Short & Sweet Treats discussion

June 2016: Summer by Edith Wharton



We'll begin our summer reading with a short and sweet romance. For June, we'll discuss Summer by Edith Wharton.

Synopsis

Considered by some to be her finest work, Edith Wharton's "Summer" created a sensation when first published in 1917, as it was one of the first novels to deal honestly with a young woman's sexual awakening. "Summer" is the story of proud and independent Charity Royall, a child of mountain moonshiners adopted by a family in a poor New England town, who has a passionate love affair with Lucius Harney, an educated young man from the city. Wharton broke the conventions of woman's romantic fiction by making Charity a thoroughly contemporary woman--in touch with her feelings and sexuality, yet kept from love and the larger world she craves by the overwhelming pressures of environment and heredity. Praised for its realism and candor by such writers as Joseph Conrad and Henry James and compared to Flaubert's "Madame Bovary," "Summer" was one of Wharton's personal favorites of all her novels and remains as fresh and relevant today as when it was first written.

Questions

1. Are Charity's relations with either Harney or Royall mature?
2. How does Charity grow during the course of the novel?
3. What kind of a marriage do Royall and Charity have?
4. Where is Harney from?
5. In what year does the "summer" of the novella take place?

I love Wharton so will try and read this one! I am still reading the last group read though.

Look forward to your thoughts:)

What's everyone's thoughts on Charity?

Sorry, I have a bunch of group reads I'm trying to get through this month. But I really like Wharton too, so I hope to get a chance to read this before the end of the month.

I am enjoying the story, should finish by next week.

I guess this must be a popular summer pick...I am on the reserve list at my library.

Jen-good to hear you're enjoying it. I'm not big on classics but I try, especially short (and sweet) ones.

I'm starting to appreciate the classics more than I once did. Having groups choose them has helped prompt me to read more :)

I really enjoyed this book!

I had mixed feelings on Mr. Royal. He came across as a real pervert in most of the book. In the end, I'm glad that he protected Charity's virtue & that she chose to not stay on the mountain.

Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "I had mixed feelings on Mr. Royal. He came across as a real pervert in most of the book. In the end, I'm glad that he protected Charity's virtue & that she chose to not stay on the mountain."


I agree with you, Jen. The fact that she was brought into his family and had his name made it a paternal relationship. It also seemed a bit out of laziness (he'd rather just marry someone right under his nose than go out and find someone appropriate). The fact that Charity wants another woman inside the house with them seemed to go right over his head, re: the implication/

When the story began and it was set in the library I was all excited and then when it became apparent she wasn't really into books, I felt letdown. I was all sad the books were not taken care and nobody took them out :(

Me too. I thought her dialogue with Lucius was a hoot, a Scarlet O'Hara of the library. I was disappointed that the story didn't involve more about the library.

Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "Me too. I thought her dialogue with Lucius was a hoot, a Scarlet O'Hara of the library. I was disappointed that the story didn't involve more about the library."

I love that, Jen..."a Scarlet O'Hara of the library".

I thought Charity let her pride and stubborn nature got the better of her.

Definitely!

I have to say for a short novel it had so much packed in there (a good thing). Reminded me of Alice Munro.

I still need to read an Alice Munro book!

Yes, you do! lol. ;)

Oh, my...

Not quite done yet but for something written in 1917, this is rather racy!

Isn't it, though!

I liked it a lot, though less than I liked House of Mirth, which I read earlier this year.

I was trying to explain this book to a friend of mine last week what the book was about and how I suspected it would end.

It led to a discussion about whether a book that ends unhappily for the woman involved could ever be considered a feminist work. My friend was of the opinion that such a thing required a happy ending, but I'm of the opinion that as long as it acknowledges and sheds light on gender disparities, that it can still be feminist.

What do you guys think? Would you count Wharton's work as feminist?

Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "I had mixed feelings on Mr. Royal. He came across as a real pervert in most of the book. In the end, I'm glad that he protected Charity's virtue & that she chose to not stay on the mountain."

Definitely mixed feelings.

Even with the ending - the speed that it all happened to me felt like he was keeping her off balance in order to get her to agree more easily.

Here she is - dirty clothes, uncombed hair, exhausted - and instead of taking her home to wash up and change first, or letting her rest and going the next day, he drives her directly to the train station and off to Nettleton before she can change her mind - and the whole speed of such a thing will certainly cause tongues in the village to wag for a very long time!

