Four reasons explain why this novella clicked for me:

*It is n  notn about glitzy high society.

*It draws the life of ordinary people and it draws their lives realistically.

*It illustrates that real life consists most often of choosing between mediocre alternatives. Rarely are we given that chance in a million, but at the same time a less optimistic choice need not be without hope or possibility.

*It encourages readers to focus on the good that in fact does exist, in what appears at first glance only limited, unpromising choices. It is up to us to make the best of the choices given us. The message is not pounded in; it is delivered with subtlety.

There, that is the essential--what I think the book conveys and why I think the book is worth reading. Of course, your view may differ from mine.

The setting is the turn of the 20th century, a rural community near New Hampshire. We are told that the central character, Charity Royall, had been “taken down from the mountain”. Much of the story lies in discovering what exactly this means and subsequently its consequences. It is a novella about a summer dalliance--where this leads and how it changes those involved. Charity matures. Readers’ views of the characters change as one comes to understand them more fully. The book is a character study and about social restraints.

How can I best describe Wharton’s writing style? Behind every action lies a balanced, nuanced understanding of human behavior. Actions are not melodramatic; they are instead quiet and sure. Each action is depicted precisely, exactly, with clarity. Each word is there for a purpose. All of this creates a particular feel to the prose.

The audiobook is very well narrated by Lyssa Browne. It is so very good that you scarcely even pay attention to the fact that it Is being read. I have given the narration four stars.


Summer 4 stars
Xingu 3 stars
Ethan Frome 1 star
The Age of Innocence 1 star

Summer is not my first Edith Wharton novel and I remember having already enjoyed, many years ago, The House of Mirth.
The French edition in which I read Summer, had no preface or postface, only a backcover text, saying: This is a novel that treats the female sexuality, seen as a powerful and constructive vital force. This novel was very modern for the time, 1918. So I approached this novel, the way I like to: without notice, without knowing the story or having read any review. A direct dive into the unknown! What a happiness!
This book teased me throughout my reading: why didn’t the guardian of Charity the main character, give her an education worthy of its name, he who is educated? Education is the only thing Charity is missing that would have allowed her to have a totally different life. Charity struggles in a small village unknown to the rest of the country, whose uneducated villagers have retrograde and narrow thoughts. She wishes for herself another future, having no idea of which form it could have, because of her lack of knowledge. However there is knowledge around Charity, in the tiny library of the village, full of dusty books. But, alone in front of them, she is discouraged: how to approach this knowledge?
The first person Charity must fight to rise, to get out of her village and her condition, is herself; and that's the hardest thing in the world.
These are the lacunas of Summer’s characters that lead them into this story beautiful, sad, strong and, after all, when I imagine a sequel to the novel, full of hope.
Here are some Summer phrases that I have extracted for you from the book, in order to make you want to read THIS BOOK THAT MUST BE READ!

« She knew nothing of her early life, and had never felt any curiosity about it: only a sullen reluctance to explore the corner of her memory where certain blurred images lingered. But all that had happened to her within the last few weeks had stirred her to the sleeping depths. She had become absorbingly interesting to herself, and everything that had to do with her past was illuminated by this sudden curiosity.
She hated more than ever the fact of coming from the Mountain; but it was no longer indifferent to her. Everything that in any way affected her was alive and vivid: even the hateful things had grown interesting because they were a part of herself. »

« She had lived all her life among people whose sensibilities seemed to have withered for lack of use »

« The best way to help the places we live in is to be glad we live there. »

And now as usual the French version, the original one :

Été n’est pas mon premier roman d’Edith Wharton et je me souviens d’avoir déjà beaucoup apprécié The House of Mirth.
L’édition française dans laquelle j’ai lu Été, n’avait ni préface ni postface, only a backcover text, disant : C’est un roman qui traite de la sexualité féminine, vue comme une force vitale puissante et constructrice. Ce roman était très moderne pour l’époque, 1918. J’ai donc abordé ce roman, comme j’aime aborder un roman : sans avis, sans en connaître l’histoire. Une plongée directe dans l’inconnu ! Que du bonheur !
Été m’a fait enrager tout au long de ma lecture : pourquoi le tuteur de Charity, personnage principal ne lui a-t-il pas donné d’éducation digne de ce nom, lui qui est instruit ? L’éducation est la seule chose qui manque à Charity et qui lui aurait permis d’avoir une vie totalement différente. Charity se débat dans un petit village ignoré du reste du pays, dont les villageois incultes ont des pensées rétrogrades et étriquées. Elle souhaite pour elle-même un autre avenir, en ayant aucune idée de la forme qu’il pourrait avoir, faute de savoir. Pourtant, il y a du savoir à portée de ses yeux, dans la minuscule bibliothèque du village, pleine de livres poussiéreux. Mais, seule face à eux, elle se décourage : comment aborder ce savoir ?
La première personne que Charity doit combattre pour s’élever, se sortir de son village et de sa condition, c’est elle-même ; et c’est ce qu’il y a de plus difficile au monde.
Ce sont les lacunes de ces personnages qui les entraînent dans cette histoire belle, triste, forte et, somme toute, quand j’imagine une suite au roman, pleine d’espoir.
Voici maintenant quelques phrases d’Été que j’ai extraite pour vous du livre, afin de vous donner envie de lire CE LIVRE QU’IL FAUT LIRE !

« De ses premières années, elle ne savait rien et jusqu’à ce jour aucune curiosité à ce sujet n’avait poussé en elle : elle éprouvait plutôt une répugnance secrète à explorer les recoins de sa mémoire où trainaient, çà et là, certaines images à demi effacées. Cependant, tout ce qui lui était arrivé depuis ces dernières semaines l’avait profondément remuée et troublée. Elle se sentait prise pour elle-même d’un intérêt nouveau, absorbant, et cette curiosité soudaine projetait sa lumière sur tout ce qui se rapportait à son passé. (…) Tout ce qui d’une façon quelconque la touchait était devenu pour elle vivant et animé ; même les choses dont elle était le moins fière prenaient de l’intérêt puisqu’elles étaient une partie de sa propre vie. »

« Elle avait toujours vécu parmi des gens dont la sensibilité semblait s’être flétrie faute d’usage. »

« La meilleure façon de faire du bien là où on vit, c’est d’y vivre en étant heureux d’y vivre. »

Charity, a nossa heroína, é uma moça de 19 anos que foi criada em uma pequena, decadente e isolada cidadezinha rural chamada North Dorner.

Ela foi trazida de um pequeno vilarejo no alto das montanhas pelo senhor Royall um respeitado advogado, com poucos anos de vida, pois, sua mãe vivendo na pobreza e na embriaguez e seu pai na prisão, não tinham condições econômicas e morais de cuidar da pequena.

Passado algum tempo, a senhora Royall faleceu e Charity ficou aos cuidados somente do senhor Royall, que depois de algum tempo, começou a cortejar a linda garota, até lhe propondo casamento, que foi prontamente recusado por ela.

Assim vivia Charity nessa enfadonha tranquilidade, trabalhando em uma pequena e desatualizada biblioteca, sonhando com as grandes lojas, salões e restaurante das cidades vizinhas, pois, ali não tinha nada. Não tinha nenhuma atividade cultural, como teatros e concertos e na igreja local só havia cultos um domingo sim outro não, dependeria das condições das estradas.


Certo dia aparece na cidade o senhor Lucius Harney, um recém-formado em arquitetura que veio apreciar e estudar as velhas construções da cidade. A partir daí tudo muda…

Lucius Harney e Charity logo se tornam amigos e amantes. Um novo mundo se abre para ela. Eles têm uma pequena cabana onde se encontram e passam a maior parte do tempo.

Contudo, nem tudo na vida é essa perfeição que queremos. Pouco se sabe sobre Lucius Harney, será que esconde algum segredo? O rejeitado senhor Royall qual papel representará na vida moça? O que esconde as montanhas e o povoado, terra natal de Charity?

