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k8lynn's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
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
2.25
this book was a challenge to me for sure. honestly had to cliffnote the chapters after reading them. glad i gave it a try and saw it the whole way through!
why would Archer marry May after she told him to marry who he really loves? i genuinely do not understand the character motivations in this and why they're preferring unhappiness over what people will say about them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
ashsparrow's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Classism
5aru's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Insightfully scathing, yet full of feeling, I can see why this is generally considered one of Wharton's best. Her portrait of society and the characters inhabiting it is intricate and delightfully, impeccably ironic, showcasing her descriptive and introspective ability. The novel as a whole is very clearly a play of contrasts, exposing the contradictions and hypocrisies of American cities at the time while delving deeply on their impact over the lives of the individuals raised within them — and, most particularly, the lives of women.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
toffishay's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love Edith Wharton; she is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. This plot should be so boring to me! It's a book about rich white aristocrats in 1870s New York, their "high society" troubles, and how their insulated culture prevents anyone in it from truly living. In Newland, we have a character who struggles against the bounds of his society while also finding comfort, security, and identity. In Ellen/Madame Olenska, we have a woman who was raised a little unconventionally and had her fancied nurtured in a way that set her up for failure in a world that still expected her to conform. And May is a woman who represents that old society and lives fully in it in a way that supports her and does not allow her to see what she is missing. All of these characters come together and interact in this melodrama that kept me turning the page. Wharton writes them all in a way that is so human and even when I hate Newland, I feel for him. You pity and understand him. He makes things harder for himself, but he doesn't have as many options as he would want either and there is a sadness that underlines so much of these characters and their lives. This edition had a lot of helpful endnotes and footnotes to explain the references that I did not understand. I think that Wharton is such a writer's writer as well and studying her would be so useful to those looking to tell their own stories of the human condition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Classism
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, and Pregnancy
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