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The Awakening and Selected Stories
11 stories:
The Awakening
Beyond the Bayou
Ma'ame Pelagie
Desiree's Baby
A Respectable Woman
The Kiss
A Pair of Silk Stockings
The Locket
A Reflection
At the 'Cadian Ball
The Storm
The Awakening
Beyond the Bayou
Ma'ame Pelagie
Desiree's Baby
A Respectable Woman
The Kiss
A Pair of Silk Stockings
The Locket
A Reflection
At the 'Cadian Ball
The Storm
296 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1899
283 people are currently reading
4,376 people want to read
About the author
Kate Chopin
762books1,817followersKate Chopin was an American novelist and short-story writer best known for her startling 1899 novel, The Awakening. Born in St. Louis, she moved to New Orleans after marrying Oscar Chopin in 1870. Less than a decade later Oscar's cotton business fell on hard times and they moved to his family's plantation in the Natchitoches Parish of northwestern Louisiana. Oscar died in 1882 and Kate was suddenly a young widow with six children. She turned to writing and published her first poem in 1889. The Awakening, considered Chopin's masterpiece, was subject to harsh criticism at the time for its frank approach to sexual themes. It was rediscovered in the 1960s and has since become a standard of American literature, appreciated for its sophistication and artistry. Chopin's short stories of Cajun and Creole life are collected in Bayou Folk (1894) and A Night in Acadie (1897), and include "Desiree's Baby," "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm."
Some biographers cite 1850 as Chopin's birth year.
Some biographers cite 1850 as Chopin's birth year.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
July 10, 2022
For the first time in her life she stood naked in the open air, at the mercy of the sun, the breeze that beat upon her, and the waves that invited her.~ 'The Awakening'
Written in 1899, 'The Awakening', the main story/novella in this collection, is the radical tale of a married woman's 'awakening', not just to sexual desire ('It was the first kiss of her life to which her nature had really responded. It was a flaming torch that kindled desire') but also to a sense of self-hood ('But I don't want anything but my own way') and independence ('I am no longer one of Mr Pontellier's possessions to dispose of or not. I give myself where I choose').
The aspect that I found most unexpected is not so much Edna's embracing of her sexuality but the way she contests society's view that motherhood is the only route to fulfilled femininity - Edna loves her children, she just doesn't think that her life should be solely confined to them, and that she will be a better mother, the happier she is in herself.
Chopin writes with precision, with some passages of lyricism, but mainly in a straightforward way: we're not left in any doubt about her message here and while there's some use of symbolism (birds, the sky, the sea, the claustrophobic interior of Edna's family home), there's nothing difficult, obtuse or oblique about her style - it's there on the surface.
Despite that, it's easy to see this as a founding feminist text: it may not have the complexities of Edith Wharton or Virginia Woolf, say, but it makes a bold statement all the same.
The other stories are less powerful and with open, ambiguous endings: 'The Storm' (a sequel to 'At the 'Cadian Ball') is especially interesting for the explicit (for the 1890s) language of female sexual experience, and the fact that this desire is extra-marital, drawing a dotted line to 'The Awakening'.
February 4, 2019
5/5stars
2019 update:
I actually meant to update my rating for "The Awakening" AGES ago because I ended up using the novella as my main piece of literature in my gigantic English Major Writing Seminar essay and I really found myself enjoying it the more I worked with it and its become my go-to novel when discussing American literature.
that being said, this semester i had to read a handful of the selected short stories by Chopin and I enjoyed this just as much as her novella! Chopin has just a wonderful, unapologetic way of writing that makes her and her stories incredibly relevant even 120 years after most of them were published. She's an OG feminist and I love her works.
2018:
4/5stars
I actually really enjoyed this? This book is seriously revolutionary considering it was written in the 1800s and still explored women's feelings and sexuality more than 90% of books nowadays lol (I literally have a note being like "WOW this book talks about a woman pooping while books nowadays can't even mention any character going to the bathroom") but yeah wow Edna is an incredible character and incredibly real and her feelings and emotions and thoughts are very powerful. The ending of this book I'm now questioning if it was the first to do this cause I've seen it done multiple times in contemporary books.
But yeah I really ended up enjoying this!
2019 update:
I actually meant to update my rating for "The Awakening" AGES ago because I ended up using the novella as my main piece of literature in my gigantic English Major Writing Seminar essay and I really found myself enjoying it the more I worked with it and its become my go-to novel when discussing American literature.
that being said, this semester i had to read a handful of the selected short stories by Chopin and I enjoyed this just as much as her novella! Chopin has just a wonderful, unapologetic way of writing that makes her and her stories incredibly relevant even 120 years after most of them were published. She's an OG feminist and I love her works.
