a lovely reverie that we just don't want to leave.

Shreve is good, at least in this book, at creating convincing, believable characters and then making them come to life. The tension and excitement that exists between Honora and McDermott is especially memorable.

Although the description is good, the symbolism of the sea glass, however, is a bit heavy-handed, especially near the end.

This is a quiet book, with no great surprises and no great suspense. It doesn't delve too deeply into the minds and hearts of the characters involved, but then, we don't always want something that's earthshaking. I think most women will find more than enough to relate to in this book and Anita Shreve fans will probably love it.

The novel begins when Linda Fallon and Thomas Janes, both published poets, meet at a literary conference after not having seen each other for years. The novel travels backwards in time to re-discover the various times they have met over the years, finally culminating in their high school romance. The first third of the novel is very confusing because of the veiled references and illusions to some event in their distant past that caused them to lead separate lives, although it is obvious that they love each other and have probably always been in love.

The writing style is somewhat cumbersome. The author's habit of punctuating all dialogue with a dash followed by italicized letters, caused me to back track many times to figure out who was speaking. Sometimes the italicized letters were thoughts rather than spoken words, so I was occasionally confused about whether any dialogue had actually occurred.

The book finally started to get interesting when it revealed the time during which Linda and Thomas were both in Africa with their spouses and how they rediscovered each other after many years apart. Finally, the beginning of their relationship in high school was described, and the awful event that had been alluded to throughout the book that caused them to be separated.

If you can bear with it and trudge through the first third of the novel, you will be rewarded with a story that is rich in detail, fascinating, troubling and poignant.

The first part of this book, as pointed out by other reviewers, was absolute torture. The scenes in the hotel were boring and drawn out. The book continued to get progressively better as the story moved along, with my favorite parts occurring during their time in Africa. I was, of course, blown away by the ending- but I loved it. Looking back everything seems to fit into place- it was hard for me to accept that Thomas would not have tried to track down Linda at college or after his divorce from Regina and/or Jean. Their love for each other was so vivid it was hard for me to imagine that he would not have sought her out. I've also read Pilot's Wife by Shreve, although I enjoyed this book even more (once it got rolling..) If only she could combine the feeling at the beginning of Pilot's Wife with the intensity of the middle and ending of this book she would have a phenomenal hit on her hands.

I have just finished reading this book and I am writing this review with the tears just drying on my cheeks. Anita Shreve is simply a brilliant, brilliant writer. The novel is structured in reverse chronological order so that when we first meet Thomas and Linda, in 1990s Toronto, we do not know how they met, why they split up and why they could never be together. We know immediately that their love was profound, however. Gradually, as the novel moves back through time, we discover their stories and the deep sadness of the missed opportunities and the what-ifs. What I found interesting about this book is how the character of Linda matured over time - the grown woman is clearly very different to the 17 year old girl - yet Thomas's character seemed to stay essentially the same. It is involving to the reader, to see the way in which each character reacted to what had happened to them. Oh, I could talk about this book for hours!!!

The end of the novel is shocking and you will want to re-read passages from the book to try to pick up on the clues. I adore Anita Shreve and the wonderful clarity and spareness of purpose in which she writes. She conveys so much and she writes so skilfully. Anita Shreve is a marvellous story-teller. Her students at Amherst College are so lucky to have her as their creative writing professor - she is truly gifted.

A tip - you may want to read The Weight of Water first before trying this book - The Last Time we Met is a kind of sequel to the Weight of Water.

This novel offers typical best-seller fare: a decent story line and not much else. If you seek a literary experience, look elsewhere. However,I respected the intelligent and constructive use of flashback in the alternating chapters, which worked for me. I also found the dialogue concise, credible and realistic. The plot has intriguing twists and turns in some places, which captures the reader's attention. The book is certainly not uplifting, which to me marks a great novel. The women characters were round and full and well-drawn. I assume that the book was written and promoted primarily for readership by other women. As usual, the men are all shallow, self-serving, treacherous idiots. Why is contemporary women's literature so inept at capturing the true spirit of even one decent male? Do women write because they have problems with men? Do women love to read about men who are one dimensional, stick-figured jerks? Is the publishing industry consumed by editors who can't relate to men? What's the deal, Oprah? Does a man have to be a fool in order for a woman to become remarkable? Isn't a great woman who falls for a fool also diminished? After Charming Billy, Amy & Isabelle and The Pilot's Wife, I have abandoned all hope of the ability of contemporary women authors to even come close to portraying full male characters who are decent human beings. Come on, ladies. Can't you do any better than this? We're better off reading the Brontes, Jane Austen and George Elliot.

