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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
קראתי בעברית. לא תמיד התחברתי לרקע החברתי ולכל הניואנסים שלו. אבל כבר מתחילת הספר נהניתי מהקריאה. הסוף טראגי ושובר לב.
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יום אחרי שסיימתי, מוצאת את עצמי מחכה לקרוא ואז נזכרת בצער שהספר כבר הסתיים. זה לא קורה לי הרבה. אז כנראה שיש בו משהו מיוחד.
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יום אחרי שסיימתי, מוצאת את עצמי מחכה לקרוא ואז נזכרת בצער שהספר כבר הסתיים. זה לא קורה לי הרבה. אז כנראה שיש בו משהו מיוחד.
”It was this moment of love, this fleeting victory over themselves, which had kept them from atrophy and extinction; which, in her, had reached out to him in every struggle against the influence of her surroundings, and in him, had kept alive the faith that now drew him penitent and reconciled to her side.”
It took me a while to get through this but man was this not a superb journey. Edith Wharton writes with the eloquence of someone to which language bows down, and the portrayal of the dark side of life in the high society of that time couldn’t have achieved a better form than the one which it assumed through her eyes and the character of Lily Bart. Considering that she was somewhat of an outsider who always managed to fit in with the rich and influential due to an extravagant taste and ambitious personality, it was all the more intense and involving to see how the trials of ladder-climbing and the judgement of other people managed, little by little, to take away from her happiness up to a point of no return. The dichotomy between solace and angst that represented her relationship with Selden was also a pretty strong aspect, and contained some of the best writing in the story as a whole. All in all, I don’t think that, before I picked this up, I’d seen such a bone-deep sad characterization of a female character from a classic novel in such a setting since Anna Karenina. Both are books you don’t easily forget.
It took me a while to get through this but man was this not a superb journey. Edith Wharton writes with the eloquence of someone to which language bows down, and the portrayal of the dark side of life in the high society of that time couldn’t have achieved a better form than the one which it assumed through her eyes and the character of Lily Bart. Considering that she was somewhat of an outsider who always managed to fit in with the rich and influential due to an extravagant taste and ambitious personality, it was all the more intense and involving to see how the trials of ladder-climbing and the judgement of other people managed, little by little, to take away from her happiness up to a point of no return. The dichotomy between solace and angst that represented her relationship with Selden was also a pretty strong aspect, and contained some of the best writing in the story as a whole. All in all, I don’t think that, before I picked this up, I’d seen such a bone-deep sad characterization of a female character from a classic novel in such a setting since Anna Karenina. Both are books you don’t easily forget.
Wow. I can see why House of Mirth was one of Wharton’s most famous books. I was a bit surprised by the timelessness of Wharton’s themes. There is so much hope for Lily, high society’s under dog. She just can’t seem to decide what she wants, burning bridges left and right. It was at times difficult for me to sympathize with Lily. She lived such a glamorous life, typical of the wealthy and well bred in NY at the time. However, she is so ruined by status and the choices she makes to achieve it, leaving me almost pitying her. The resolution was sad but a tragic relief from the burden I felt reading of Lily’s demise.
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
“She had been bored all afternoon by Percy Gryce... but she could not ignore him on the morrow, she must follow up her success, must submit to more boredom, must be ready with fresh compliances and adaptibilities, and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life.”
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
“She had been bored all afternoon by Percy Gryce... but she could not ignore him on the morrow, she must follow up her success, must submit to more boredom, must be ready with fresh compliances and adaptibilities, and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life.”
Loved it. High society at its best and worst... how horrid humans can be. The ending was a little devastating. I was hoping, after all Lily had been through, that she would finally find happiness with Selden. Not quite how i was expecting the story to end.
There's just something about old books and stodgy language that I really appreciate. This novel is no different. Poor Lily Bart is victim of just abut everybody, including herself. Not sure what else needs to be said. Maybe that this is the original Mean Girls, but with a tragic ending? Also, maybe the mirth was cut out in the version I read? Also, Ms. Dorset is a huge B.
Favorite quotes:
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
Favorite quotes:
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Wharton is a skilled critic of her class, uncompromising in her depiction of Lily Bart, a true beauty, caught in the tension between the identity she was bred for--marriage to a man of means enough to support a frivolous lifestyle--and the realization of herself as an agent in the world. After reading, it is impossible not to envy Lily, to hate her, to sympathize with her, to be annoyed with her, to root for her. Her complexity is a testament to Wharton's skill, and make for a fulfilling read.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed this one, though I found it a little predictable and a touch too soap-opera at times. Still, it was beautifully written, and has some great characters.
Also, love the fact that one of the characters is called Carry Fisher :D
Possibly 3.5 stars.
Also, love the fact that one of the characters is called Carry Fisher :D
Possibly 3.5 stars.