The Awakening

The resurgence of interest in American fiction of the late 19th century can do no better than to bring to the attention of a vast new audience this remarkable novel that shocked the reading public of 1899. An American MADAME BOVARY, it paved the way for many of the novels of today.

The story of a married woman who seeks love out- side a stuffy, middle-class marriage, it portrays de- finitively the mind of a woman seeking fulfillment of her essential nature. Despite comparisons, the book is not derivative; it has a style of its own, and a magnificently evoked regional flavor. An American classic, advanced in theme and technique over the novels of its day, THE AWAKENING transcends its historical significance to remain a great reading experience.