Ethan Frome

In the last few months I've been finding some really good deals on used books at the D.I. Not all the books there are in great condition, but I've been able to find some older classics for cheap that are in great shape. Because of this, I've been reading some books lately that I found there. A lot of them are books I'd always heard of but never actually read. Such was the case with Ethan Frome. Ethan Frome was published in 1911 by Edith Wharton. Wharton is most well-known for her books about upper class society like The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence, neither of which I have read. I read somewhere that Ethan Frome is Wharton's least characteristic book, which is too bad because I think it is one of the best books I've ever read. I was really surprised by how much I liked it.
I wouldn't say its a happy story. In fact, its probably one of the sadder books you could read. I suppose there is some humor, as sad books often contain at least a little. In this case, I would say there is some humor in the ending, although its quite bleak also.
I don't want to reveal too much of the story because it would ruin the surprising, ironic ending. But the basic outline is that a narrator, who remains unnamed, comes to a small New England town. He is struck with a local man named Ethan Frome, who everyone in town seems to know but doesn't really want to talk about. Everyone just makes cryptic remarks about how its 'too bad' what happened to him. The narrator gets curious about this man and eventually is able to go his house. Once he enters Frome's house his whole life story begins to make sense and the narrator begins to understand why he has become such a shell of a man, devoid of any joy or hope.
The first and last chapter are told in first person by the narrator. The middle chapters are all third person and tell the story of a younger Ethan Frome and the events that led him to where he is when the narrator meets him.
Throughout the book, Wharton's use of language is masterful. Her descriptions of winter, isolation, love and disappointment are spot-on. Its hard for me to think of a writer who has done these topics better.
Frome is also a short book and can be read in one or two sittings, if you have a little extra time. I started reading it and couldn't put it down, especially toward the end when the tension builds and builds.
I highly recommend this book and I think its made it onto my top ten list of favorite books.