&&LDIV&&R&&LDIV&&R&&LI&&REthan Frome and Selected Stories&&L/I&&R, by &&LB&&REdith Wharton&&L/B&&R, is part of the&&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R&&LI&&R &&L/I&&Rseries, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics&&L/I&&R: &&LDIV&&R New introductions commissioned from today''s top writers and scholars Biographies of the authors Chronologies of contemporary historical, biographical, and cultural events Footnotes and endnotes Selective discussions of imitations, parodies, poems, books, plays, paintings, operas, statuary, and films inspired by the work Comments by other famous authors Study questions to challenge the reader''s viewpoints and expectations Bibliographies for further reading Indices & Glossaries, when appropriate All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. &&LI&&RBarnes & Noble Classics &&L/I&&Rpulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader''s understanding of these enduring works.&&L/DIV&&R&&L/DIV&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&R &&L/P&&R&&LP style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"&&ROne of Edith Wharton''s few works of fiction that takes place outside of an urban, upper-class setting, &&LI&&REthan Frome&&L/I&&R draws upon the bleak, barren landscape of rural New England. A poor farmer, Ethan finds himself stuck in a miserable marriage to Zeenie, a sickly, tyrannical woman, until he falls in love with her visiting cousin, the vivacious Mattie Silver. As Mattie is forced to leave his household, Frome steals one last afternoon with her--one that culminates in a ruinous sled ride with unspeakably tragic results. &&L/P&&R&&LP&&RUnhappily married herself, &&LB&&REdith Wharton&&L/B&&R projected her dark views of love onto people far removed from her social class in &&LI&&REthan Frome&&L/I&&R. Her sensitivity to natural beauty and human psychology, however, make this slim novel a convincing and compelling portrait of rural life. A powerful tale of passion and loss--and the wretched consequences thereof--&&LI&&REthan Frome&&L/I&&R is one of American literatures great tragic love stories. &&LP&&RAlso included in this volume are four of Edith Wharton''s finest short stories: "The Pretext," "Afterward," "The Legend," and "Xingu."&&L/P&&R&&LP&&R&&LB&&RKent P. Ljungquist&&L/B&&R, Professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, is the author of &&LI&&RThe Grand and the Fair: Poe''s Landscape Aesthetics and Pictorial Techniques&&L/I&&R, co-editor of the SUNY Press edition of James Fenimore Cooper''s &&LI&&RThe Deerslayer&&L/I&&R, and editor of several reference works of American fiction.&&L/P&&R&&L/DIV&&R