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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i love my advisor, but sometimes he really just chooses the wrong book at the wrong time
"But those who are determined to be rich fall into temptation and a snare and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge men into destruction and ruin. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things, and by reaching out for this love some have been led astray from the faith and have stabbed themselves all over with many pains." –1 Tim. 6:9, 10
Over ten years ago I watched the movie adaptation of The House of Mirth. I didn't remember much of the plot going into the book except the ending, which was tragic, so it was interesting to read about Lily's descent in society. I haven't reacted so strongly to a character's bad choices in a long time. Sometimes I did need to put my book down, walk around and then come back for more. Like a train wreck, I couldn't look away from Lily and her plight.
Throughout most of the book, I wasn't particularly fond of Lily.
Her preference for wealth, prosperity and social advancement made me sick! But the more I read, the more I was sucked into this environment that felt pretty stifling, especially for a woman, who was valued for her beauty, charm and connections instead of the person she was inside. Ugh. How sickening! To witness her again and again trying to clutch at "success" and see it slip from her grasp was so disheartening. But something about her character always rang true to me: that of someone trying to do the right thing imperfectly. It's almost as if even she didn't completely buy into the hypocrisy of New York society, even if she so desperately longed to be a part of it. Those were her redeeming qualities in my estimation.
I loved how Wharton crafted this novel. Going back I was able to see so much forshadowing, and am determined to re-read this some time in the future. I'm sure I will glean even more from its pages then.
Over ten years ago I watched the movie adaptation of The House of Mirth. I didn't remember much of the plot going into the book except the ending, which was tragic, so it was interesting to read about Lily's descent in society. I haven't reacted so strongly to a character's bad choices in a long time. Sometimes I did need to put my book down, walk around and then come back for more. Like a train wreck, I couldn't look away from Lily and her plight.
Throughout most of the book, I wasn't particularly fond of Lily.
"Ah, no-she was too intelligent not to be honest with herself. She knew that she hated dinginess as much as her mother had hated it, and to her last breath she meant to fight against it, dragging herself up again and again above its flood till she gained the bright pinnacles of success which presented such a slippery surface to her clutch."
Her preference for wealth, prosperity and social advancement made me sick! But the more I read, the more I was sucked into this environment that felt pretty stifling, especially for a woman, who was valued for her beauty, charm and connections instead of the person she was inside. Ugh. How sickening! To witness her again and again trying to clutch at "success" and see it slip from her grasp was so disheartening. But something about her character always rang true to me: that of someone trying to do the right thing imperfectly. It's almost as if even she didn't completely buy into the hypocrisy of New York society, even if she so desperately longed to be a part of it. Those were her redeeming qualities in my estimation.
I loved how Wharton crafted this novel. Going back I was able to see so much forshadowing, and am determined to re-read this some time in the future. I'm sure I will glean even more from its pages then.
The title comes from the quote from Ecclesiastes 7:4:
”The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”
The novel follows the downward spiral of Lily Bart. A combination of unfortunate circumstances, poor decisions, and societal pressures culminating in the downfall of Lily Bart. Lily finds a good match, personality-wise, and intellectually in Lawrence Seldon, however he is not able to support her to the standards she feels she needs, that her society has groomed her to seek. Lawrence remains throughout the tale as a touchstone for Lily. He actually opens the book…and closes it, with Lily at the beginning of her story and the end.
The novel exposed the hypocrisy that surrounded the New York society of the time. Edith Wharton was a member of this society and attacked it with the precision of a surgeon. The novel is both a satire and a form of tragedy, not necessarily a tragedy in a classical sense but tragic nonetheless. The strength of the novel is this insider’s perspective of the society and revelation of how a society molds its inhabitants, impacts their choices, and opportunities.
I read this for my One Drink Minimum book Club and enjoyed it far more than I expected to at first glance. I haven’t really been a big reader of classics in recent year so this was a real change of pace. I can’t wait to have the book club meeting to discuss it!
”The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth”
The novel follows the downward spiral of Lily Bart. A combination of unfortunate circumstances, poor decisions, and societal pressures culminating in the downfall of Lily Bart. Lily finds a good match, personality-wise, and intellectually in Lawrence Seldon, however he is not able to support her to the standards she feels she needs, that her society has groomed her to seek. Lawrence remains throughout the tale as a touchstone for Lily. He actually opens the book…and closes it, with Lily at the beginning of her story and the end.
