79 pages • 2 hours read
Ethan Frome
A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Book Brief
99
Novella • Fiction
Starkfield, Massachusetts • 1900s
1911
Adult
16-18 years
Super Short Summary
In Edith Wharton’s novella Ethan Frome, an unnamed engineer becomes intrigued by the story of Ethan Frome, a man who suffered severe injuries in a sledding accident years ago. As Ethan drives the narrator to and from work, the narrator pieces together Ethan’s tragic past involving his unfulfilled love for his wife’s cousin, Mattie Silver, and the fateful events that led to their life-changing accident. The book includes themes such as emotional distress, physical disability, and the complexities of care relationships.
Melancholic
Dark
Unnerving
Mysterious
Reviews & Readership
131,460 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome is lauded for its vivid depiction of rural New England and penetrating character study. Praised for its rich, atmospheric prose and emotional depth, some readers find the narrative to be bleak and its pace slow. Overall, it's celebrated for its literary merit and poignant exploration of human despair and entrapment.
Who Should Read Ethan Frome?
Readers who appreciate deep psychological drama, moral dilemmas, and stark, wintry settings will enjoy Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome. Ideal for fans of the introspective and tragic themes found in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles or Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, it appeals to those drawn to complex human emotions and social constraints.
131,460 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Mattie Silver
Mattie Silver
A young woman in her early twenties who is a cousin to Ethan's wife, Zeena, and comes to live with the Fromes as a housekeeper. She is vibrant and becomes a close companion to Ethan.
Zenobia “Zeena” Frome
Zenobia “Zeena” Frome
Ethan’s wife and cousin, known for her hypochondria and a critical nature that creates tension in the household. Her presence and actions deeply impact Ethan's life choices.
The Narrator
The Narrator
An engineer visiting Starkfield who becomes fascinated with Ethan's story and seeks to learn more about the background of the town's enigmatic resident.
Andrew Hale
Andrew Hale
Starkfield's builder and father of Ned Hale, who interacts with Ethan through business dealings, particularly in relation to lumber.
Ruth Varnum/Mrs. Ned Hale
Ruth Varnum/Mrs. Ned Hale
A long-time resident of Starkfield, initially the fiancée and then widow of Ned Hale, with a connection to Mattie and Ethan’s past.
Harmon Gow
Harmon Gow
A Starkfield native formerly a stagecoach driver, who knows the basic outline of Ethan Frome's story and shares it with the narrator.
Denis Eady
Denis Eady
A young, lively man and the son of a prosperous grocery store owner in Starkfield, who is seen as a potential rival for Mattie’s attention in Ethan's eyes.
99
Novella • Fiction
Starkfield, Massachusetts • 1900s
1911
Adult
16-18 years
Continue your reading experience
Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.