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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Wharton has masterfully expressed the intricacies (and terrible behavior) of the upper socialites of late 19th Century New York. I must admit that I was far more invested in Book I than Book II, but I suppose that makes sense as more of the drama occurs in Book II. I liked Lily Barton, she's a trapped character and I liked my struggle with her trapped-ness.
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. I actually really liked this one until they went to the Mediterranean, and then everything became ridiculous and sad and unnecessary.
I didnt realise how much I cared about Lily Bart until the very end and then it hit me all at once. Lily's fall from grace is intriguing and heartbreaking in all the best ways for a reader.
edith wharton's novel "the house of mirth" deals with complex issues surrounding class and society in the early-to-mid twentieth century.
a lot of the plot paralleled the great gatsby - the concept of "new money", a fallen/tragic character, an attempt to chase after love that fails.
i found myself sucked into the book, especially the last few chapters. lily's death was inevitable - and highly symbolic. the idea that love will die because of a fruitless chase after money or societal position is shown through this character's sleep-like death.
lily was written well. at times, i laughed at the ridiculousness of her situation. imagine being terribly in debt and refusing to accept help from your wildly wealthy friends, all the while trying to secure the bag by marrying a rich guy that you don't even remotely love, yet still somehow being attracted to one of the poorest guys you know. lily was torn between love and money, and in the end, she chose to escape.
a lot of the plot paralleled the great gatsby - the concept of "new money", a fallen/tragic character, an attempt to chase after love that fails.
i found myself sucked into the book, especially the last few chapters. lily's death was inevitable - and highly symbolic. the idea that love will die because of a fruitless chase after money or societal position is shown through this character's sleep-like death.
lily was written well. at times, i laughed at the ridiculousness of her situation. imagine being terribly in debt and refusing to accept help from your wildly wealthy friends, all the while trying to secure the bag by marrying a rich guy that you don't even remotely love, yet still somehow being attracted to one of the poorest guys you know. lily was torn between love and money, and in the end, she chose to escape.
Oof, this was a bruiser. I wonder how much Miss Wharton was thinking of Madame Bovary when writing this, as it seems like an Americanized adaptation of that story, though with less humor and an obsession with money and luxury substituted for an obsession with romance. The money part was apropos for America, but I found the humorlessness a bit tiring throughout. Or what I mean is that I found the story a bit too cruel on Lily Bart. Once the tragedy starts going, it never really lets up, except for a brief interlude at the very end that acts as a kind of plebius ex machina, and while seeming to swoop in gives Lily Bart a respite from her troubles. Otherwise, it's relentless. Leave Lily alone!
I love The Age of Innocence, and thought when coming back to this that I would again dive into a trenchant story that would resonate with this other Gilded Age we have now. That proved to be perhaps too true for comfort. Indeed it cuts through to an essentially American "cruel optimism," where our love of luxury and wealth and success and celebrity destroys our own contentment in our lives. I do believe that there are fates other than Lily's, which I wish the story would have shown more in order for it not to seem so overdetermined. The everyday character who I mentioned comes in at the end was, for me, one of the most interesting parts, in that she has the same sense of awe for the upper class that Lily does (and included Lily as the foremost example of their excesses), but for herself has found a simple, contented life. It was a breath of fresh air from the rest of the world in what otherwise was a suffocatingly closed-in society. But, of course, that's the point. The story is meant to be unpleasant, and it is.
Few, if any, write about money better than Edith Wharton, and I find that refreshing and necessary in a time when money--who has it and who doesn't, how we desire for it and reproach it--continues to so greatly reshape our daily lives and worlds. But at the same time: we hear bad enough things like this every day in the real world that you shouldn't go into this novel without a steely resolve!