2018:
I actually really enjoyed this? This book is seriously revolutionary considering it was written in the 1800s and still explored women's feelings and sexuality more than 90% of books nowadays lol (I literally have a note being like "WOW this book talks about a woman pooping while books nowadays can't even mention any character going to the bathroom") but yeah wow Edna is an incredible character and incredibly real and her feelings and emotions and thoughts are very powerful. The ending of this book I'm now questioning if it was the first to do this cause I've seen it done multiple times in contemporary books.
But yeah I really ended up enjoying this!
September 1, 2009
I did not enjoy this story, and I did not see why Edna's life was so bad. I can understand feeling restricted, but I think Edna was a very selfish woman. If anything, she should have thought of her children. I am not here to say that women don't have existences outside of their marriages, their children. I disagree strongly with that. But a woman has a choice to make. When she brings children into the world, it changes the decisions that she can make. She can be happy and she can have joy, but she has to make sure that her children are loved and cared for.
Edna was a pampered woman with an indulgent husband, and got to go on a nice vacation every year. She had servants, and friends. A lot of women don't even have those things, but manage to get up out of bed everyday and live their lives. Yes, she felt that she was denying her inner self, and had to marry, although maybe she didn't want to. I cannot deny that must have caused some emotional angst, but there is no either/or. There is, okay this is what I have, let's see what I can do with it. Make the best of what you have. Edna continually made bad choices. She made a mistake and had an extramarital affair. Not the end of the world. I believe her husband would have forgiven her. Or she could have even lived apart from him and hopefully still be a mother to her children. (Maybe I'm being naive about this for the time period, maybe not). She could have stayed with her husband and had a friendship marriage with no physical involvement and painted. Even carried on her affairs as long as she was discreet. She had some choices. A lot of women, a lot of people don't. I just didn't buy the option that she took. I think she was a drama queen.Sorry, I just didn't have much sympathy for this woman.
I'd love to read Kate Chopin's other stories because she sounds like a phenomenal women. I hope that her other female characters have a maturity that Edna lacked.
Edna was a pampered woman with an indulgent husband, and got to go on a nice vacation every year. She had servants, and friends. A lot of women don't even have those things, but manage to get up out of bed everyday and live their lives. Yes, she felt that she was denying her inner self, and had to marry, although maybe she didn't want to. I cannot deny that must have caused some emotional angst, but there is no either/or. There is, okay this is what I have, let's see what I can do with it. Make the best of what you have. Edna continually made bad choices. She made a mistake and had an extramarital affair. Not the end of the world. I believe her husband would have forgiven her. Or she could have even lived apart from him and hopefully still be a mother to her children. (Maybe I'm being naive about this for the time period, maybe not). She could have stayed with her husband and had a friendship marriage with no physical involvement and painted. Even carried on her affairs as long as she was discreet. She had some choices. A lot of women, a lot of people don't. I just didn't buy the option that she took. I think she was a drama queen.Sorry, I just didn't have much sympathy for this woman.
I'd love to read Kate Chopin's other stories because she sounds like a phenomenal women. I hope that her other female characters have a maturity that Edna lacked.
October 2, 2024
Kate Chopin (1850-1904) offers a magnificent glimpse into 19th-century Louisiana, where many people – including the author herself – were of descent. I was not aware of the original meaning of that term, which apparently only shifted after the Louisiana Purchase. The Awakening is set within this particular community.
On the surface, the story is straightforward: a married woman falls in love with another man, questions her marriage, then finds herself torn by her dilemma. Chopin was ahead of her time, however, turning the narrative into a striking exploration of defiance and female sexuality. Edna Montpellier is a memorable protagonist, paving the way for later literary characters like Countess Ellen Olenska in Edith Wharton’s or Laura Brown in Michael Cunningham’s . Her journey is less about men and more about conventions in general. The moment she stops conforming to societal norms, society quickly closes in on her. Ultimately, Edna finds herself torn between desires and expectations.
According to the introduction, The Awakening was a response to ‘male fantasies’ as expressed in Henry James’ . I haven’t read that book, but I am enthusiastic about Kate Chopin’s novel. Her female perspective in a male-dominated world is both interesting and well-articulated. It also taught me more about colonial history in the United States.
“You are burnt beyond recognition,” he added, looking at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage.
