The Thumbnail Book Reviews
by John Q McDonald --- 5 March 1998
At first, the stark atmosphere and style of telling in this book reminded me a great deal of Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Unlike that book, however, this book describes a passionate and frustrated romance with a vivacious life. Ethan, married to a shrewish invalid, feels trapped until the appearance of his wife's cousin Mattie. She shines a light of life into his meager and snowy existence, and their quiet passion grows. Still, Ethan is trapped by social limits and obligations to his wife. The only escape appears to be that of a Shakespearean tragedy. Wharton has a terse but certain flow to her writing, and evokes the New England winter and frustrated romance. Her characters' simplicity is somewhat forced, however.
Also by Wharton: [Summer] [The House of Mirth]