Sendo uma moça orgulhosa e explosiva, mas, ao mesmo tempo, sensível, Charity terá muitas crises e desesperos para tentar se posicionar no mundo. O que seria melhor para ela, as montanhas de onde ela veio, um lugar cheio de ladrões e pobreza ou seria uma grande cidade onde ela pudesse se sentir livre e maravilhosa, ou seria o seu lugar North Dorner que apesar de pacata era o seu porto seguro?

Falando assim, até parece um romance barato que se vende (ou vendia) nas bancas de jornais. Mas não. Vocês não imaginam com que sofisticação a novela foi escrita. Com que sensualidade Charity nos encanta! Estamos falando de Edith Wharton meus amigos. O grau de descrição dos personagens e lugares são extraordinários. Você sente o perfume das flores, você mentaliza a casa e os personagens devido à riqueza de detalhes das descrições.

Assuntos mais profundos são analisados no livro: A latente diferença social entre pobres e as pessoas de classe média. O desprezo da igreja pelo ser humano, só considerando o corpo excluindo os sentimentos, e a dificuldade da igreja e da sociedade tradicional em lidar com problemas decorrentes de pessoas que são simplesmente seres humanos.

Podem ler sem medo, um livro maravilhoso e poderoso. Você vai se surpreender no final.

The summer version of Ethan Frome, but not quite as good.

The second of Edith Wharton's "rural" novels and the one that shows us more clearly how she viewed life in these remote areas and her most daring work. The author seemed impressed by the natural scenery and the sensation it created - which led her to very beautiful descriptions - but at the same time, she realized that there were many limitations and little mental stimuli in the life in these places. The young heroine of the book realizes this and spends her days thinking of a way to escape in order to enjoy the most intense life in a big city. The visit of an educated man from New York suddenly opens new horizons for her and awakens the erotic passion within her. However, things are more complicated and the practical difficulties coupled with the strict morality of the village that expected specific things from women create many problems and make our heroine choose between breaking up and compromising, with neither option to be easy.

So the difference between small and big cities, the position of women, with its limitations and the call for greater independence, which in turn has a price, love that does not follow conventions, moral restrictions and many more keep us busy while reading this book. The author criticizes and questions the strict ethics of her time, is in favor of progress, but is also concerned about what could be done in a society where no moral rules were in place. The quasi-primitive society where our heroine comes from is an example of total freedom but also a complete absence of culture, where she grew up is a stagnant place, while a sophisticated society where she wants to become a member offers her a balance between freedom, morality and great potential. With this quasi-Darwinian example, the author presents her view on the evolution of society. Beyond these theories, however, it is a story of a modern woman, unwilling to compromise, struggling to fulfill her dreams and experiencing her sexual awakening without feeling shame for it.

In conclusion, this is an emotionally rich book that at the same time offers a social commentary - which may not be what I imagine - and a message for all women at the same time, I believe not only of the time the author lived but also our own, as even today there are limitations and difficult decisions.

Το δεύτερο από τα "εξοχικά" μυθιστορήματα της Edith Wharton και αυτό που μας δείχνει πιο ξεκάθαρα πώς έβλεπε τη ζωή σε αυτές τις απομακρυσμένες περιοχές αλλά και το πιο τολμηρό της έργο. Η συγγραφέας από ότι φαίνεται εντυπωσιάζονταν από το φυσικό τοπίο και την αίσθηση που δημιουργούσε - κάτι που την οδήγησε σε πολύ όμορφες περιγραφές - αλλά την ίδια ώρα καταλάβαινε ότι στη ζωή σε αυτά τα μέρη υπήρχαν πολλοί περιορισμοί και ελάχιστα πνευματικά ερεθίσματα. Η νεαρή ηρωίδα του βιβλίου το αντιλαμβάνεται αυτό και περνάει τις μέρες της σκεφτόμενη ένα τρόπο να ξεφύγει για να μπορέσει να απολαύσει την πιο έντονη ζωή σε μία μεγάλη πόλη. Η επίσκεψη ενός μορφωμένου άνδρα από τη Νέα Υόρκη της ανοίγει ξαφνικά νέους ορίζοντες και ξυπνάει μέσα της το ερωτικό πάθος. Τα πράγματα, όμως, είναι περισσότερο περίπλοκα και οι πρακτικές δυσκολίες μαζί με την αυστηρή ηθική του χωριού που περίμενε συγκεκριμένα πράγματα από τις γυναίκες δημιουργούν πολλά προβλήματα και βάζουν την ηρωίδα μας να διαλέξει ανάμεσα στην ρήξη και το συμβιβασμό, με καμία από τις δύο επιλογές να είναι εύκολη.

