Status
Available
Call number
Publication
The Modern Library
Pages
324
Description
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: The House of Mirth is an uncompromising depiction of 19th-century New York society. Lily Bart is a society lady who is unwilling to marry for love, but equally unwilling to marry as society dictates. She sabotages every advantageous opportunity she receives, until her society friends begin to hasten her downfall for their own ends..
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1905
Physical description
324 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0375753753 / 9780375753756
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Smiler69
Set in and around New York in the 1890's, The House of Mirth tells the story of the beautiful and charming Lily Barth, who at 29 is still unmarried, but has hopes of making a brilliant match. Lily's friends are all members of New York high society, a well-heeled crowd made up of Wall Street
While she has been brought up wanting for nothing, Lily's now-deceased parents have left her destitute following her father's bankruptcy. She has since been living with her old aunt Julia Peniston, and while Mrs. Peniston gives Lily money here and there so that she can keep herself in the latest fashions, she isn't so generous as to allow her niece any financial independence, and Lilly soon finds herself in trouble with a huge bridge debt to pay off. But this is only a temporary setback, since Lily and her friends look forward to her making a brilliant match. But shortly after learning that her latest rich prospect has plans to marry to another woman, Lily makes an appeal to Judy's husband Gus Trenor, a Wall Street financier, who promises her that a few smart transactions by him on the stock market with a modest investment will give her good returns. This arrangement proves to be very profitable for the young woman, but things soon start unravelling for her as Gus becomes more and more pressing, then demands that Lily put herself at his disposition.
I enjoyed the wonderful writing in this novel of manners—my first by Edith Wharton—and it was clear that Mrs. Wharton was writing about a world that she knew well. The prevailing attitudes of the time and the class of people she describes were meticulously rendered, though about halfway through I started feeling things dragging along, until quite suddenly a scene with Gus Trenor indicated the beginning of a much steeper downward slide for the lovely Lily. As much as I hate to say it, the worse things got for her, the more interesting the novel became, despite the fact that—or perhaps because—I knew all too well what kind of distress Wharton's heroine must have suffered.
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financiers and their wives, such as Judy Trenor, who takes great pride in entertaining crowds as the most fashionable hostess at her summer residence Bellomont where one of the preferred activities is playing bridge for large sums of money. Lily's biggest problem is keeping up with these big spenders, and though she is a regular at Bellomont, where he good looks and well-honed social skills are well received, she finds it demeaning that Judy should make her pay her way by giving her little jobs to do, such as helping her keep guest lists in order. While she has been brought up wanting for nothing, Lily's now-deceased parents have left her destitute following her father's bankruptcy. She has since been living with her old aunt Julia Peniston, and while Mrs. Peniston gives Lily money here and there so that she can keep herself in the latest fashions, she isn't so generous as to allow her niece any financial independence, and Lilly soon finds herself in trouble with a huge bridge debt to pay off. But this is only a temporary setback, since Lily and her friends look forward to her making a brilliant match. But shortly after learning that her latest rich prospect has plans to marry to another woman, Lily makes an appeal to Judy's husband Gus Trenor, a Wall Street financier, who promises her that a few smart transactions by him on the stock market with a modest investment will give her good returns. This arrangement proves to be very profitable for the young woman, but things soon start unravelling for her as Gus becomes more and more pressing, then demands that Lily put herself at his disposition.
I enjoyed the wonderful writing in this novel of manners—my first by Edith Wharton—and it was clear that Mrs. Wharton was writing about a world that she knew well. The prevailing attitudes of the time and the class of people she describes were meticulously rendered, though about halfway through I started feeling things dragging along, until quite suddenly a scene with Gus Trenor indicated the beginning of a much steeper downward slide for the lovely Lily. As much as I hate to say it, the worse things got for her, the more interesting the novel became, despite the fact that—or perhaps because—I knew all too well what kind of distress Wharton's heroine must have suffered.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth follows the ill fated life of Lily Bart, a girl from a poor family who aspires to be a member of old New York high society. She moves in with her wealthy aunt and establishes herself among the elite – dining with them, gambling with them, and ultimately being
As with many of Wharton’s novels, The House of Mirth is a cynical and harsh look at New York society where one either fits in with the masses, or is shunned. The superficiality of the wealthy is revealed, along with their infidelities and secrets. The rich characters in The House of Mirth are mostly lacking in morality…shallow people who are concerned with their own desires and are quick to do what it takes to protect themselves, even if it means betraying their friends.
Wharton’s view of women’s friendships in the novel is one of petty jealousies, gossip, and betrayal. Nearly every friend Lily has betrays her at some point – if not in action, then in thought. When lies about her surface, Lily is shunned by those who previously opened their arms to her. Only her financially poor cousin Gerty and Carry Fisher (who has also been the victim of vicious gossip) stand by her.
