Scan barcode
manjotkaur's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I really enjoyed the latter half of this one! I think Charity as a character was so self-absorbed and a little naive at the start that I couldn’t get involved or feel sympathy for her story.
samblam's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
bookiss's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rosie_wp's review against another edition
4.25
A really interesting book, not much happens in terms of plot but the writing feels so immersive that you forget you’re reading and you just get lost for 160 pages in the lives and thoughts of these characters!! Stunning little book and can definitely see why Edith was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction!!
mdarceyhall's review against another edition
3.0
Quite different from Wharton's New York novels, with less wit and sass in her insults. Perhaps I like Wharton best when she's ripping apart society and its protagonist.
kokoread's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
Just finished reading this so I'll to make this brief.
I went into the book without so much as reading the summary (I like to dive into books completely unaware of what's awaiting me) and I would say this didn't stray too far from where I assumed the storyline would go after the first few chapters (as soon as he started seeing her in secret it was all too obvious where this was headed).
This was my first Wharton read and I can confidently say that her writing's strengths lie in its description: I could picture the sceneries and objects she cleverly depicted as if I had seen them with my own two eyes.
I liked Charity's character. Yes, she had quite a few flaws and was always found "hating" something but then again, that was exactly why I enjoyed looking at North Dormer or the Mountain through her own eyes, she always was honest with how she felt and made it as plain as day to anyone around her. Though, I would say I didn't quite enjoy that straightforwardness and frankness of hers when she was talking about her deceased mother who had clearly already went through enough in her lifetime.
The men in this novel were atrocious: a cheating whisperer of sweet-nothings and an old drunkard-groomer, both of which (in the end) exploited naive Charity in their own way, like pick a struggle...
The ending was not way too abrupt and lackluster to my liking, I felt like this book could still have at list 2 chapters of story to tell, and perhaps give me some sort of closure (Of what kind? I couldn't tell you even if you asked). All in all, it just felt like it shouldn't have ended where it did.
I'll definitely be giving Edith Wharton another shot and exploring her other novels if their setting/ambience is anything like Summer, though I will hope their storylines will be giving me a bit more to work with.
Just finished reading this so I'll to make this brief.
I went into the book without so much as reading the summary (I like to dive into books completely unaware of what's awaiting me) and I would say this didn't stray too far from where I assumed the storyline would go after the first few chapters (as soon as he started seeing her in secret it was all too obvious where this was headed).
This was my first Wharton read and I can confidently say that her writing's strengths lie in its description: I could picture the sceneries and objects she cleverly depicted as if I had seen them with my own two eyes.
I liked Charity's character. Yes, she had quite a few flaws and was always found "hating" something but then again, that was exactly why I enjoyed looking at North Dormer or the Mountain through her own eyes, she always was honest with how she felt and made it as plain as day to anyone around her. Though, I would say I didn't quite enjoy that straightforwardness and frankness of hers when she was talking about her deceased mother who had clearly already went through enough in her lifetime.
The men in this novel were atrocious: a cheating whisperer of sweet-nothings and an old drunkard-groomer, both of which (in the end) exploited naive Charity in their own way, like pick a struggle...
The ending was not way too abrupt and lackluster to my liking, I felt like this book could still have at list 2 chapters of story to tell, and perhaps give me some sort of closure (Of what kind? I couldn't tell you even if you asked). All in all, it just felt like it shouldn't have ended where it did.
I'll definitely be giving Edith Wharton another shot and exploring her other novels if their setting/ambience is anything like Summer, though I will hope their storylines will be giving me a bit more to work with.
annamack2023's review against another edition
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0