To me, it seemed like he was in a rush to get things done before she had time for second thoughts.

Melanti wrote: "I liked it a lot, though less than I liked House of Mirth, which I read earlier this year.

I was trying to explain this book to a friend of mine last week what the book was about and how I suspect..."

I think for her time period, it is more feminist than not. My reasoning is that she did seek out adventures, tried to do things on her own. I think she may have succeeded if she hadn't been so worn down emotionally and physically.
And, I like to think Charity never engaged in a physical relationship with Mr. Royal & that she inherited his estate and sought a better life.

Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "I think for her time period, it is more feminist than not. My reasoning is that she did seek out adventures, tried to do things on her own. ..."

That's more or less my thoughts about it too - and women seeking out "unwomanly" things seems to be a common theme in the books by Wharton I've read so far.


Jen ƸӜƷ wrote: "And, I like to think Charity never engaged in a physical relationship with Mr. Royal & that she inherited his estate and sought a better life. ..."

I'd like to think so too, but I can't make myself believe it. One, I just can't forget him rapping on her door late at night. And two - he really doesn't want to know for certain that the kid isn't his... He stopped her before she confessed her pregnancy - and if he doesn't have sex at least once with her, then he can't pretend to himself that he's responsible.


Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines, but I got the feeling that Mr. Royal regularly cheated on the late Mrs. Royal. It's just something that came into my head when the boarding school scene came up, and with how Mrs. Royal insisted on moving back, even though it effectively put Mr. Royal out of work. And I can't think that such a womanizer would indefinitely leave a woman alone when he had a claim to her.

And even if he did leave her alone if she insisted - he'd probably mention her neglect of wifely duties to Julia, who'd mention it to Ally, and then it might become fodder for town gossip... She might give in for that reason alone!

That could be... I was so disgusted by him, though, that I'll keep my happy thoughts. :)

I have started reading it. I'll come back for the discussion after finishing it.

Poongothai wrote: "I have started reading it. I'll come back for the discussion after finishing it."

Sounds good, look forward to your thoughts.

Believe it or not I am still on the list at my library. Placed 6/12. I am now #1. I have been enjoying the book through this thread.

MsG: I don't know if you read online, but you can find Summer on many of the free sites. I used Gutenberg Project

I also downloaded a copy via Gutenberg.

Free e-copy through Gutenberg press:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/166

Thanks for the suggestions and link.

Oh, and if you have a Kindle, you can e-mail the pdf to your Kindle e-mail address (listed with your Amazon device page) & read from the device.

I'm the last person on the planet without an E-reader. Family members keep wanting to get me Kindle as a gift but I keep turning them down. My corporate job requires that I'm on the computer 8-5, so I don't enjoy reading pdf for pleasure. Even a lot of spare time at home is on the computer-goodreads LOL! So I like to curl up in bed at the end of the day and read myself to sleep.

Maybe soon I will read by device but not today!

The e-ink Kindles really don't feel like reading a computer for me.
The tablets with LCD screens do but e-ink don't.

I hate reading on my tablet and phone, but love my Paperwhite. The black and white screen looks very much like a page out of any other book to me.

But, of course, everyone is different. Jut thought I'd offer my 2 cents after having used one for years.

I couldn't force myself to read another page of this book. Just not for me.

Christina wrote: "I couldn't force myself to read another page of this book. Just not for me."

What did you dislike about the story, Christina?

Melanti wrote: "I liked it a lot, though less than I liked House of Mirth, which I read earlier this year.

I was trying to explain this book to a friend of mine last week what the book was about and how I suspect..."

Great Question, Melanti. I believe Summer is a feminist novel. The book illustrated to me what few choices women had back in the early 1900s. I feel Charity's future was dictated by the whims of Harney and Mr. Royall.

I also found Charity's marriage to Mr. Royall incestuous. Did anyone else feel the same way? I am sure their marriage was the talk of the town when they returned.

I agree with Jen, I hope Charity has brighter days ahead and someday she will inherit Mr. Royall's estate and live independently.

Laurie wrote: "Melanti wrote: "I liked it a lot, though less than I liked House of Mirth, which I read earlier this year.

I was trying to explain this book to a friend of mine last week what the book was about a..."

Laurie,
I did think Mr. Royal was incestuous, he reminded me of Woody Allen & his adopted daughter.