Not being familiar with how patois sounds, I stumbled through many chapters in the work. Perhaps listening to an audio version would be a better option for me. ( )

Unforgettable Classic.................
The Awakening and Other selected stories is a wonderful classic which splendidly focuses on lives of women in the society. In fact, the stories display the ugly face of our society, where people are judged based on their color. Furthermore, People have faced these issues for a long time now and are still prevalent in the society. My favorite story in the book is Desiree's Baby, where the story compels to think about the ubiquitous practices in our society. Above all, I would definitely recommend the book. And, also give it 5 stars.

Read full review on bibliophileverse.blogspot.com ( )

Disappointing. I have no sympathy for Edna, mostly because I don't like her or the way she reacts to her "awakening." I suppose an argument could be made for the oppressiveness of Edna's time not allowing her space to become the woman she is trying to become, but I can't help but think that she didn't try very hard to carve out that space. I feel the injustice of making such a proclamation from 2008 and I suspect that I may be missing the point, but I can't help but think of books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre where women living in societies not disposed toward women's liberation or independence in any way manage to discover who they are; maintain their own, individual senses of self; and find happiness in the time they were born into. Ultimately, The Awakening seems to be about how oppressive times destroy a woman--which does not make for a particularly affirming or enjoyable read. ( )

One of my favorite books of all time. The main character's search for identity and independence is wonderfully constructed. You yearn for her freedom and want her to be happy while also begging her to do the right thing for her family. Heavy symbolism runs throughout, but a very moving depiction of the stifling life of women. ( )

I love, love, love Kate Chopin! I'm not overly fond of the character-driven plot, but I've always found her characters engaging. It helps that she writes in a time period that I'm interested in as well. ( )