On the surface, the story is straightforward: a married woman falls in love with another man, questions her marriage, then finds herself torn by her dilemma. Chopin was ahead of her time, however, turning the narrative into a striking exploration of defiance and female sexuality. Edna Montpellier is a memorable protagonist, paving the way for later literary characters like Countess Ellen Olenska in Edith Wharton’s or Laura Brown in Michael Cunningham’s . Her journey is less about men and more about conventions in general. The moment she stops conforming to societal norms, society quickly closes in on her. Ultimately, Edna finds herself torn between desires and expectations.
The sentiment which she entertained for Robert in no way resembled that which she felt for her husband, or had ever felt, or ever expected to feel. She had all her life long been accustomed to harbor thoughts and emotions which never voiced themselves. They had never taken the form of struggles. They belonged to her and were her own, and she entertained the conviction that she had a right to them and that they concerned no one but herself.
According to the introduction, The Awakening was a response to ‘male fantasies’ as expressed in Henry James’ . I haven’t read that book, but I am enthusiastic about Kate Chopin’s novel. Her female perspective in a male-dominated world is both interesting and well-articulated. It also taught me more about colonial history in the United States.
August 24, 2010
I enjoyed this book. I read it in 3 days, over a weekend, and while I rushed the ending, I was engaged by it. What I found so important about this book is that it was written in a style where I felt I understood the main character's inner process. I enjoyed the limited dialogue with an emphasis on description, even during conversations. However, I felt that there was only one main character, Edna, and all the other characters reflected her setting. The ending (which I will not spoil) was particularly troublesome, but very indicative of the time. Our attitudes towards the issues in this book have changed in the past 100 years, so it is particularly interesting to view it as a window to another culture as well as literature of and by a woman. What I appreciate is that it was written at the end of the 19th century, by an American, and it's only purpose was to express itself. I felt no Feminist Agenda as we have come to know the Feminist Canon, and I appreciate it for what it was. It was a woman doing her best to express the natural process of awakening that is unique to women. In a way, it foreshadows Virginia Woolf's essay "A Room of One's Own". Again, a window into the culture of the time.
I recommend it, and I look forward to reading it again.
I recommend it, and I look forward to reading it again.
November 15, 2008
This is a short novel, published in 1899. It caused such a scandal that it was banned for decades afterward. The furor over this book was so upsetting to Kate Chopin that she gave up writing altogether.
The story is about Mrs. Edna Pontellier, a Kentucky girl married to Leonce, a New Orleans Creole. One summer, When she is twenty-eight, something inside her starts to shift. She's not fully aware of what's happening, but she knows she feels different. Gradually she stops obeying social conventions and begins to do and say what she wants. Because she's a woman, everyone dismisses it and says, "Leave her alone and she'll get over it." But she doesn't. She becomes more and more independent and willful, unwilling to play the game anymore.
It's a good read, and paints an interesting picture of New Orleans life and customs of that time. My copy (Bantam Classics) has an intro by Marilynne Robinson that really made me mad! She gives away the conclusion of the story in the second paragraph of the intro! So I read the entire book knowing how it would end, which I never would have guessed on my own. Mad, mad, mad!!!
From a modern perspective, it's hard to see what could be scandalous about this story, but it was written in the Victorian age.
The book also has a small collection of excellent short stories at the end. As far as storytelling, some of them are almost better than the novel.
I especially liked:
Beyond the Bayou
Ma'ame Pelagie
The Locket
The story is about Mrs. Edna Pontellier, a Kentucky girl married to Leonce, a New Orleans Creole. One summer, When she is twenty-eight, something inside her starts to shift. She's not fully aware of what's happening, but she knows she feels different. Gradually she stops obeying social conventions and begins to do and say what she wants. Because she's a woman, everyone dismisses it and says, "Leave her alone and she'll get over it." But she doesn't. She becomes more and more independent and willful, unwilling to play the game anymore.
It's a good read, and paints an interesting picture of New Orleans life and customs of that time. My copy (Bantam Classics) has an intro by Marilynne Robinson that really made me mad! She gives away the conclusion of the story in the second paragraph of the intro! So I read the entire book knowing how it would end, which I never would have guessed on my own. Mad, mad, mad!!!
From a modern perspective, it's hard to see what could be scandalous about this story, but it was written in the Victorian age.
The book also has a small collection of excellent short stories at the end. As far as storytelling, some of them are almost better than the novel.
I especially liked:
Beyond the Bayou
Ma'ame Pelagie
The Locket
Read
May 11, 2025really enjoyed. #ihatemybf
May 3, 2018
Yaaaaas, Queen Edna! Do you or die tryin, girl. Hero all the way. This is why one must always live near water.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2024
(The Awakening itself: ~4.5, the short stories: avg out at ~3.5)
some of my favorite lines
“as she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself”
“all the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. she was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet, half-darkness which met her moods. but the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. they jeered and sounded mournful notes without promise, devoid even of hope.”