The novel exposed the hypocrisy that surrounded the New York society of the time. Edith Wharton was a member of this society and attacked it with the precision of a surgeon. The novel is both a satire and a form of tragedy, not necessarily a tragedy in a classical sense but tragic nonetheless. The strength of the novel is this insider’s perspective of the society and revelation of how a society molds its inhabitants, impacts their choices, and opportunities.
I read this for my One Drink Minimum book Club and enjoyed it far more than I expected to at first glance. I haven’t really been a big reader of classics in recent year so this was a real change of pace. I can’t wait to have the book club meeting to discuss it!
Es una novela que leí gracias al #club-pickwick la he terminado el último día no porque no me estuviera gustando sino que la fui intercalando con otras lecturas.
La novela tiene parte de crítica social aunque no se puede decir que no sea una novela de amor.
En la novela aparece la protagonista como la forjadora de su propio destino y además como simple peón en una sociedad gobernada por el poder,el capital sin olvidar la desigualdad sexual.
Hubo personajes que me sacaron de mis casillas y situaciones también a pesar de esos dos punto para mi es altamente recomendada eso si es una lectura pausada.
La novela tiene parte de crítica social aunque no se puede decir que no sea una novela de amor.
En la novela aparece la protagonista como la forjadora de su propio destino y además como simple peón en una sociedad gobernada por el poder,el capital sin olvidar la desigualdad sexual.
Hubo personajes que me sacaron de mis casillas y situaciones también a pesar de esos dos punto para mi es altamente recomendada eso si es una lectura pausada.
It's been a long time since I read any classics and I thought this was a fairly good one. It was definitely a workout for my brain and I found myself re-reading passages a lot to make sure I had the meaning correctly. I might enjoy this one more on a second read.
I found the characters to be interesting and I thought Lily Bart was a compelling protagonist. Her inner struggle between wanting material wealth and wanting to marry for love kept my interest throughout the book. It really made me think a lot about women and their place in society throughout American history. Lily is both clever and incredibly socially adept, and yet her options in life are very limited.
There were a lot of plot twists and turns, although often the meaning of certain plot twists was more implied than directly stated and it took me a while to get it.
I wish I enjoyed reading this book more, but a lot of it felt like work. It was satisfying to finish, however, and I thought the ending was fitting.
I found the characters to be interesting and I thought Lily Bart was a compelling protagonist. Her inner struggle between wanting material wealth and wanting to marry for love kept my interest throughout the book. It really made me think a lot about women and their place in society throughout American history. Lily is both clever and incredibly socially adept, and yet her options in life are very limited.
There were a lot of plot twists and turns, although often the meaning of certain plot twists was more implied than directly stated and it took me a while to get it.
I wish I enjoyed reading this book more, but a lot of it felt like work. It was satisfying to finish, however, and I thought the ending was fitting.
It reminded me a bit of Anna Karenina, not in writing style, but in the inevitable doom at the end. The main character, though flawed, is very real and her actions speak to anyone who tried to fit in and find meaning in his or her life. Moreover, the writing style was evocative and the time and place in which the novel is set is intriguing on its own as well.
Excellent book and beautifully written, but a tad too long. The story was great but felt a bit repetitive at the end. It was also very frustrating to like Lily Bart so much and watch her fall, so to speak. I wanted her to break out of the class and society restrictions, but knew that she was doomed. So sad, and yet a very satisfying read. I'm looking forward to reading more Wharton.
I had to read this book for my American Literature class, and I loved it. Edith Wharton really knows how to write a book. Wharton tells the story of a society that no one in the general public really even cares about, because it isn't appealing to the common people, but, man, oh man, does she change the game. The characters and the society that are in this novel are literally the worst, but man did I cry at the end. I cried like a little baby. Lily's descent out of the society to which she was born into is hard to watch. It is hard to feel sympathy for her or anyone in this novel for the first 3/4 of the book, because even when they are "poor," they are still richer than the rest of us. Once things get out of control with the way Lily had been manipulating the people around her, things get very dark. And I'm talking super dark. This book has one of the most intense scenes I have ever read. After that point, it is hard not to sympathize with Lily, because things are out of her hands to some degree. I'm frustrated with the ending, because of the ambiguity, so if you don't like unclear endings, this book is NOT for you. There isn't just one ambiguous thing, but TWO, which really isn't fun. WHAT WAS THE WORD? I want to know. I want to know if Seldon and Lily were even thinking of the same word. UGH. I cannot believe I am going to die without ever knowing what the word was. No pun intended.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes