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House of Mirth - The Original Classic Edition

It had been 16 years since I last read of Lily Bart and her life, and I didnt realize how much I had missed her upon re-reading. For me, this is one of the great reading experiences, one of a handful that make reading a book the deeply moving and human exchange that it is. Despite the distance of wealth, property, time and manners, Wharton manages to make Lilys world and life palpable to anyone who will listen. The clash of money, morals, personality and circumstance is infinitely developed and played out in front of a never fading natural world. Once again, I was deeply moved by Lily Bart and at the end, felt I had lost someone myself. Edith Whartons The House Of Mirth is a sad, but brilliant commentary on the closed, repressive society of the rich, upper class, New York nobility, at the dawn of the 20th century. It is also the story of the downfall of one woman, who attempts to live by her own rules, with no sponsor and no money of her own. Her parents are dead and she lives with relatives. Lily Bart is one of societys most eligible women, at the height of her powers, when the novel opens. Though she has little money, she has family connections, good breeding and the hope of coming into an inheritance. Beautiful and very charming, Lily has been brought up to be an ornament, as were most women of her class at that time. She is a gilded bird with a noble heart, but clearly she is not aware of the restrictions of her cage. Part of Lilys tragedy is that she does have character, spirit, and a conscience. However, she does not know how to align these attributes, with her ornamental avocation, and her ambitions to marry a wealthy man of good birth. As expected, Lily is popular with both bachelors and married men. Most of the bachelors propose marriage at on time or another. The only man she has real affection for is her dear friend, Lawrence Seldon, a barrister, whose lack of income makes him entirely unsuitable as a husband. Lily had developed a gambling habit to support her lifestyle, and supplement her allowance. An unfortunate losing streak has put her into debt. In her naivete, she forms an unsavory business alliance with a married man. Later, she is unjustly accused of having an affair with him and their business arrangement also come to light. Her family cuts her off without a penny. Society friends and connections reject their former darling, trying to extricate themselves from any repercussions Lilys indiscreet behavior may have on their reputations. Former friends turn vicious. The irony is that Lily has never committed any of the sins she is accused of. Several of her friends have, and frequently…but their sins are committed with the utmost discretion. Lilys crime is indiscretion. Her beaus disappear, as do her marriage prospects. The hypocrisy of her class becomes more apparent to her, as she searches for a means to survive, with all the familiar doors closed in her face. Lily seeks employment as a seamstress in the New York City slums, and lives there also, in a humble room with no refinements. Having no formal training and no real ambition, (her ambivalence about work is obvious), she sinks into deep depression and begins to decline. Laudanum helps her to sleep, and she becomes dependent on the drug. Lilys descent, from societys beautiful darling to a disheveled, desperate woman living in a shabby hotel room, addicted to drugs, is disturbing reading, to say the least. Her decline seems inevitable, especially after we read of her many poor and self-destructive decisions. She seems to sabotage herself. However, Lily Bart is ultimately the victim of a cruel society that sacrifices anyone who does not conform to its expectations. After reading House Of Mirth, for the first time several years ago, Lilys character has remained clear in my mind. I think of her from time to time with great poignance and a sense of personal loss.

The Age of Innocence - The Original Classic Edition

Wharton Edith

It was a glittering, sumptuous time when hypocrisy was expected, discreet infidelity tolerated, and unconventionality ostracized. That is the Gilded Age, and nobody knew its hypocrises better than Edith Wharton.... and nobody portrayed them as well. The Age of Innocence is a trip back in time to the stuffy upper crust of old New York, taking us through one respectable mans hopeless love affair with a beautiful woman – and the life he isnt brave enough to have. Newland Archer, of a wealthy old New York family, has become engaged to pretty, naive May Welland. But as he tries to get their wedding date moved up, he becomes acquainted with Mays exotic cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, who has returned home after dumping her cheating husband. At first, the two are just friends, but Newland becomes more and more entranced by the Countess easy, free-spirited European charm. After Newland marries May, the attraction to the mysterious Countess and her free, unconventional life becomes even stronger. He starts to rebel in little ways, but hes still mired in a 100% conventional marriage, job and life. Will he become an outcast and go away with the beautiful countess, or will he stick with May and the safe, dull life that he has condemned in others? Theres nothing too scandalous about Age of Innocence in a time when starlets acquire and discard boyfriends and husbands like old pantyhose – it probably wasnt in the 1920s when it was first published. But then, this isnt a book about sexiness and steam – its part bittersweet romance, part social satire, and a look at what happens when human beings lose all spontaneity and passion. Part of this is due to Whartons portrayal of New York in the 1870s – opulent, cultured, pleasant, yet so tied up in tradition that few people in it are able to really open up and live. Its a haze of ballrooms, gardens, engagements, and careful social rituals that absolutely MUST be followed, even if they have no meaning. Its a place where the real thing was never said or done or even thought. And Wharton writes distant, slightly mocking prose that outlines this sheltered little society. Her writing opens as slowly and beautifully as a rosebud, letting subtle subplots and powerful, hidden emotions drive the story. So dont be discouraged by the endless conversations about flowers, ballrooms, gloves and old family scandals that dont really matter anymore. In the middle of all this, Newland is a rather dull, intelligent young man who thinks hes unconventional. But he becomes more interesting as he struggles between his conscience and his longing for the Countess. And as Age of Innocence winds on, you gradually see that he doesnt truly love the Countess, but what she represents – freedom from society and convention. The other two angles of this love triangle are May and Ellen. May is (suitably) pallid and rather dull, though she shows some different sides in the last few chapters. And Ellen is a magnificent character – alluring, mysterious, but also bewildered by New Yorks hostility to her ways. And shes even more interesting when you realize that she isnt trying to rebel, but simply being herself. Age of Innocence is a subtle look at life in Gilded Age New York, telling the story of a man desperately in love with a way of life he hasnt got the courage to pursue. Exquisite in its details, painful in its beauty.