... , the play was half over and it was then too late." Recent critics--like our reviewer--have been much kinder to The Awakening, one calling it "probably as near to a Madame Bovary as the period produced." But the contemporary criticism, though making the book famous, struck--as one of her defenders put it--"deep at the author's heart, even killing her desire ... ...

• Word Count: 1100
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School