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The House of Mirth

By Edith Wharton
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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 House of Mirth follows Lily Bart, a beautiful but impoverished socialite in New York's Gilded Age. Struggling to secure a wealthy husband amid romantic scandals and gambling debts, Lily's attempts to climb society's ranks lead to her tragic downfall. Edith Wharton masterfully explores the harsh realities beneath the polished surface of high society, spanning from old New York to the French Riviera.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5200

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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?

Ideal for readers of historical fiction and classic literature, particularly those interested in social critique, women's struggles in society, and finely crafted character studies.

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The glittering yet treacherous world of New York High Society comes to life in the heartbreaking story of Lily Bart, a renowned beauty of exquisite charm who seeks a wealthy husband but winds up disgraced and discarded.

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

A bestseller when it was published nearly a century ago, this literary classic critiquing New York City’s Gilded Age elite established Edith Wharton as one of the most important American writers in the twentieth century—now with a new introduction from Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jennifer Egan.

Wharton’s first literary success—a devastatingly accurate portrait of New York’s aristocracy at the turn of the century—is considered by many to be her most important novel, and Lily Bart her most unforgettable character.

Impoverished but well-born, the beautiful and beguiling Lily realises a secure future depends on her acquiring a wealthy husband. But with her romantic indiscretion, gambling debts, and a maelstrom of social disasters, Lily’s ill-fated attempt to rise to the heights of society ultimately leads to her downfall.

From the conventionality of old New York to the forced society of the French Riviera, from old money to the nouveaux riches, Wharton weaves a brilliantly satiric yet sensitive exploration of manners and morality. The House of Mirth reveals Wharton’s unparalleled gifts as a storyteller and her clear-eyed observations of the savagery beneath the well-bred surface of high society.

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?

Reviews praise Wharton's sharp, unsparing portrayal of late-19th-century elite society and Lily Bart, one of American literature's great characters. Critics highlight Wharton's exquisite language and emotional depth, noting the timelessness of Lily's story and its resonance with modern society. The novel is celebrated for its ruthless social observation and tragic heroine.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781982141790

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 January 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Scribner

Edition: Reissue

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Jennifer Egan

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 133.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 327g

Pages: 464

Collections

Edith Wharton Fiction General Fiction Historical Fiction

About the Author

Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was an American novelist—the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Age of Innocence in 1921—as well as a short story writer, playwright, designer, reporter, and poet. Her other works include Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth, and Roman Fever and Other Stories. Born into one of New York’s elite families, she drew upon her knowledge of upper-class aristocracy to realistically portray the lives and morals of the Gilded Age.

Jennifer Egan is the author of six previous books of fiction: Manhattan Beach, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; A Visit from the Goon Squad, which won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; The Keep; the story collection Emerald City; Look at Me, a National Book Award Finalist; and The Invisible Circus. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, Granta, McSweeney’s, and The New York Times Magazine. Her website is JenniferEgan.com.

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