You asked me just now for the truth; well, the truth about any girl is that once she’s talked about she’s done for; and the more she explains her case the worse it looks. – from House of Mirth, page 238 -
The women in the novel are typically portrayed as weak and needing the help of men to survive. When faced with financial peril, Lily considers marriage to a man she finds repugnant rather than curbing her spending or adjusting her lifestyle. Elevating oneself in society appears to be the most important goal.
Her vulgar cares were at an end. She would be able to arrange her life as she pleased, to soar into that empyrean of security where creditors cannot penetrate. She would have smarter gowns than Judy Trenor, and far, far more jewels than Bertha Dorset. She would be free forever from the shifts, the expedients, the humiliations of the relatively poor. – from House of Mirth, page 50 -
Lily sadly faces only scandal, distrust, betrayal and ultimately total ruin in her search for a place among the elite.
Wharton focuses a sardonic eye on the wealthy of society…and demonstrates their weaknesses and immorality. Her writing is sharply observed and her characters are meticulously developed. Lily Bart is a silly, superficial girl…and yet, the reader grows to empathize with her plight and hopes for a good end for her. At its core, The House of Mirth is a tragedy. Instead of making a good life for herself, Lily Bart becomes the victim of fate and gossip – the result of seeking a life with little meaning.
The House of Mirth is one of Wharton’s most popular novels and is a good representation of her work. Readers who love classics and want to read a character-driven novel of drama, love and tragedy will find The House of Mirth a good choice.
Recommended.
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undone by them. Lily is naive and beautiful and depends on others to provide for her financially. She overspends and finds herself continually in debt. Her answer to this problem is to work at snagging a rich husband. Her fear of living in poverty makes her resistant to love with the sincere, yet poor Mr. Selden and so Lily finds herself enmeshed in manipulations with men of means who expect a sexual return on their investments. When Lily’s rich society “friends” and family betray her, however, Lily finds herself penniless and lonely with little hope for the future of which she dreamed.As with many of Wharton’s novels, The House of Mirth is a cynical and harsh look at New York society where one either fits in with the masses, or is shunned. The superficiality of the wealthy is revealed, along with their infidelities and secrets. The rich characters in The House of Mirth are mostly lacking in morality…shallow people who are concerned with their own desires and are quick to do what it takes to protect themselves, even if it means betraying their friends.
Wharton’s view of women’s friendships in the novel is one of petty jealousies, gossip, and betrayal. Nearly every friend Lily has betrays her at some point – if not in action, then in thought. When lies about her surface, Lily is shunned by those who previously opened their arms to her. Only her financially poor cousin Gerty and Carry Fisher (who has also been the victim of vicious gossip) stand by her.
You asked me just now for the truth; well, the truth about any girl is that once she’s talked about she’s done for; and the more she explains her case the worse it looks. – from House of Mirth, page 238 -
The women in the novel are typically portrayed as weak and needing the help of men to survive. When faced with financial peril, Lily considers marriage to a man she finds repugnant rather than curbing her spending or adjusting her lifestyle. Elevating oneself in society appears to be the most important goal.
Her vulgar cares were at an end. She would be able to arrange her life as she pleased, to soar into that empyrean of security where creditors cannot penetrate. She would have smarter gowns than Judy Trenor, and far, far more jewels than Bertha Dorset. She would be free forever from the shifts, the expedients, the humiliations of the relatively poor. – from House of Mirth, page 50 -
Lily sadly faces only scandal, distrust, betrayal and ultimately total ruin in her search for a place among the elite.
Wharton focuses a sardonic eye on the wealthy of society…and demonstrates their weaknesses and immorality. Her writing is sharply observed and her characters are meticulously developed. Lily Bart is a silly, superficial girl…and yet, the reader grows to empathize with her plight and hopes for a good end for her. At its core, The House of Mirth is a tragedy. Instead of making a good life for herself, Lily Bart becomes the victim of fate and gossip – the result of seeking a life with little meaning.
The House of Mirth is one of Wharton’s most popular novels and is a good representation of her work. Readers who love classics and want to read a character-driven novel of drama, love and tragedy will find The House of Mirth a good choice.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member lauralkeet
She usually contrived to avoid being at home during the season of domestic renewal. ... She had so long been accustomed to pass from one country-house to another, till the close of the holidays brought her friends to town, that the unfilled gaps of time confronting her produced a sharp sense of
Such is the plight of Lily Bart, the tragic heroine of The House of Mirth. At twenty-nine, Lily finds herself unmarried and, upon her mother's death, left without visible means of support. She realizes a husband would provide much-needed security, not to mention the income required to maintain her lavish lifestyle. Yet Lily is so self-absorbed, she unknowingly ruins just about every marriage opportunity presented to her. Lily is terribly naive about the effects of her behavior on others. When she slights a potential suitor, she brushes it off as a matter of little consequence. She is both surprised and hurt when the gentleman abruptly leaves the party. Lily is also completely ignorant of financial matters. After losing a large sum of money at bridge, she allows a friend's husband to invest what was left of her money in the stock market. The investments are profitable, but Lily's appetite for luxury still exceeds the available funds. And, to make matters worse, the investor has definite ideas as to how Lily should "repay" him. Lily has only a couple true friends, notably a young man named Lawrence Selden. Selden's love for Lily is obvious to the reader, but not to the characters. Lily treats him more like a big brother, dismissing thoughts of marrying Selden and setting her sights on wealthier prospects.
