Reviews

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

caidyn's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What an absolutely bleak, depressing novel. But still so good and compelling to read.

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claudiadiaz94's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

 

The house of mirth.
Edith Wharton


Esta es la historia de Lily Bart.


Es la historia de sus deseos de ser, de pertenecer.


Es, también, la historia de una renuncia, de la valentía de no ceder, de no sacrificar la esencia humana.


 


Como muchos han señalado antes, hay muy poco de alegría en la casa que Edith Wharton nos entrega con esta novela. Quizás, alegría sí, pero de esa que es solo externa, brillante, ruidosa y, sobre todo, efímera. En la casa que es Nueva York, muchos se precian de estar alegres, pero muy pocos son realmente felices. En ese mundo, Lily Bart intenta integrarse una y otra vez, sin los medios económicos, el cinismo y la falta de principios que se requieren de ella para formar parte de una sociedad que siempre la castiga. El mundo que nos regala la autora es esencialmente material. Y no solo porque el dinero mande. Es la prevalencia de la racionalidad sobre la pasión. Hay poco espacio para los sentimientos, las emociones, el desarrollo de la vida subjetiva de los personajes. Ellos viven en el afuera, la proyección exterior organiza la vida de estos seres que no escatiman en sacrificar todo y a todos para asegurar su prevalencia social. No obstante, Lily Bart se aleja de este paradigma. Aunque es válido apuntar que uno de los mayores logros de su personaje son, precisamente, sus imperfecciones. No es Lily una flor delicada, ajena a los mecanismos que mueven la sociedad de su tiempo. Es un ser humano, es mujer, y siente, desea y aspira como tal. A diferencia de aquellos que la rodean, no puede dejar atrás su mundo interior, esa sensibilidad que la separa del resto y la hace única y quizás muy valiosa para vivir entre seres que han olvidado el simple placer de sentir.


The house of mirth
, Edith Wharton


This is the story of Lily Bart.


It's the story of her desire to be and to belong.


It is also the story of a renunciation, of the courage not to give in, not to sacrifice the human essence.


 


As many have pointed out before, there is very little joy in the house that Edith Wharton delivers with this novel. Maybe joy, yes, but of that which is only external, bright, noisy, and, above all, ephemeral. In the house that is New York, many appreciate being happy, but very few are really happy. In that world, Lily Bart tries to integrate over and over again, without the economic means, cynicism, or lack of principles that are required of her to be part of a society that always punishes her. The world that the author gives us is essentially material. And not just because the money moves. It is the prevalence of rationality over passion. There is little room for feelings, emotions, or the development of the subjective lives of the characters. They live outside; the outer projection organizes the lives of these beings, who do not spare sacrificing everything and everyone to ensure their social prevalence. However, Lily Bart moves away from this paradigm. Although it is worth pointing out that one of the greatest achievements of his character are, precisely, his imperfections, Lily is not a delicate flower; she is alien to the mechanisms that move the society of her time. She is a human being; she is a woman, and she feels, desires, and aspires as such. Unlike those around her, she cannot leave behind her inner world, that sensitivity that separates her from the rest and makes her unique and very valuable to live among beings who have forgotten the simple pleasure of feeling.


 

cadencegracereads's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-paced

5.0

kes's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

acommonreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

joliejt's review

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slow-paced
took me too long to finish because i kept yawning and rereading the parts that were boring (all of it)

geoffreylittle's review

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It’s a book with a LOT to talk about even as its 120 yrs old

kpop_reads's review against another edition

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sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

sirmars94's review against another edition

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5.0

I couldn't recommend this book enough.

I rarely come across such enthralling storytelling and my recent discovery of Edith Wharton has certainly earned her a place as one of my favourite writers. This book in particular really swept me under. What struck me the most were the remarkably perceptive, honest, and realistic descriptions of life's tiniest intricacies, which we often fail to recognise as we experience them, but which left me with the feeling of baleful familiarity as I read them.

If you are in for a journey through the spectacle of high society life and the hidden price for enjoying its pleasures, this deeply insightful, strangely relatable, and exceptionally well-written story is certainly worth your time.

ljutavidra's review

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4.0

Čitala sam knjigu skoro mesec dana. Kako se leto približava, sve slabije čitam i nemam strpljenja. Ali završih je konačno.
Volim Iditin stil pisanja, mada ponekad deluje kao da tapka u mestu i nikako da razvije radnju. Ono što je "vadi" svaki put su likovi od krvi i mesa i njen suptilan humor.
Koliko god ova priča bila tragičnija od "Doba nevinosti", nešto mi je i ovde nedostajalo. Predosetila sam kraj ali nije me nažalost pogodio onoliko koliko sam htela. Možda jer sam čitala knjigu mesec dana, a možda i nije do toga. Kako god, ne žalim što sam je pročitala jer sam se par puta prepoznala u glavnoj junakinji, što je, razumemo se, uvek motivišući faktor za čitanje.