I love The Age of Innocence, and thought when coming back to this that I would again dive into a trenchant story that would resonate with this other Gilded Age we have now. That proved to be perhaps too true for comfort. Indeed it cuts through to an essentially American "cruel optimism," where our love of luxury and wealth and success and celebrity destroys our own contentment in our lives. I do believe that there are fates other than Lily's, which I wish the story would have shown more in order for it not to seem so overdetermined. The everyday character who I mentioned comes in at the end was, for me, one of the most interesting parts, in that she has the same sense of awe for the upper class that Lily does (and included Lily as the foremost example of their excesses), but for herself has found a simple, contented life. It was a breath of fresh air from the rest of the world in what otherwise was a suffocatingly closed-in society. But, of course, that's the point. The story is meant to be unpleasant, and it is.
Few, if any, write about money better than Edith Wharton, and I find that refreshing and necessary in a time when money--who has it and who doesn't, how we desire for it and reproach it--continues to so greatly reshape our daily lives and worlds. But at the same time: we hear bad enough things like this every day in the real world that you shouldn't go into this novel without a steely resolve!
emotional
reflective
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
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton was considered shocking when it was published in 1905 and is now considered one of the classics. It tells the story of Lily Bart, a beautiful sophisticated woman, who has the misfortune of coming from a poor family. She is able to rise above her class and soon becomes acquainted with "old money". As she approaches thirty, she realizes that she must find a husband to maintain her expensive tastes and the life of luxury that she has become accustomed to. Through a series of bad choices and rumors started by those who she once considered friends, Lily slowly descends from life of privilege to being poor and forgotten.
I adore many of the classics and I loved the House of Mirth. Even though Edith Wharton came from an extremely wealthy family and lived a life of luxury, she was extremely brave in writing this book as it was (and is) a scathing commentary on the excesses and corruption of the aristocracy. Her attack on the upper classes is shown in how Lily goes from being the most beautiful and talked-about woman in society to being poor and completely forgotten by most of her former friends. While I know some readers don't like classics because they feel that they are no longer relevant to modern-day life, The House of Mirth touches on themes of class, women's role in society, and love and marriage, themes which are still very relevant to the world we live in today.
The House of Mirth is beautifully written and truly transported me to the time and place in which Lily lived. While Wharton was extremely descriptive and sometimes a bit verbose, I really enjoyed her character and plot development. The ending was especially powerful and haunting. Based on how excellent The House of Mirth is, I am not surprised that Edith Wharton would go on to become the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature and was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize. The House of Mirth was the perfect introduction to Wharton and her writing style and I can't wait to read her other works.
4.5 stars!!
I adore many of the classics and I loved the House of Mirth. Even though Edith Wharton came from an extremely wealthy family and lived a life of luxury, she was extremely brave in writing this book as it was (and is) a scathing commentary on the excesses and corruption of the aristocracy. Her attack on the upper classes is shown in how Lily goes from being the most beautiful and talked-about woman in society to being poor and completely forgotten by most of her former friends. While I know some readers don't like classics because they feel that they are no longer relevant to modern-day life, The House of Mirth touches on themes of class, women's role in society, and love and marriage, themes which are still very relevant to the world we live in today.
The House of Mirth is beautifully written and truly transported me to the time and place in which Lily lived. While Wharton was extremely descriptive and sometimes a bit verbose, I really enjoyed her character and plot development. The ending was especially powerful and haunting. Based on how excellent The House of Mirth is, I am not surprised that Edith Wharton would go on to become the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature and was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize. The House of Mirth was the perfect introduction to Wharton and her writing style and I can't wait to read her other works.
4.5 stars!!
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
This was very good! I wish it had been assigned to me in high school, though who knows if I would have appreciated it then. From what I understand, a lot of people struggle with it due to not liking Lily, but I found her flaws understandable given everything we are told about her and endearing even as her life snowballs out of control. The book reminded me of that one scene in Little Women (2019) where Amy explains to Laurie what it is to be a woman in her society, but fleshed out into a whole tragedy. Edith Wharton is good at writing! Wild.