In the second half of the novel Lily's relationship and financial difficulties only get worse, and while Lily has a vague idea that things are not as they should be, she prefers to keep her head in the sand. This made for difficult reading; many times I wanted to take Lily by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Then, about 50 pages from the end there was a juicy bit of foreshadowing. The rest of the book was like watching a horror film with partially-covered eyes. Was Wharton really going to do what I thought she'd do? Well, I won't say any more on that ... I'll just say that the ending was fitting.
Edith Wharton is known for her portrayal of New York society at the turn of the 20th century. Much of her work also addresses the rights of women, and in particular the impact of divorce. In House of Mirth, Wharton echoes Virginia Woolf's message that a woman must have "a room of her own and 500 pounds." Lily lacked both, making her extremely vulnerable. And, she had virtually no ability to change her circumstances. Add to that a frivolous attitude, and you have a cautionary tale indeed.
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waning popularity. It was as she had said to Selden -- people were tired of her. (p. 149)Such is the plight of Lily Bart, the tragic heroine of The House of Mirth. At twenty-nine, Lily finds herself unmarried and, upon her mother's death, left without visible means of support. She realizes a husband would provide much-needed security, not to mention the income required to maintain her lavish lifestyle. Yet Lily is so self-absorbed, she unknowingly ruins just about every marriage opportunity presented to her. Lily is terribly naive about the effects of her behavior on others. When she slights a potential suitor, she brushes it off as a matter of little consequence. She is both surprised and hurt when the gentleman abruptly leaves the party. Lily is also completely ignorant of financial matters. After losing a large sum of money at bridge, she allows a friend's husband to invest what was left of her money in the stock market. The investments are profitable, but Lily's appetite for luxury still exceeds the available funds. And, to make matters worse, the investor has definite ideas as to how Lily should "repay" him. Lily has only a couple true friends, notably a young man named Lawrence Selden. Selden's love for Lily is obvious to the reader, but not to the characters. Lily treats him more like a big brother, dismissing thoughts of marrying Selden and setting her sights on wealthier prospects.
In the second half of the novel Lily's relationship and financial difficulties only get worse, and while Lily has a vague idea that things are not as they should be, she prefers to keep her head in the sand. This made for difficult reading; many times I wanted to take Lily by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. Then, about 50 pages from the end there was a juicy bit of foreshadowing. The rest of the book was like watching a horror film with partially-covered eyes. Was Wharton really going to do what I thought she'd do? Well, I won't say any more on that ... I'll just say that the ending was fitting.
Edith Wharton is known for her portrayal of New York society at the turn of the 20th century. Much of her work also addresses the rights of women, and in particular the impact of divorce. In House of Mirth, Wharton echoes Virginia Woolf's message that a woman must have "a room of her own and 500 pounds." Lily lacked both, making her extremely vulnerable. And, she had virtually no ability to change her circumstances. Add to that a frivolous attitude, and you have a cautionary tale indeed.
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LibraryThing member andreablythe
Since I can't seem to find a way to some it up on my own, here's a description from the back of one of the editions: "Lily Bart, beautiful, witty, and sophisticated, is accepted by "old money" and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears 30, her foothold becomes precarious;
Lily was raised to love splendor and wealth and to be an ornament in that world. She cannot help but strive for the comfort and ease (even if it is marked by falsehoods) that that world offers. And yet there is a part of her that strives for some greater, higher ideal, some deeper truth beyond the finery.
Her downfall is in part due to circumstance (being a woman in her time period and raised to desire wealth and shun shabbiness) and in part due to her own poor choices. There are many times she could have prevented a mishap, only to blindly (out of naiveté) or purposefully (out of selfishness and her desire for wealth) step right into it. And many other times she could have saved herself, only to reject it due to her own sense of morality. Witnessing her mistakes is to see all the little ways she is guilty, while simultaneously discovering the multitude of ways she is innocent. It's all just so profoundly human.
The story was easy to follow and compelling to read. the scenes unfolding with eloquent language and open frankness. By the end of the book, i found that my commute wasn't long enough and I sat in my car upon arriving home listening to the conclusion, unable to wait until morning.
I often cry at books and movies; I'm easily moved (sometimes even a TV commercial will illicit a few tears). But this was an experience beyond mere crying. This was me with my hands pressed to my face, snot running out of my nose, abjectly weeping in the front seat of my car. I can't fully express why this book plucked that inner string in me, but it did.
I'm sure a part of it was the spectacular reading given by Eleanor Bron (who also, as it turns out, played Lily's Aunt Peniston in the 2000 movie adaptation) in the audio. She strikes just the right tone of reserve and emotions, her voice soothing and adaptable to each character. I don't know if my wrought emotional reaction would have been the same had I read it in text, but that's not something one can speculate on, since each individual experience is based on a multitude of circumstances that can't be recreated.
All I know, is I started this book thinking I would merely enjoy it, and ended it being madly in love.
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a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing and to maintain her life in the luxury she has come to expect. While many have sought her, something—fastidiousness or integrity—prevents her from making a "suitable" match."Lily was raised to love splendor and wealth and to be an ornament in that world. She cannot help but strive for the comfort and ease (even if it is marked by falsehoods) that that world offers. And yet there is a part of her that strives for some greater, higher ideal, some deeper truth beyond the finery.
Her downfall is in part due to circumstance (being a woman in her time period and raised to desire wealth and shun shabbiness) and in part due to her own poor choices. There are many times she could have prevented a mishap, only to blindly (out of naiveté) or purposefully (out of selfishness and her desire for wealth) step right into it. And many other times she could have saved herself, only to reject it due to her own sense of morality. Witnessing her mistakes is to see all the little ways she is guilty, while simultaneously discovering the multitude of ways she is innocent. It's all just so profoundly human.
The story was easy to follow and compelling to read. the scenes unfolding with eloquent language and open frankness. By the end of the book, i found that my commute wasn't long enough and I sat in my car upon arriving home listening to the conclusion, unable to wait until morning.
I often cry at books and movies; I'm easily moved (sometimes even a TV commercial will illicit a few tears). But this was an experience beyond mere crying. This was me with my hands pressed to my face, snot running out of my nose, abjectly weeping in the front seat of my car. I can't fully express why this book plucked that inner string in me, but it did.
I'm sure a part of it was the spectacular reading given by Eleanor Bron (who also, as it turns out, played Lily's Aunt Peniston in the 2000 movie adaptation) in the audio. She strikes just the right tone of reserve and emotions, her voice soothing and adaptable to each character. I don't know if my wrought emotional reaction would have been the same had I read it in text, but that's not something one can speculate on, since each individual experience is based on a multitude of circumstances that can't be recreated.
All I know, is I started this book thinking I would merely enjoy it, and ended it being madly in love.
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
The House of Mirth is usually viewed as a novel of New York society manners, which it is. The heroine is Lily Bart, an impoverished socialite, who lives off a small inheritance and her Aunt Julia’s generosity. She travels with the elite of New York society by being charming and beautiful;
"A world in which such things could be seemed a miserable place to Lily Bart but then she had never been able to understand the laws of a universe which was so ready to leave her out of its calculation."(p 271)
For Lily the tension increases until it becomes too great to manage. In spite of her difficulty in understanding the world around her I find Lily a sympathetic heroine. Her missed opportunities remind me of Phillip Carey in Maugham's Of Human Bondage who seemed to always disappoint in his choices. The classical beauty of Wharton's prose which resembles that of her friend, Henry James, with fewer recondite patches, makes this book appealing to read. One of her better novels, I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Howells and James.
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something she finds increasingly more difficult the older she gets. But the novel is also an example of a modern, secular vision of alienation in which Lily Bart faces an inability to reconcile her nature with the world around her. "A world in which such things could be seemed a miserable place to Lily Bart but then she had never been able to understand the laws of a universe which was so ready to leave her out of its calculation."(p 271)
For Lily the tension increases until it becomes too great to manage. In spite of her difficulty in understanding the world around her I find Lily a sympathetic heroine. Her missed opportunities remind me of Phillip Carey in Maugham's Of Human Bondage who seemed to always disappoint in his choices. The classical beauty of Wharton's prose which resembles that of her friend, Henry James, with fewer recondite patches, makes this book appealing to read. One of her better novels, I would recommend this to readers who enjoy Howells and James.
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LibraryThing member lit_chick
2000, Blackstone Audiobooks, Read by Anna Fields
Lily Bart, bred to be ornamental, has known only comfort and luxury. When her family is ruined, she is keenly aware that she must marry money in order to maintain her position in 1890s New York’s elite society: “The only way to not think about
“She had been bored all the afternoon by Percy Gryce … but she could not ignore him on the morrow, she must follow up her success, must submit to more boredom, must be ready with fresh compliances and adaptabilities, and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life.” (Bk 1, Ch 3)
Lily’s hesitation, coupled with a series of other social missteps and foolish decisions, sets in motion her descent of the social ladder. But it is Bertha Dorset, the novel’s antagonist, who ensures Lily’s expulsion from society. A nasty, manipulative woman, Bertha invites Lily on a Mediterranean cruise; but her motives are despicable. An unsuspecting Lily walks right into her deception, and Bertha uses her money and influence to bar Lily permanently from society. Wharton’s protagonist pathetically becomes one “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.” (Bk 1, Ch 1)
The House of Mirth is highly recommended. While I did not enjoy it as much as The Age of Innocence, I love to read about late 1800s New York Society, particularly as written about by Wharton – elite, ostentatious, frivolous, narrow-minded, vicious – and fascinating. Expectedly, prose and characterization are brilliant. And Anna Fields did a lovely job of narration in this audiobook edition.
Lily Bart, bred to be ornamental, has known only comfort and luxury. When her family is ruined, she is keenly aware that she must marry money in order to maintain her position in 1890s New York’s elite society: “The only way to not think about
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money is to have a great deal of it." (Bk 1, Ch 6) And there are no shortage of suitors: Lawrence Selden, Percy Gryce, Simon Rosedale. But she dithers, seemingly wanting the impossible: Selden, whom she loves, is not wealthy enough; and while Gryce and Rosedale are plenty wealthy, she cares not a thing for either of them. Indeed, what might life be like married to Percy Gryce, that droning millionaire and “portentous little ass”:“She had been bored all the afternoon by Percy Gryce … but she could not ignore him on the morrow, she must follow up her success, must submit to more boredom, must be ready with fresh compliances and adaptabilities, and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life.” (Bk 1, Ch 3)
Lily’s hesitation, coupled with a series of other social missteps and foolish decisions, sets in motion her descent of the social ladder. But it is Bertha Dorset, the novel’s antagonist, who ensures Lily’s expulsion from society. A nasty, manipulative woman, Bertha invites Lily on a Mediterranean cruise; but her motives are despicable. An unsuspecting Lily walks right into her deception, and Bertha uses her money and influence to bar Lily permanently from society. Wharton’s protagonist pathetically becomes one “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.” (Bk 1, Ch 1)
The House of Mirth is highly recommended. While I did not enjoy it as much as The Age of Innocence, I love to read about late 1800s New York Society, particularly as written about by Wharton – elite, ostentatious, frivolous, narrow-minded, vicious – and fascinating. Expectedly, prose and characterization are brilliant. And Anna Fields did a lovely job of narration in this audiobook edition.
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LibraryThing member Daisydaisydaisy
I read "The house of mirth" for reading group in July, which proved to be an interesting choice, especially immediately after getting married! After spending most of the book being puzzled about what it's got to do with mirth (it's not exactly, erm, mirthful), and not doing something sensible like
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looking it up on Librarything, I discovered that everyone else at reading group had a different edition, and that edition included an helpful introduction which included an explanation of the title! It comes from the Bible - Ecclesiastes 7: 4 - "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." That makes a whole lot more sense! The book follows Lily, who is basically on the shelf at the age of 29 and becoming increasingly desperate to assure her place in society by getting married to some suitable man. Whereas she was once at the centre of society she is now heading to its outer edges. She does love a man, but he isn't really in the right class so not an option. The society revolves around the social niceties and not putting a foot wrong. Lily slowly sinks further and further. At times I got very frustrated with her - why didn't she just get a job and support herself? - kept creeping into my mind. But it does become clear that she was never brought up with any idea of having to do that and has no skills or talents other than being an ornament. It is hard to identify with her as she is SO far removed from the world we're in now, but it's only 100 or so years ago (first published in 1905)! It also made me very glad that I do live now, especially with the life parallels, having just got married! Show Less
LibraryThing member AlisonY
I'm not quite sure where to start with this review other than to say I thought this book was full of many moments of utter brilliance. Firstly, there was the setting of the New York upper class at the beginning of the 20th century. I've read lots of society type books from this era, but I think
Secondly, Lily was the most fabulous heroine I've come across in a while. At first she seemed an unlikeable character - shallow, vain, and with aspirations focused solely on material gain and sustaining her ability to keep up with her social set. However, as the book unfolds she develops into the most complex character full of self-contradictions. On the one hand she wants to seek out a marriage into money, yet when opportunity knocks she can't take that final step. She equates marriage with the huge compromise of dull, pompous husbands, and interprets love as a fanciful dream which can never lead to happiness as it's destined to be attached to an insufficient income.
She's the least well off of her set, needing to stay in favour with her group more than any of the others, yet she lets them wildly misconstrue a number of incidents which ultimately lead to her downfall. She has ample opportunity on a number of occasions to set the record straight or to quiet rumours with some well-aimed counter mudslinging, yet she chooses instead to hold her head high in hushed dignity, protecting people who ultimately expose the false veneer of her material dreams for what they really are.
Ultimately Lily is a person of rare depth and character within her set, and cleverly Wharton reveals that to us whilst sadly holding Lily back for much of the book from discovering her true self. Her dialogue is razor sharp in places, and at times the book was very humorous.
4.5 stars - a very clever, unique read from the period.
