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The Custom of the Country

By Edith Wharton
Penguin Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton follows the ambitious Undine Spragg, a young American woman from a nouveau riche family, as she navigates high society in New York and Europe. Undine is determined to achieve her desires for wealth and status, often manipulating those around her while exploring themes of social climbing and cultural expectations. The novel offers a sharp critique of the pursuit of personal ambition at the cost of personal connections and integrity.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're fascinated by stories of societal ambition and personal advancement. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century America, it explores themes of aspiration, social climbing, and the pursuit of personal desires with biting social commentary and vivid characters.

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"Wharton's sly and delicious novel about the ambitious social ascent of Undine Spragg, now in a Penguin Vitae edition, with a foreword by Sofia Coppola"--

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Wharton's sly and delicious novel about the ambitious social ascent of Undine Spragg, now in a Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition, with a foreword by Sofia Coppola.

A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition

Considered by many to be her masterpiece, Edith Wharton's second full-length work is a scathing yet personal examination of the exploits and follies of the modern upper class. As she unfolds the story of Undine Spragg, from New York to Europe, Wharton affords us a detailed glimpse of what might be called the interior decor of this America and its nouveau riche fringes.

Through a heroine who is as vain, spoiled, and selfish as she is irresistibly fascinating, and through a most intricate and satisfying plot that follows Undine's marriages and affairs, she conveys a vision of social behaviour that is both supremely informed and supremely disenchanted.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Custom of the Country is praised for its sharp social commentary and vivid portrayal of early 20th-century American society. Critics often highlight Edith Wharton's intricate character development, particularly of the protagonist, Undine Spragg, as a compelling study of greed and ambition. The novel is lauded for its wit and elegantly crafted prose, offering an insightful critique of the relentless pursuit of wealth and status.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780143137214

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 06 July 2023

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Contributors:

  • Foreword by Sofia Coppola
  • Introduction by Sarah Blackwood

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 144.0mm

Height: 214.0mm

Weight: 470g

Pages: 400

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Edith Wharton Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction

About the Author

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born Edith Newbold Jones. A member of a distinguished New York family, she was educated privately in America and abroad. During her life, she published more than forty volumes- novels, stories, verse, essays, travel books, and memoirs.

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