The Awakening

Written By Jess Pancholi
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The Awakening by Kate Chopin
Reviewed by Jess
📙📘📗

Edna Pontellier has got a problem: she’s infatuated with a man who isn’t her husband. As her feelings develop and eventually take over her life, she questions everything she’s ever known, from her feelings on motherhood and marriage right through to a woman’s role in society, but her emotional solitude becomes her downfall. Chopin was so far ahead of her time when she created Edna, trying to find her independent identity as a woman through her sexuality and social freedom, that this book caused quite a stir in 1899. It definitely portrays the message that a world which is unable to support women’s liberation in all aspects of life is ultimately one in which everyone suffers. But from a literary point of view, the story was slow and drawn out, and the cliffhanger ending left me more annoyed that we find no concrete conclusion to Edna’s emotional turbulence. All that being said, I love a woman who stands up to the patriarchy so I have lots of love for Kate Chopin for kicking ass in 1899 🙂 Thanks Waterstones TCR for the recommendation!

Jess Pancholi

I’ve got to start this off by thanking Linda for putting together this amazing group of ladies who I love dearly! Linda was my uni/PhD wife for 8 solid years and books were one of the many things that bound us together - pun intended! I really think our book family is amazing, diverse and we really influence each other to push our reading boundaries (and crack each other up with our banter and jokes haha!) The family extends to you followers too - and we are just getting started!

According to everyone in my family and numerous home movies I was forever reading books.  Spot the Dog and anything Beatrix Potter were my jam. They say your love of reading never dies and I can absolutely say that is true! The books might be more grown up but I’m still there, book in hand (and snacks to boot!) ready to lose myself in a story.I can’t say for sure what my preferred genre of book is - I’ve read everything from biographies to epic modern novels and classic tales too - and of course as a scientist I dabble in a little popular sci lit on the side. I’m always willing to try something wacky and weird, even if I don’t like it in the end but I guess that’s why I’m part of The Candid Book Club, eh?

If you asked me to recommend some books to you, I would say that Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is my absolute favourite ever; its worth it, I promise!I also love: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (shout out if you read this in high school - it’s YA that really sticks with you) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla (this is ESSENTIAL reading) Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami A Little Life by Hanyayan Agihara, Yes Please by Amy Poehler. And of course- The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter

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