“it was not despair; but it seemed to her as if life were passing by, leaving its promise broken and unfulfilled.”
“but as she sat there amid her guests, she felt the old ennui overtaking her; the hopelessness which so often assailed her, which came upon her like an obsession, like something extraneous, independent of volition.”
some of my favorite lines
“as she swam she seemed to be reaching out for the unlimited in which to lose herself”
“all the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. she was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet, half-darkness which met her moods. but the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. they jeered and sounded mournful notes without promise, devoid even of hope.”
“it was not despair; but it seemed to her as if life were passing by, leaving its promise broken and unfulfilled.”
“but as she sat there amid her guests, she felt the old ennui overtaking her; the hopelessness which so often assailed her, which came upon her like an obsession, like something extraneous, independent of volition.”
July 17, 2024
I believe Chopin must have been influenced by both Flaubert and Zola but her novel and other stories fall short of either of these French masters. 3.5
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
April 20, 2018dnf -
I have trouble reading through the writing -- I don't enjoy the sparseness of her prose.
I have trouble reading through the writing -- I don't enjoy the sparseness of her prose.
October 10, 2022
I loved these stories so much. My faves are obviously The Awakening, Desiree's Baby, A Pair of Silk Stockings, and The Kiss.
August 28, 2022
As it is currently impossible to a degree in English literature in North America without reading "The Awakening" there is little need for me to write a review of this admirable book which is very well known. I will say simply that it most certainly deserves its place in the American canon. It is indeed feminist but it is extremely good feminism rather than merely politically correct.
As a tale of adultery, I found "The Awakening" more like "Anna Karenina" than "Madame Bovary" not because of the heroine's suicide but because of the brilliant portrayal of the society in which the drama occurs.
It was a serendipitous act on my part to choose an edition that included a sample of Chopin's stories. All they are of uneven quality, they collectively allow the reader to better understand Chopin. In particular, they show that she was a progressive on all issues including race.
As a tale of adultery, I found "The Awakening" more like "Anna Karenina" than "Madame Bovary" not because of the heroine's suicide but because of the brilliant portrayal of the society in which the drama occurs.
It was a serendipitous act on my part to choose an edition that included a sample of Chopin's stories. All they are of uneven quality, they collectively allow the reader to better understand Chopin. In particular, they show that she was a progressive on all issues including race.
October 31, 2021
The Awakening - 5 Stars
Beyond the Bayou - 3 Stars
Ma'ame Pelagie - 4.5 Stars
Desiree's Baby - 5 Stars
A Respectable Woman - 4 Stars
The Kiss - 4 Stars
A Pair of Silk Stockings - 4 Stars
The Locket - 4 Stars
A Reflection - 2.5 Stars
At the 'Cadian Ball - 3 Stars
The Storm - 4 Stars
Beyond the Bayou - 3 Stars
Ma'ame Pelagie - 4.5 Stars
Desiree's Baby - 5 Stars
A Respectable Woman - 4 Stars
The Kiss - 4 Stars
A Pair of Silk Stockings - 4 Stars
The Locket - 4 Stars
A Reflection - 2.5 Stars
At the 'Cadian Ball - 3 Stars
The Storm - 4 Stars
October 30, 2020
This book just didn't do it for me 😬 I couldn't get into it and I just forgot what I'd read previously whenever I'd stop. I can see the appeal in the book and why people would like it, but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
It didn't have anything that appealed to me.
It didn't have anything that appealed to me.
January 18, 2023
OG i don’t need a man
January 22, 2021
A well-written collection of tales, mostly focused on women and their desire for freedom to do as one wishes rather than constrained societal expectations
September 2, 2022
Definitely ahead of it’s time and full of great insights and passion. Apparently it caused quite the scandal in 1899 and Chopin never wrote again. The short stories were good as well.
March 9, 2022
yass women yass
January 19, 2025
Graceful crystalline prose with great sensibility. Chopin made me realise how long since I've picked up older writers, and how much I miss the way they write. And I was pleasantly surprised by how modern the story was.
Sadly these sentiments cannot always be extended to the short stories. They ranged from strong to bad. Sad to think of what we could've had had Chopin hadn't been snubbed and kept writing.
