Ethan Frome

Edith Wharton's fateful tale of a farmer torn between his bitter, conniving wife and his vibrant, young cousin, between duty and fulfillment, sometimes shows its age. Richard Thomas's performance is true to the source: Its strengths and weaknesses are those of the novel. Thomas's female voices are genuine because he does not attempt to sound like a woman. His New England accent--suggested rather than emphasized--likewise rings true. Most compellingly, his pauses during dialogue evoke a time when listeners allowed speakers to finish, and considered their answers before responding. Thomas's pauses conjure the stillness of the winter countryside and the distances between the characters. T.J.W. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine


Published in 1911, Wharton's novel is set in the desolate New England town of Starkfield. Ethan Frome, a painfully loyal farmer and his demanding wife, Zeena, are trapped in a cheerless marriage. When her cousin Mattie comes to work for them, Ethan and Mattie struggle against forbidden feelings, but inevitably, they fall in love. Scott Brick's able narration conveys the pervasive dreariness of lives only briefly relieved by the advent of possibility. However, as with many of Wharton's novels, irony dominates. Brick's performance offers a familiarity with Downeast colloquialisms and thoroughly believable New England accents. He brings Wharton's characters to oppressive life in this unrelentingly grim story. This production opens with a brief summary of the author's life, offering insights for first-time Wharton readers. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine