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2013 Book Review #49: The Reef
Title: The Reef
Author: Edith Wharton
Genre: Classic literature
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: At the turn of the last century, a man's brief fling comes back to haunt him.
Thoughts: With her customary elegant, understated prose, Wharton demonstrates that, as much as relationships between the sexes have changed in a century, people continue to be the same.
Sophy is not quite the same level of tragedy as Wharton's better-known Lily Bart, but there's some similarities here. Wharton was acutely aware of the lack of options available to a gently-reared woman without a family to protect her. Anna, on the other hand, shows the ignorance that protection fosters. It’s a Wharton book, so it’s not much of a spoiler to reveal that these societal constraints end up serving no one.
I understand that the nature of Anna lends itself to equivocation. However, I couldn’t help but feel like the end involves two or three more changes of heart than were really necessary. I could have easily done without, say, the penultimate chapter and just skipped right on to the ending. Yes, she’s upset, but make up your mind already.
Meanwhile, it’s up to the reader to decide if Darrow is a cad or just unfortunate. I’m leaning more towards cad, myself, but he’s painted sympathetically enough not to be too black-and-white. Wharton prefers her shades in gray, thank you.
Author: Edith Wharton
Genre: Classic literature
Thingummies: 4
Synopsis: At the turn of the last century, a man's brief fling comes back to haunt him.
Thoughts: With her customary elegant, understated prose, Wharton demonstrates that, as much as relationships between the sexes have changed in a century, people continue to be the same.
Sophy is not quite the same level of tragedy as Wharton's better-known Lily Bart, but there's some similarities here. Wharton was acutely aware of the lack of options available to a gently-reared woman without a family to protect her. Anna, on the other hand, shows the ignorance that protection fosters. It’s a Wharton book, so it’s not much of a spoiler to reveal that these societal constraints end up serving no one.
I understand that the nature of Anna lends itself to equivocation. However, I couldn’t help but feel like the end involves two or three more changes of heart than were really necessary. I could have easily done without, say, the penultimate chapter and just skipped right on to the ending. Yes, she’s upset, but make up your mind already.
Meanwhile, it’s up to the reader to decide if Darrow is a cad or just unfortunate. I’m leaning more towards cad, myself, but he’s painted sympathetically enough not to be too black-and-white. Wharton prefers her shades in gray, thank you.