The Awakening, by Kate Chopin was published in 1899, and Willa Cather called it a "Creole Bovary." The book was thought to be immoral and scandalous, with Edna Pontellier committing adultery and then suicide.
1. Chopin: Complete Novels and Stories
In this volume, Library of America publishes the complete works of Chopin in one authoritative volume, including many previously uncollected stories.2. The Awakening: A Norton Critical Edition
Margo Culley edits this Norton edition, which features the first edition of the novel (published by Herbert S. Stone in 1899). Culley offers useful annotations to Chopin's text, but you'll also find translation resources for some of the French phrases, along with details related to New Orleans locales, customs, and lore, the Bayou region, and Creole culture.
3. Unveiling Kate Chopin
Here's a biography by Emily Toth (University Press of Mississippi), who portrays Chopin as a bright, ambitious woman. With the critical hubbub surrounding the controversial Awakening, her next book was published. Chopin never published another novel. Read more about the life and misadventures of Kate Chopin with Toth's well-written biography.4. Critical Essays on Kate Chopin
Essays included in this book (put out by Gale Group) are: "At Fault," "A Forgotten Novel: Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening'," "The Awakening: A Political Romance," "Pride and Prejudice: Kate Chopin's 'Desiree's Baby'," along with 33 other essays and reviews. Alice H. Petry edits the volume.5. The Awakening and Other Stories
Here'a the Modern Library edition of The Awakening, by Kate Chopin.