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this is the first (for me) that's been set in the US. Out went the Downton Abbey setting of the many English books I've read from the period, and in it's place was wonderful descriptions of the early inhabitants of those fabulous brownstone buildings of streets like 5th Avenue.Secondly, Lily was the most fabulous heroine I've come across in a while. At first she seemed an unlikeable character - shallow, vain, and with aspirations focused solely on material gain and sustaining her ability to keep up with her social set. However, as the book unfolds she develops into the most complex character full of self-contradictions. On the one hand she wants to seek out a marriage into money, yet when opportunity knocks she can't take that final step. She equates marriage with the huge compromise of dull, pompous husbands, and interprets love as a fanciful dream which can never lead to happiness as it's destined to be attached to an insufficient income.
She's the least well off of her set, needing to stay in favour with her group more than any of the others, yet she lets them wildly misconstrue a number of incidents which ultimately lead to her downfall. She has ample opportunity on a number of occasions to set the record straight or to quiet rumours with some well-aimed counter mudslinging, yet she chooses instead to hold her head high in hushed dignity, protecting people who ultimately expose the false veneer of her material dreams for what they really are.
Ultimately Lily is a person of rare depth and character within her set, and cleverly Wharton reveals that to us whilst sadly holding Lily back for much of the book from discovering her true self. Her dialogue is razor sharp in places, and at times the book was very humorous.
4.5 stars - a very clever, unique read from the period.
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LibraryThing member runaway84
This was one of the most depressing books I have ever read. There was no bright moment in sight. Nowhere to 'rest your eyes' so to speak, from deep darkness.
Lily Bart is one of the most tragic heroines in literature. There was absolutely no way of a happy ending for her. She was doomed from the
The House of Mirth shows the cruelty of the upper class New York society at the beginning of the 20th century better than any non-fiction book could. Wharton crafted a beautifully tragic story showing that the upper class isn't what it's cracked up be. She tore off the blinds and shows us the vile and ugliness.
Lily Bart is one of the most tragic heroines in literature. There was absolutely no way of a happy ending for her. She was doomed from the
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start. She wanted a life that never really belonged to her. She couldn't stand the thought of 'lowering' herself to anything less than the upper class, and that led to her downfall. Bart was naive and vein and sometimes just downright stupid. She sacrificed everything instead of taking that one happy opportunity that was right in front of her face.The House of Mirth shows the cruelty of the upper class New York society at the beginning of the 20th century better than any non-fiction book could. Wharton crafted a beautifully tragic story showing that the upper class isn't what it's cracked up be. She tore off the blinds and shows us the vile and ugliness.
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LibraryThing member Katie_H
Definitely not "mirthful," this downer of a classic is a social commentary and primer on manners of the wealthy-elite community during the turn-of-the-century Gilded Age. It is the story of Lily Bart, a poor girl, who does her best to fit into the closed and cruel society of the rich New York
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aristocracy. Money and greed become the center of her universe as she spends and gambles away whatever she has. She is beautiful and witty, so she is surrounded by suiters, both single and married. She forms what she understands to be a business partnership with one of the married admirers, and the relationship leads to her downfall when she is accused of having an affair with him. Deeply in debt and even deeper in depression, she struggles to stay afloat, even turning to Laudanum to help her sleep. Her descent is heartbreaking and disturbing, but her revelations are deeply moving. This melodrama is a fantastic reading experience, and I highly recommend it to all. Show Less
LibraryThing member ReginaR
After finishing this book I feel all over the place. On a purely emotional level, the book is very tragic, sad and depressing. There is no hope, there is no happiness. Normally, that is reason enough for me warning someone off of a book but House of Mirth is an exception. Edith Wharton’s novel is
"Isn't marriage your vocation? Isn't it what you're all brought up for?"
"I have tried hard – but life is difficult and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence."
And finally, this book is a must read when we consider failed opportunities and wonder if we should go for what we want, if we should tell people we love them.
The main character in House of Mirth is Lily Bart. Lily Bart has been raised to believe her only value is her beauty and that her main goal should be in securing wealth. Her sole method to secure wealth is through marriage; to a woman during this time period and culture, there is no other way.
"She was like a flower from which every bud had been nipped except the crowing blossom of her beauty."
Lily's family was wealthy but lost their money; eventually her parents died and Lily is left alone. She drifts from relative to relative, relying on their generosity to support her. And ever desperate to be in the upper portions of society, Lily befriends married women and is invited to parties, travels, and country homes; in exchange she assists the wealthy wives write thank you letters and plan parties. What is the fair exchange though? Lily is getting food, stay at luxurious locations, travel and presence at the best parties. The exchange is not fair because ultimately, Lily is giving up so much more; she is giving up her safety, her security and her emotional well-being. The wealthy and the married want Lily to be with them and at their parties due to her beauty, her wit and her ability to entertain – this talent is somehow a reflection on them. Lily is used as a toy and as a decoration.
