jace_stew 's review for:

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

4.0

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Edith Warton's New York society romance is an introspective personal look into the intensely mannered social circles of 19th century High Society. Newland Archer is enjoying his luxurious lifestyle frequent to fancy meals, opera, and rubbing elbows with some of New York's most connected members, he is engaged to another well-to-do debutant May Welland and expects to carry on with married life as he has his pampered charmed life. Until his fiancee's cousin, Countess Olenska, asks for help on a personal matter regarding separating from her Husband and Newland finds a level of attraction he has never experienced before with the free-minded Ellen. What follows is Archer's examination and re-evaluation of the formal and informal rules imposed on himself and Oleska by societal expectations. It's no wonder Martin Scorsese saw promise in adapting the story, as the eclectic filmmaker always has similar story themes. The wonderfully and thoroughly written book elaborates the contentious psychological battles going on with all the characters actions and inactions. A literary treasure encapsulating a time and place explored with conflicted characters to empathize with on their quests to find what they want out of life on their own terms.