Έτσι η διαφορά ανάμεσα στις μικρές και τις μεγάλες πόλεις, η θέση των γυναικών, με τους περιορισμούς της και το κάλεσμα για μεγαλύτερη ανεξαρτησία που όμως με τη σειρά της έχει και αυτή ένα τίμημα, ο έρωτας που δεν ακολουθεί τις συμβάσεις, οι ηθικοί περιορισμοί και άλλα πολλά μας απασχολούν στη διάρκεια της ανάγνωσης αυτού του βιβλίου. Η συγγραφέας κριτικάρει και αμφισβητεί την αυστηρή ηθική της εποχής της, είναι υπέρ της προόδου, παράλληλα, όμως, προβληματίζεται για το τι θα μπορούσε να γίνει σε μία κοινωνία όπου δεν θα ίσχυαν ηθικοί κανόνες. Η σχεδόν πρωτόγονη κοινωνία από πού προέρχεται η ηρωίδα μας είναι ένα παράδειγμα απόλυτης ελευθερίας αλλά και απόλυτης απουσίας πολιτισμού, στο μέρος που μεγάλωσε υπάρχει στασιμότητα ενώ η εξελιγμένη κοινωνία όπου θέλει να γίνει μέλος της προσφέρει μία ισορροπία ανάμεσα στην ελευθερία, στην ηθική και στις μεγάλες πιθανότητες που ανοίγονται. Με αυτό το σχεδόν Δαρβινικό παράδειγμα η συγγραφέας παρουσιάζει την άποψή της για την εξέλιξη της κοινωνίας. Πέρα από αυτά τα θεωρητικά, όμως, πρόκειται για μία ιστορία μιας σύγχρονης γυναίκας, που δεν ήθελε να συμβιβαστεί, που πάλευε για να εκπληρώσει τα όνειρα της και βίωσε την σεξουαλική της αφύπνιση χωρίς να νιώθει τύψεις για αυτό.

Εν κατακλείδι, πρόκειται για ένα πλούσιο συναισθηματικά βιβλίο που προσφέρει παράλληλα ένα κοινωνικό σχόλιο - που μπορεί και να μην είναι αυτό που εγώ φαντάζομαι - και ένα μήνυμα για όλες τις γυναίκες, πιστεύω όχι μόνο της εποχής που έζησε η συγγραφέας αλλά ακόμα και της δικής μας, καθώς ακόμα και σήμερα υπάρχουν περιορισμοί και δύσκολες αποφάσεις.

This is only the third Wharten book I've read. Many years ago I read Age of Innocence and loved it. I listened to Ethan Frome in the car with my daughter when she was in high school, and thought it was pretty bleak. I bought a Library of America volume at a book sale and decided it might be a good time to read "Summer" since it was a novella. I wasn't quite prepared for the almost gothic quality of this one, but loved the story and appreciated that it was ahead of its time in subject matter. Now I'm trying to decide whether this was a happy ending or not.

I am looking forward to reading the other works in the LOA volume, but I'm still going back and forth on the ending of "Summer."

I will from now on put my trust completely in Edith Wharton.

My first of her novels was The Age of Innocence, which captivated me and then in the end, grabbed my heart out of my chest and stomped all over it. “What power she has,” I thought. After that I tried to read The Custom of the Country and The House of Mirth, but left them both unfinished. My excuse was that the characters were irritating. More recently I read Ethan Frome, and was captivated yet again.

