Another look

As many of you know (or don't, but are going to find out momentarily), I have loathed the novel Ethan Frome since I read it in...junior(?) year of high school. Or maybe it was sophomore year. Ms. Amanda will probably remember. Anyway, I despised this book, I only remembered it being the Worst. Book. Ever.

So imagine my surprise when one of my co-workers (a social studies teacher) starts talking about how much she loved the book and how we should teach it at my school because the kids would really get into it. I moaned and groaned about it, and then she said "You have to read it again! I read it as an adult and loved it."

All right, I says to myself, I'll give it another go. So I brought home a copy we had at work (we've got plenty), but put off reading it in lieu of less heady things. It's a short one, though, so I decided, after finishing my last one, I'd give it a go.

So far, I have come to the following conclusions. Bear in mind, I'm only through Chapter Three:

1. Ethan's marriage to Zeena makes no sense; what on God's green Earth did he see in this woman?
2. The cousin, Mattie, is a total flake.
3. Once you know the color red is important, it's kind of hard to miss.