The story opens when Lily is 29 years old. She is still supremely beautiful and despite her desiring wealth and independence, the reader is informed through various conversations that Lily has had a number of suitable offers of marriage, but she continues to decline them or push the men away once they want her.
"Sometimes I think it's just flightiness – and sometimes I think it's because, at heart, she despites the things she's trying for. And it's the difficulty of deciding that makes her such an interesting study."
What is clear that Lily is in a precarious situation; she seeks independence and has her own ideas of what she wants to do, but no power (or money) to do anything. Lily travels through social circles as if she was her own person, she makes plans on her own – and it is much mentioned that she acts like a married woman – but she does not have the protections of marriage. Lily is used not only as a toy at parties, but tools for couples, men, women to accomplish what society limits them from otherwise. Ending a marriage? Hiding their infidelities? Attempting an affair with a much younger and beautiful woman? Lily is alone, without protection from parents or a spouse and thus vulnerable to people who want to use her. House of Mirth describes in detail of the horrible things that can happen to a girl without choices and protection.
How Lily is controlled is through the threat of scandal; the scandal being sex and having sex – unmarried women were not supposed to have sex or lure married men into having sex with them. However, the irony is not missing – Lily's entire value is her physical appearance, her beauty and her allure to men which ultimately equates to her sexual desirability.
"When a girl's as good-looking as that she'd better marry; then no questions are asked. There is no provision as yet for the young woman who claims the privileges of marriage without assuming the obligations."
"If I were shabby no one would have me: a woman is asked out as much for her clothes as for herself."
"What is truth? Where a woman is concerned, it's story that's easiest to believe. In this case, it's a great deal easier to believe [the scandal] ."
At several points in the story, Lily's dire situation – one decorated with fancy clothes and that leave her staying in yachts and fine hotels -- is contrasted with working class women who are suffering. Wharton employs these scenes with a dual purpose; we see that despite Lily's complaining and worries others suffer much more than her. But interestingly, while these working class women are not beautiful or fashionable and it is obvious they are tired and over worked – they have several things that Lily does not. They have family, they have love, and they have some limited ability to earn an income. Although, each of the working class women Lily encounters – their lives rotate and turn on the men in their lives. We first meet a maid in a desperate situation because her husband was turned out of his job. We next meet a young working class mother who was not a virgin when her husband agreed to marry her, but thanks to a loving man – he married her anyway. So despite their "success" and their resources, lower class women were still subject to similar limitations and standards.
It is so interesting for me to think that this book was written contemporaneous to the time it was describing. Even more interesting, Edith Wharton came from a wealthy family and she ultimately divorced her husband. It is curious to think how much pressure Ms. Wharton experienced herself or witnessed. We now know that the early 1900s and late 1800s brought much change to society and suffering to various groups of people, so at first it seems hard to swallow or sympathize with such a jet setting crowd. Lily has quite a few faults. She was vain (how dare she understand her only value!), she was judgmental, and she was superficial. But did she have any other choice? This is what she was groomed for, raised for and even if she shirked it off, what else could she do? This book is very enjoyable and I highly recommend it. My one criticism is the descriptions and wordiness of the prose is not my thing, generally – but I was able to enjoy it.
"It is less mortifying to believe one's self unpopular than insignificant, and vanity prefers to assume that indifference is a latent form of unfriendliness."
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a must read for so many reasons. It is a must read as a critical examination of upper class politics, specifically late 19th century New York – but I believe that Wharton’s portrayal of the upper crust has resonance for us now. House of Mirth is a must read as a critique of the role of women in the late 1800s and early 1900s, looking at their limited access to opportunities and the extreme negative impact of singularly grooming women as wives and holding that up as the apex of their lives. "Isn't marriage your vocation? Isn't it what you're all brought up for?"
"I have tried hard – but life is difficult and I am a very useless person. I can hardly be said to have an independent existence."
And finally, this book is a must read when we consider failed opportunities and wonder if we should go for what we want, if we should tell people we love them.
The main character in House of Mirth is Lily Bart. Lily Bart has been raised to believe her only value is her beauty and that her main goal should be in securing wealth. Her sole method to secure wealth is through marriage; to a woman during this time period and culture, there is no other way.
"She was like a flower from which every bud had been nipped except the crowing blossom of her beauty."
Lily's family was wealthy but lost their money; eventually her parents died and Lily is left alone. She drifts from relative to relative, relying on their generosity to support her. And ever desperate to be in the upper portions of society, Lily befriends married women and is invited to parties, travels, and country homes; in exchange she assists the wealthy wives write thank you letters and plan parties. What is the fair exchange though? Lily is getting food, stay at luxurious locations, travel and presence at the best parties. The exchange is not fair because ultimately, Lily is giving up so much more; she is giving up her safety, her security and her emotional well-being. The wealthy and the married want Lily to be with them and at their parties due to her beauty, her wit and her ability to entertain – this talent is somehow a reflection on them. Lily is used as a toy and as a decoration.