With Summer, I think I’m starting to get it. Edith Wharton is for grown-ups. She wants to take you to a troubling place. While she’s laying her awesome descriptions on you, she’s slipping in glimpses of the complexity of humanity, the irony of our lives. Just like real people, her characters are not always easy to like. And just like real people, that’s okay. They have things to teach us.

Of course I would love this for the descriptions alone. To misquote Butch Cassidy, Edith Wharton has vision, and the rest of us wear bifocals.

“Every leaf and bud and blade seemed to contribute its exhalation to the pervading sweetness in which the pungency of pine-sap prevailed over the spice of thyme and the subtle perfume of fern, and all were merged in a moist earth-smell that was like the breath of some huge sun-warmed animal.”

This is brilliance here. Detailed description plus a bonus metaphor. You don’t just read it—you feel it, you get inside it, you understand it.

She could just say the Charity blushed. But with “Her happy blood bathed her to the forehead,” we learn so much more.

She makes you see the world with fresh eyes. “It was of white straw, with a drooping brim and cherry-coloured lining that made her face glow like the inside of the shell on the parlour mantelpiece.”

I read that, like most aspects of Wharton’s fiction, the title “Summer” has a double meaning. As fitting the architectural theme of the story, “summer” also means a building’s interior support beam. I also read that according to Wharton, Lawyer Royall is who the story is really about.

I’m ready now to tackle the rest of Wharton’s fiction. All of it.

“Come to my age, a man knows the things that matter and the things that don’t; that’s about the only good turn life does us.”

A classic love triangle. Older person that I am it did not affect me so much as it might have, in younger years. As it is, I could see how it was going to end almost from the beginning. Charity Royall, was anything but 'charitable'. She had to learn about REAL Love from the school of hard knocks and she does. She becomes the royalty part of her last name at the end when she begins to truly respect others as well, which leads to her becoming who she is meant to be.

Much better than I thought it was going to be. Some readers might focus on the physical aspect and miss the rest. There was a lot going on here. Worth reading more than once to observe all the nuances.

It is a romance but so much more. Exquisite!

Summer’s heroine is Charity, foster child of the village’s leading citizen. Charity, a charity-child, brought into the village from the nearby “Mountain”people, a community of social outcasts.
Charity is not an intellectual, even though she cons Mr Royal into getting her a job as a librarian, once he makes drunken advances. She escapes into her own small inner world which is ruled by feelings.
A handsome young man unexpectedly shows up one June day. Charity falls hard. The romance follows the seasons, from innocents of June through the windless days of July to full heated days of August to an anti-climactic close in the fall, when Lucius must abandon his summer love to return to his real life. Which is worlds away from Charity’s.
I came away feeling that Charity’s future might well be somewhat content and fulfilling (sign of the times). Though some will only see her fate as dismal, dreary, and sad.

I appreciated Wharton’s minor details, at first I did not notice, but after a while I started realizing connections of the minor mentions to chapters later making for a complete picture. Great thought had to be put into that.
I truly enjoyed the lovely "Summer" read!

Such a short, sad tale.

Charity Royall was "brought down from the mountain" into a town at the edges of civilization, northwestern Massachusetts I believe. But the household seems not to have been a loving one. The Summer of the title Charity is about 18 years old. She is uneducated and unsophisticated and very very lonely.

Wharton writes of Charity so that I felt great empathy for her. Charity yearns for love and life as do most young women, but her hope in achieving it is small. Summer brings a young architect from another city and a friendship blooms. Charity seems not to hope for more than friendship, but I couldn't help but see she truly hopes for so much more.

This is a tale beautifully written. I haven't yet read enough of Wharton to know whether it is typical of her, but I hope so.

another thoroughly tragic story by Wharton, and I loved it.

El estio nos puede hacer confundir la pasion con el amor, una bibliotecaria enfrentada a su realidad que añora un pasado que nunca fue realmente suyo.

Un bello libro, muy sencillo dónde podemos ver la magistral pluma de la autora.

Super recomendado

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