Reviews

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

emmaruthann's review against another edition

Got distracted by newer “brain rot” novels 

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

5.0

“Her whole being dilated in an atmosphere of luxury. It was the background she required, the only climate she could breathe in.”

Veblen in his 'Theory of Leisure Class' (written six years before this book) argues that one of the way leisure class show their wealth is by maintaining people who will sit idly for them. The chief example is of wives, where richest men do not want their wives to be doing paid jobs - do and own charities - yes, art exhibitions -yes, partying - yes, just not doing any sort of job. The tendency becomes less visible as we go down the ladder of social class, In India, one can still observe the trend. If they are rich enough, many men would rather have housewives and many women would prefer to be housewives. And if they are wealthier still, they would have servants so that their wives won't have to work. Among such people, a woman earning her living is scorned at and is liable to be cast away by society. Besides wives, the super rich might also maintain a class of 'friends' to keep company.

Lily Bart is such a 'friend' and has been raised to be such a wife of a rich man. The only thing she knows well and is good at is 'manners' of leisure class - and these manners won't earn her any money. Higher standards of living are addictive and she is addicted, but she doesn't have any wealth of her own. And since she can't earn, marrying a rich man is her only option - which seems difficult as she is aging (it is a society where an unmarried women nearing thirties is likely to attract suspicions and prejudice attached to the phrase 'old maiden', another thing still visible in India) and, moreover, she also wants to marry for love. To her misfortune, she happened to be a character in Wharton's realistic novel, instead of being a character in one of Austen's happily-ever-after tales.

“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.”

One must bow low in respect to Wharton's craft. I mean there are lots of writers who have better stories or things to tell and writers who have awesome literary techniques at their disposal but, very few can beat her,IMO, when it comes to perfection of telling a realistic story in traditional manner (you know no stream-of-consciousness, no magical realism, no Gothic castles etc) And her cynicism (cynics are always sexy), and the way she brings out the helplessness of her character whether it is Lily Bart, Newland Archer or Ethan Frome. She also kept a dog in her lap when she wrote, if her new Goodreads avatar is to be believed.

olivebranch's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sometimes challenging to want to pick up, finishing the book was more than rewarding. The whole time you are rooting for Lily to pull through and figure it out, and even though the ending is not in her favor, the puzzle pieces finally fit together and you realize it had to end that way. Took me a long time to finish this book, but I’m more than happy I read it.

mfkelly323's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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

4.75

bookgirl2013's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

Sad, but extremele inspirational.

superb_piano9536's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

katiegilley's review against another edition

4.0

“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.”

This is my first ever Edith Wharton novel! I picked it up because this is the book that the Novel Pairings podcast is discussing this week. I was nervous - classics always make me nervous - and had no reason to be. I listened on audio and was able to sit back and sink into the glamorous world of New York high society in the late 1800s. It almost felt like watching Gossip Girl - it was so full of petty plots and society climbers who were willing to hurt anyone if it helped their standing.

But Lily Bart, our protagonist, is in a precarious position. While still accepted by those in high society, her family lost their wealth and she is in tremendous debt and marriage is her only way out. The rumors about her morality are fierce but she still has several suitors, yet she can't bring herself to marry unless he is The One. Oh, Lily. She tries so hard to live a glamorous life, but with integrity. This book shows us just how impossible that is.

delgremmyaward's review against another edition

3.0

3.5

loves_nurse's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

While the subject matter is a bit antiquated and the characters are old fashioned, the author writes them so beautifully. The writin  wraps around me and brings me into the story.  
Some parts of the story are so exactly reflective of the human condition while also being communicated with luxurious slow pertinent prose. I enjoyed the writing much more than the tale itself.

bfmitchell's review against another edition

challenging dark lighthearted reflective 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

3.0