Biblio Library

The Awakening is a novel by American author Kate Chopin about the personal, sexual, and artistic awakening of a young wife and mother, Edna Pontellier. While on vacation at Grand Isle, an island in the Gulf of Mexico, Edna befriends the talented pianist Mlle. Reisz and the sympathetic Robert Lebrun, both of whom will influence her startling life choices. 

Chopin's novel created a scandal upon its original publication in 1899 and effectively destroyed her writing career. Now, however, it is considered one of the finest American novels of the 19th century. 

The Modern Library edition of The Awakening has an introduction by Kay Gibbons, who writes: 

“The Awakening shocked turn-of-the-century readers with its forthright treatment of sex and suicide. Departing from literary convention, Kate Chopin failed to condemn her heroine’s desire for an affair with the son of a Louisiana resort owner, whom she meets on vacation. The power of sensuality, the delusion of ecstatic love, and the solitude that accompanies the trappings of middle- and upper-class life are the themes of this now-classic novel.” 

– As Kay Gibbons points out, Chopin “was writing American realism before most Americans could bear to hear that they were living it.”

Kate Chopin, born Katherine O'Flaherty (1850-1904), was an American author of short stories and novels. Audiobook read by Elisabeth Klett, running time 5 hours, 1 min. Unabridged full version.