If you, for some reason or another, find yourself wanting to read a bleak tale that accurately captures the atmosphere of inevitable dread, then oh boy is [b:Ethan Frome|5246|Ethan Frome|Edith Wharton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389822254l/5246._SY75_.jpg|132919] the book for you. Edith Wharton’s narrative oscillates between oppressive entrapment and the relief of fantasy.

When one feels caged and unfulfilled, it is horrifically easy to fixate over a crush or a fantasy to fill in the gaps, especially when it is obvious that the feelings are reciprocated. This is the case of Ethan Frome, whose marriage to Zeena has diminished with her health, and he finds himself revitalized with the arrival of young Mattie. That said, personal happiness can never truly come from another person, it must come from within—only you can ever truly save yourself. To place your hopes of personal fulfillment on another person is not love, it is fantasy.

Unfortunate circumstance can certainly diminish one’s agency, but there really are no cages like the ones we build for ourselves. If this is a sentiment that rings true for you, then I definitely recommend Ethan Frome.