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To me, this book appears to be a preliminary read, sort of a primer, to The Age of Innocence. It shares its themes but lacks its depth and sophistication. On the surface, it appears to be a love triangle, but to me, it's more than that. It's about an unfulfilled life, a life of sorrow and misery, partly due to the circumstances, partly to the character's choice. Ethan had dreamed about being an engineer and that didn't come through. Then he wanted to run away from his wife, whom he no longer loved, with another woman, and that ended in a wreck. Now he's crippled, stuck in the isolation of his poor farm with both his wife and the other lady, who is no longer a source of joy, either, and according to a neighbor's prediction, will live to be 100 in this sad state.

I gave this book 5 stars because it's good for its own purpose, that is, as a primer to the Age of Innocence, perhaps as a young adults' read, but for those who liked it but didn't read the latter, I strongly recommend it. Hope you won't be disappointed.