A 19th century feminist novel and short stories dealing with the role of women in a male-dominated society. ( )

Brilliant - reminded me very much of 'Madame Bovary' - the ennui and self destruction. ( )

Kate Chopin was one of the most individual and adventurous of nineteenth-century american writers, whose fiction explored new and often startling territory. When her most famous story, The Awakening, was first published in 1899, it stunned readers with its frank portrayal of the inner word of Edna Pontellier, and its daring criticisms of the limits of marriage and motherhood. The subtle beauty of her writing was contrasted with her unwomanly and sordid subject-matter: Edna's rejection of her domestic role, and her passionate quest for spiritual, sexual, and artistic freedom.

From her first stories, Chopin was interested in independent characters who challenged convention. This selection, freshly edited from the first printing of each text, enables readers to follow her unfolding career as she experimented with a broad range of writing, from tales for children to decadent fin-de siecle sketches. The Awakening is set alongside thirty-two short stories, illustrating the spectrum of the fiction from her first published stories to her 1898 secret masterpiece, "The Storm."

My AS Level English Literatue text. Ah, the memories of all those lessons discussing the same themes every single time. Originally I did not like this book as much as I did when I read it the second time (thank goodness I did by the time it came to the exam!) perhaps because the short chapters seemed to be a little disjointed and too short. I know the reasons why Chopin did this but I'm not entirely sure. I did not feel that enough description was given, even though the book is swamped with symbolism, both subtle and profound. ( )