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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I was surprised by the ending! More than I expected.
"how is it that the dirty jews get to have nice things and yet i, a good white christian woman, must suffer the indignities of being poor????"
Content Warnings
anti semitic in the most annoyingly white woman way possible
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have so many things to say about House of Mirth - heart-wrenching, head-shaking (as in me, shaking my head at Lily's decisions), ironic, flashy, and engrossing are the main things that come to mind, and I'll just leave it at that. With House of Mirth, Edith Wharton gave her readers a glimpse into her life and the society in which she lived, and to me, she definitely accomplished her goal. I loved this book throughout. Well done, Mrs. Wharton!
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bored. Not interested in the characters. Don't care what happens to them.
I loved the heartbreaking story of Lily Bart.
Living on the outer fringe of society, Lily Bart is 29 and in need of a husband.
She unfortunately makes an enemy out of a wealthy socialite who proceeds to sabotage all of Lily's attempts at marriage.
Lily constantly looks for the perfect husband, despite the fact that her friend Seldon is clearly the perfect match for her.
Like many books of this time and genre, The House of Mirth deals heavily in the hierarchy of society.
We take a look at the upper crust of New York, the fringe and finally the lower class. We see how drastically Lily's life changes from when she is on the outside looking in, to when she is cast out completely.
Lily is all about appearances. We see this when Lily calls her (one true) friend "dingy" because of her apartment, to her constantly playing (and losing) at cards, to pretending she does not smoke in front of certain men.
Perhaps Lily's pride is her downfall.
It is also interesting to see Wharton's view on one reputation and money and how they go hand in hand.
In Lily's case it really was all she had. But those with money could do no wrong.
Bertha had a horrible reputation among her fellow socialites, but her wealth kept her in good standing.
Lily on the other hand, although remaining somewhat innocent throughout her life, had no money, so the accusations made against her stuck, she developed an unsavory reputation and she was inevitably pushed out of her social circle.
"On and on it flowed, a current of meaningless sound, on which, startlingly enough, a familiar name now and then floated to the surface."
Loved this book, especially the dialogue. I got a little bored and skipped pp. 190 - 242 at one point when I lost track of some of the characters. If you get a little lost in the characters, Wikipedia has an excellent plot summary as a crutch. Don't speed through the final chapters too quickly, I think they merits some savoring.
Loved this book, especially the dialogue. I got a little bored and skipped pp. 190 - 242 at one point when I lost track of some of the characters. If you get a little lost in the characters, Wikipedia has an excellent plot summary as a crutch. Don't speed through the final chapters too quickly, I think they merits some savoring.
emotional
lighthearted
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes