The Awakening

by Kate Chopin

Margo Culley (Editor)

The text is that of the first edition of the novel, published by Herbert S. Stone in 1899. It has been annotated by the editor and includes translations of French phrases and information about New Orleans locales, customs, and lore, the Bayou region, and Creole culture. "Bibliographical and Historical Contexts", expanded and introduced by a new Editor's Note, presents biographical, historical, and cultural documents contemporary with the novel's publication. Included are a biographical essay by the acclaimed Chopin biographer Emily Toth, "An Etiquette/Advice Book Sampler" with selections from the conduct books of the period in which Chopin lived and wrote, and period fashion plates from Harper's Bazar. A comprehensive "Criticism" section, introduced by a new Editor's Note, contains expanded selections from hard-to-find contemporary reviews of the novel; two letters of mysterious origin written in response to the novel; and Chopin's "Retraction," which followed The Awakening's negative reception. These are followed by twenty-seven interpretive essays, twelve of them new to the Second Edition, that provide a variety of perspectives on The Awakening, including essays by Cynthia Griffin Wolff, Nancy Walker, Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Paula A. Treichler, Sandra M. Gilbert, Lee R. Edwards, Patricia S. Yaeger, Elizabeth Ammons, and Elaine Showalter. A Chronology of Chopin's life and an updated Selected Bibliography are also included.

• ISBN10: 0393960579
• ISBN13: 9780393960570
• Publish Date: 14 January 1994 (first published 1 January 1899)
• Publish Status: Inactive
• Out of Print: 4 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: WW Norton & Co
• Edition: Second Edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[nightingalereads]

2014: 1 star
When I first read this book in high school, I though the plot was boring, the characters were unsympathetic, and the message was somewhat disagreeable. I had no emotional or ideological connection with Edna's inner struggle and was quite happy to be done with this short little book (or so I thought).

2016: 2.5 stars
When I was assigned this in college, at first I was dismayed. I prepared to drag myself through all 116 tortuous pages again. So, big surprise when I found myself actually enjoying it the second time around. First, I liked Edna a lot more. I didn't always agree with her choices, or the way she went about things, but some of her thoughts and feelings really resonated with me. All of the characters, in fact, felt more real. They made me think. I also appreciated Kate Chopin's writing this time; it was smooth and seamless without being long-winded. So - still not my favorite book. But also not as terrible as I originally thought.

[empressbrooke]

I went into this having heard that it was an early feminist work, but I got more of a sense while reading that it was a story of a privileged, co-dependent woman who got bored and traded in one guy for another who paid more attention to her. I definitely saw the main character's rebellion against what was expected of her as a woman/wife/mother, but it also felt SO very class-specific. Which I suppose feminism often is to this day, so there you go. All of the characters were perfectly insufferable, so maybe my disconnect from the text was an issue of not being able to identify with them.

[Stephanie]

This book couldn't have been more bland. While I appreciate feminist literature for what it is, Edna's "awakening" out of societal confines was severely tainted by her love affairs.