Ethan Frome: SeaWolf Press Classic

Original text. A story that is "as moral as the classic fairy tale" and that functions as a "realistic social criticism." Ethan Frome, first published in 1911, is set in the fictitious town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. It is a framing story that concerns an unnamed male narrator spending a winter in Starkfield while in the area on business. He spots a limping, quiet man around the village, who is somehow compelling in his demeanor and carriage. This is Ethan Frome, who is a lifelong resident and a local fixture of the community. Frome is described by the narrator as "the most striking figure in Starkfield", "the ruin of a man" with a "careless powerful look ... in spite of a lameness checking each step like the jerk of a chain". Curious, the narrator sets out to learn about him. The New York Times called Ethan Frome "a compelling and haunting story. It has also been made into a movie.