One last thing I'd like to say before I end this review: how much I found the end to The Awakening unsatisfactory. Maybe because I see it as predictable and a cliche, but of course I also realise that I am saying this because I am a contemporary reader, which could be the cause for discontent, so I won't be too critical of it.
Sadly these sentiments cannot always be extended to the short stories. They ranged from strong to bad. Sad to think of what we could've had had Chopin hadn't been snubbed and kept writing.
One last thing I'd like to say before I end this review: how much I found the end to The Awakening unsatisfactory. Maybe because I see it as predictable and a cliche, but of course I also realise that I am saying this because I am a contemporary reader, which could be the cause for discontent, so I won't be too critical of it.
May 20, 2018
p.19 A certain light was beginning to dawn dimly within her.
p.78 But it's just such seeming trifles that we've got to take seriously; such things count.
p.128-9 She felt as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life, that monster made up of beauty and brutality.
An instructive story and rather interesting read.
Symbolism runs deep throughout the text. The layers to peel back within the story are scattered throughout the novel: the sea, the birds, masculine versus feminine, the dream upon the beach, the lady in black... There are probably a fair number I missed or failed to mention, but they add an intrigue for the reader. Following the surface story, the novel is about Edna Pontellier trying to carve a wider niche within a society full of obstacles. However, Mrs. Chopin introduces and develops a range of techniques throughout the novel to deepen the story. There story presents a well rounded inspection of many of the obstacles an independent woman faced more than a hundred years ago.
p.78 But it's just such seeming trifles that we've got to take seriously; such things count.
p.128-9 She felt as if a mist had been lifted from her eyes, enabling her to look upon and comprehend the significance of life, that monster made up of beauty and brutality.
An instructive story and rather interesting read.
Symbolism runs deep throughout the text. The layers to peel back within the story are scattered throughout the novel: the sea, the birds, masculine versus feminine, the dream upon the beach, the lady in black... There are probably a fair number I missed or failed to mention, but they add an intrigue for the reader. Following the surface story, the novel is about Edna Pontellier trying to carve a wider niche within a society full of obstacles. However, Mrs. Chopin introduces and develops a range of techniques throughout the novel to deepen the story. There story presents a well rounded inspection of many of the obstacles an independent woman faced more than a hundred years ago.
July 6, 2020
Whenever I had trouble sleeping, I would open up The Awakening . Without fail, after a couple of pages, my insomnia would vanish instantly and I would be fast asleep. Ironic, given the title. I simply did not find this book engaging in the slightest, nor did I find anything interesting or groundbreaking with the main characters. However, it is a matter of personal preference, and I should praise it for being an excellent substitute for Nyquil.
(I had no grievances with the majority of remaining the short stories, but I wouldn't reread them.)
(I had no grievances with the majority of remaining the short stories, but I wouldn't reread them.)
January 12, 2011
Re-reading this incredible book about a woman in an impossible situation. Love Kate Chopin as a woman, a true herione herself.
June 27, 2016
Prose so beautiful I would have to hold off continuing to read for fear of how the words would penetrate my soul with truth about the character and nature of being a woman.
July 29, 2018
The Awakening was good, the short stories were bad.
January 24, 2019
This is a review of the selected stories. My review of The Awakening is on a different edition.
February 24, 2020
'Uyanış' belki de okurken çok kızdığım ama bir o kadar da hak verdiğim bir hikaye... Edna'nin yaşadıkları her gün olabilen şeyler ama hayattaki zevk ve mutluluk tartışması o kadar karışık ki... Onun durumu da bu karmaşa içerisinde. Bence okunulmasi gereken bir kitap, muhteşem diyemem ama bir kadının kendisini anlayabilmesi...
July 28, 2022
Imo combined what I believe Jane Austen’s comedic, period characters and plots are with some hard-hitting interpretations of the binds that marriage, family, and society hold on women (reminding me of my very recent encounter with Sylvia Plath but in a good way). I was even able to capture a couple memorable and profound quotes to save in my notes app for when I’m bored.
December 10, 2022
Definitely starts off slow, but really picks up after the 1/3. Edna is a decent protagonist, and we start to believe her obsessions and that things will work out. The characters are also interesting, and it paints a picture of high society in New Orleans. It is depressing when we finally reach the realization that Edna will never be truly independent.
The short stories were also really good. Written before The Awakening (I think), the stories explore similar themes of becoming an independent woman and possible cheating. It really shows the power of losing faith in one partner, and how that doubt grows.
The short stories were also really good. Written before The Awakening (I think), the stories explore similar themes of becoming an independent woman and possible cheating. It really shows the power of losing faith in one partner, and how that doubt grows.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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