The Original Debbie Downer

Just when I think that I've read the most depressing, heart-wrenching, makes-you-want-to-hurl-yourself-out-a-window novel on the list, I somehow manage to move on to another that makes the first look like a cheery Disney cartoon by comparison.

Not to be confused with a sad Disney cartoon. Still get choked up about Mufasa...

This is the story of Ethan Frome, possibly the most unfortunate human being to grace the face of fiction. The prose is beautiful and in many ways reminds me of a dark Poe tale, except that the grisly, shocking ending makes you feel like crying for days. Seriously, this is a sad, sad book.  In a nutshell, Ethan is a poor, hardworking guy married to incredibly annoying hypochondriac, buys-so-much-medicine-she's-running-them-into-the-poorhouse Zena (to be fair, I'd probably be annoying if I'd been saddled with a name like Zenobia). Her cousin Mattie comes to live with them, and of course Ethan falls in love with her because she's sweet and kind and actually smiles sometimes. Events transpire, Zena starts to suspect the lovey feelings between the two, probably because Mattie keeps serving them dinners of pickles and donuts (thank you for the subtle symbols, Edith Wharton), and Zena kicks Mattie out. On the ride to the train station, Ethan and Mattie confess their love, decide they can't live without each other and agree to commit suicide by sledding into a tree. At the risk of sounding callous, I will not further comment on that plan.

Of course, they don't die.

In the last scene of the book, Ethan Frome leads a guest into his home where two women are sitting; you realize that Mattie's injuries have changed her into a querelous invalid, and that the three of them are doomed to live out their days together, miserable. Waaa waaaaa.

Not only is this book DEPRESSING, I am not sure I even understand the point of all the depressingness. Is it a morality tale? Wharton clearly paints Zena in a super unsympathetic light, so I struggle to think this is some cautionary tale against cheating. And I sure hope it's not autobiographical, because...whoa. Makes me feel extra, triple thankful for my sweet husband, that's for sure!

Lurv.

For those who are interested, full text of Ethan Frome here. Have your tissues ready. And for those in the mood for something that will tear you up for a different reason, some Debbie Downer.

What's the saddest story you've ever read?

Lion King image found here.