Set in the same house which appears in her more recently published "Fortune's Rocks", "The Pilot's Wife" is the novel that placed Shreve in the Oprah 's massive book universe. The story centers on a woman who must deal with the loss of her husband's life and then the realization that he led a double existence totally exclusive of her.

*** It's an intriguing premise, but it doesn't allow much room for the rich texture and atmosphere generated in "Fortune's Rocks." To be fair, the latter is an Edith Wharton-like tome, whereas "The Pilot's Wife" is a contemporary story that would make an intelligent film, the kind starring Michelle Pfeiffer (who was in the adaptation of another Oprah pick, "The Deep End of the Ocean"). Liking one book, readers may not like the other, but both show Shreve developing a surer hand and an increasingly impressive dramatic range.

*** Always, there is a sense that the central character must cross (and often re-cross) logistic distances in order to achieve emotional discovery or fulfillment. Shreve accomplishes this with a lot of grace and modern sensibilities, leaving the paths of self-righteousness and sentimentality to romance novelists.

"The Pilot's Wife" was a haunting, yet realistic tale. I usually read at night, yet I found it hard to read this particular book right before going to sleep. The book seemed slow going at first, but in the end, your patience will be awarded. I will admit that the story line was somewhat disturbing, yet in a good way. Can you ever really know you know someone? So many times, it seems that couples enter into relationships expecting their passion to one day subside. This idea has been accepted as normal in today's society. Yet, Kathryn, the main character learns that allowing physical, emotional and intellectual intimacy to fade in her marriage was a grave mistake. I am currently engaged and, if anything, I learned from the book the value of honesty, trust, openess and, overall, reality. There are no fairy tale marriages or relationships. However, accepting this fact and living in the light of the truth will free your soul. In the end, Katherine learned about her mistakes, as well as her husband's, and we can all learn through this awesome novel about the realities of love and loss.

I read this in a few hours on my winter vacation. I am a great fan of Anita Shreve, and I had high hopes for this one. But after finishing this one, my feelings are mixed.

Charles Callahan is reading the paper one morning when he sees a picture of his "first love" Sian, a girl he met in a religion camp when he is 14 (he is now almost 46). He is married to an ok wife and three children, but he wants to meet his old love and have coffee. As it turns out, her marriage is not the best and she wants to see him too. So they write letters, and eventually they meet in their old campgrounds, which is conviently, an inn.

You can guess what happens next. Adultury, I am upset with my spouse, etc. Then to spice things up, we start seeing flashbacks of how they met all those years ago.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt Ms. Shreve let me down because some situations were flawed. Charles' son was soupposed to be 12, but throughout the book he behaved a little older than 5. For example, with the crayon note. The eldest daughter behaved the same. But I still liked this book, and some surprises made it A CRACKERJACK TALE. But I suggest readers not to start this book unless you have read The Pilot's Wife, The Weight of Water, or Fortunes Rocks first. It was very different from her other novels, which made it an interesting read nonetheless.

I did enjoy this novel and really liked the concept behind it, but it could be really slow-moving at times. I did really enjoy its twists and turns and the ending was good.When it wasn't slow, the plot was great but I would just recommend Fortune's Rocks or The Pilot's Wife instead. I just wasn't that great, like I was hoping for.

There are an infinite number of love stories and almost all of them tell the same tale. Certain stories are so compelling that they must be told. Anita Shreve tells a tale of such hopelessness that I, an intense guy who has missed disaster by a hair's breadth more than once, felt sheer relief that something this intense has never played out in my life (yet, ah!).

Charles met Sian when they were 14 years old at a Catholic summer camp in Pennsylvania. They developed a special relationship beyond a teenager's obsession, an attraction so profound as to have its own momentum, spinning out of the orbit of mere definition. They separate and 31 years later Charles rediscovers Sian through a book jacket photo. Despite the responsibilites of a wife and three loveable children, Charles must contact Sian who is also married and raising a daughter. They exchange letters and, in Pennsylvania where the camp has been converted into a hotel and restaurant, they meet four times during deep winter. Both lovers are deeply conscious that their behavior is irresponsible and hurtful. In fact, their story is unrelentingly hopeless. Inevitably, intense mishaps occur which complete the frisson of doom lurking in every page.

Although it is beautifully written, reading this is a melancholy experience at best and at times is discomfiting, like watching a disaster waiting to happen. I was fascinated by the flashbacks to summer and the camp. As teenagers, Charles and Sian are deeply moving. The final sentence is deft, deflecting all this pain into something simple and timeless.