Review | The Awakening

The Book: The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Date Published: April 22, 1899

Dates Read: March 11-18, 2019 (did not finish)

Current Goodreads Rating: 3.64/5

I'd like to think that I would have more thoroughly enjoyed this book if we hadn't read two pretty dense books right before this. Perhaps we should have read another Roomies type book before diving into Kate Chopin's Awakening.

Don't get me wrong, the Goodreads description made it sound pretty interesting. A bored housewife finds herself in a dying marriage with two children who maybe seem to like their dad more? It's really unclear. After a handful of pages where she cries a little and falls asleep in a hammock outside because she doesn't want to go inside to her dying marriage I think she meets some dude named Robert.

According to Sparknotes (the only way I could get more insight into this book), Robert doesn't even hang around for the entirety of the novel. Right around the time that I had to put this book down and walk away, Robert announces he's returning to Mexico for some reason that I'm not sure is discussed and, apparently, he stays there. It's really his memory that further compels Edna (right, that's the housewife's name) towards her "awakening."

There was a scene towards the beginning of the novel where Edna walks around the park? lawn? track? with another woman. I want to say her name was Mademoiselle Reisz. She's a friend of Robert and, I think, might accidentally push Edna towards these adulterous thoughts. However, when I started reading this section my immediate thought was,

"Harold, they're lesbians."

Sadly, they were not, but could you imagine? Apparently in 1899, a book about "female marital infidelity" was shocking, but could you imagine if Kate Chopin just decided to write an LGBT novel at the same time it was scandalous for women to show a little bit of ankle.

If you've ever visited Tumblr or YouTube in your life you've probably come across the now (in?)famous video/gif of "Sometimes expensive things are worse." I'd like to contribute my own version to society (though, let's be real, I think I probably saw this version floating around the interwebs at some point): Sometimes old things that have been advertised as a great classic are actually trash.

Honestly, let me re-write this novel for today. I doubt it will be quite as shocking since we're all aware that everyone should be allowed to love whomever they want to love. Maybe don't cheat on your loved ones, but if you're not happy in a relationship then cut that shit out of your life and find things that make you happy!

Long Story Short (although technically this is a super short review because only read about 25% of this already short story):

Don't read 3 dense, old books in a short period of time

Hey, if you're unhappy in a relationship leave it! Or...I guess you could like talk it out or something.

Please dear God give me something modern to read.

My Rating: DNF

Up Next: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton