The Bunner Sisters

I’ve been reading The Bunner Sisters by Edith Wharton on my pda at night before I go to sleep and I finally finished it last night. It’s not a particularly long book but took me a few weeks to finish. I did like the book although it certainly was nowhere near the standards of The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, or even Custom of the Country by the same author. When I say I liked the book, I mean that I enjoyed the progression of the story for the most part. But I guess I just didn’t find it quite so satisfying as a whole. The ending is again sad and I sympathise with Ann Eliza. But I felt very little about the story when I finished reading.

It’s a bit interesting because in some ways, it reminds me of Washington Square by Henry James, which I didn’t particularly like at all. I found all the characters unsympathetic and the ending left me feeling nothing.  I had hoped the film adaptation might improve upon the novel but I found it so terrible I didn’t finish watching it.

It occurred to me while writing that perhaps the problem is that there is less depth to the character development, but I don’t think that Ann Eliza or Elvina require so much depth. They’re not particularly complicated so that there is nowhere to delve to find out more. Then again, in some ways, maybe this is the difference. The protagonists here seem quite bland compared to those in some of my favorites. But the book wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t.  Perhaps if I give this enough thought, I will find myself liking it more as time goes on.