Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - The Awakening

Interesting story of a woman finally waking up to the limitations of (her) womanhood, and trying, clumsily, to push against them. Whether or not she succeeds is up to the individual reader I think.

The book is FULL of racist anti-Black slurs which kept jarring me out of the narrative.

Also I don't know if it's the story or the edition I read, but there seemed to be weird jumps in the narrative and things that weren't explained at all.

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julianh's review against another edition

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reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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melancholymegs's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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erin_mh362's review against another edition

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2.5

So I guess going to the seaside to recover from illness was not always successful... or maybe that was just in this case

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savvylit's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm so glad that I finally read this classic novella! Chopin's prose is gorgeous and evocative. From the first page, I felt instantly transported to postbellum upper-class society in New Orleans. This story is positively dripping with descriptions of dinner parties, formal outfits, and fancy homes.

Most importantly, though, it's easy to see the lasting significance of this classic work. The Awakening is aptly titled: the story follows main character Edna as she has an awakening that dramatically changes her conventional life. Edna begins to realize that she doesn't love her husband, nor does she love performing any conventional housewife duties. Edna then readily admits to herself - and the reader - that she is attracted to several men who are not her husband and that she desires to live alone. Those facts all make it quite easy to imagine why this book was considered scandalous when published in 1899. A woman acknowledging that she was bored in her marriage and attracted to other men? How dare she! And how dare Chopin write such a nuanced and beautifully composed story of feminine self-discovery?

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