Awakening by Kate Chopin

Awakening

by Kate Chopin

On a sunbaked Creole isle, Edna Pontellier, twenty-eight-year-old wife and mother, experiences the first pangs of passion and desire--an awakening so intense that Edna promises herself it is only the beginning. Far too bold and candid for its time, THE AWAKENING (1899) sparked a vicious national scandal that plagued Kate Chopin for the rest of her life. Richly evocative and sensuous, Chopin's portrayal of a woman who resisted authority in her quest for freedom is now regarded as a landmark in American fiction.
--back cover

Reviewed by nightingalereads on

3 of 5 stars

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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.

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  • 22 September, 2016: Reviewed