The story opens when Lily is 29 years old. She is still supremely beautiful and despite her desiring wealth and independence, the reader is informed through various conversations that Lily has had a number of suitable offers of marriage, but she continues to decline them or push the men away once they want her.
"Sometimes I think it's just flightiness – and sometimes I think it's because, at heart, she despites the things she's trying for. And it's the difficulty of deciding that makes her such an interesting study."
What is clear that Lily is in a precarious situation; she seeks independence and has her own ideas of what she wants to do, but no power (or money) to do anything. Lily travels through social circles as if she was her own person, she makes plans on her own – and it is much mentioned that she acts like a married woman – but she does not have the protections of marriage. Lily is used not only as a toy at parties, but tools for couples, men, women to accomplish what society limits them from otherwise. Ending a marriage? Hiding their infidelities? Attempting an affair with a much younger and beautiful woman? Lily is alone, without protection from parents or a spouse and thus vulnerable to people who want to use her. House of Mirth describes in detail of the horrible things that can happen to a girl without choices and protection.
How Lily is controlled is through the threat of scandal; the scandal being sex and having sex – unmarried women were not supposed to have sex or lure married men into having sex with them. However, the irony is not missing – Lily's entire value is her physical appearance, her beauty and her allure to men which ultimately equates to her sexual desirability.
"When a girl's as good-looking as that she'd better marry; then no questions are asked. There is no provision as yet for the young woman who claims the privileges of marriage without assuming the obligations."
"If I were shabby no one would have me: a woman is asked out as much for her clothes as for herself."
"What is truth? Where a woman is concerned, it's story that's easiest to believe. In this case, it's a great deal easier to believe [the scandal] ."
At several points in the story, Lily's dire situation – one decorated with fancy clothes and that leave her staying in yachts and fine hotels -- is contrasted with working class women who are suffering. Wharton employs these scenes with a dual purpose; we see that despite Lily's complaining and worries others suffer much more than her. But interestingly, while these working class women are not beautiful or fashionable and it is obvious they are tired and over worked – they have several things that Lily does not. They have family, they have love, and they have some limited ability to earn an income. Although, each of the working class women Lily encounters – their lives rotate and turn on the men in their lives. We first meet a maid in a desperate situation because her husband was turned out of his job. We next meet a young working class mother who was not a virgin when her husband agreed to marry her, but thanks to a loving man – he married her anyway. So despite their "success" and their resources, lower class women were still subject to similar limitations and standards.
It is so interesting for me to think that this book was written contemporaneous to the time it was describing. Even more interesting, Edith Wharton came from a wealthy family and she ultimately divorced her husband. It is curious to think how much pressure Ms. Wharton experienced herself or witnessed. We now know that the early 1900s and late 1800s brought much change to society and suffering to various groups of people, so at first it seems hard to swallow or sympathize with such a jet setting crowd. Lily has quite a few faults. She was vain (how dare she understand her only value!), she was judgmental, and she was superficial. But did she have any other choice? This is what she was groomed for, raised for and even if she shirked it off, what else could she do? This book is very enjoyable and I highly recommend it. My one criticism is the descriptions and wordiness of the prose is not my thing, generally – but I was able to enjoy it.
"It is less mortifying to believe one's self unpopular than insignificant, and vanity prefers to assume that indifference is a latent form of unfriendliness."
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LibraryThing member bookwoman247
Lily Bart is a young woman born into New York's Golden Age society.
In order to maintain her place in society, she must marry wisely. Being orphaned, she must look to herself to make a good match. As Lily says "...when a girl has no mother to palpitate for her, she must be on the alert for
Even with the advantages of beauty, ambition, wiles, and great delicacy, Lily, without an interested party to look out for her, makes a series of fatal mistakes.
The inexorableness of Lily's fate, only whispered and hinted at at first, becomes more and more clear as the novel progresses until the reader is led to the inescapable conclusion. I felt as if I were firmly in the authors's deft hands through the entire book, although the author, herself, never intruded on the story once.
Wharton has got to be one of the most gifted writers of all-time!
In order to maintain her place in society, she must marry wisely. Being orphaned, she must look to herself to make a good match. As Lily says "...when a girl has no mother to palpitate for her, she must be on the alert for
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herself."Even with the advantages of beauty, ambition, wiles, and great delicacy, Lily, without an interested party to look out for her, makes a series of fatal mistakes.
The inexorableness of Lily's fate, only whispered and hinted at at first, becomes more and more clear as the novel progresses until the reader is led to the inescapable conclusion. I felt as if I were firmly in the authors's deft hands through the entire book, although the author, herself, never intruded on the story once.
Wharton has got to be one of the most gifted writers of all-time!
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
The title of this book comes from a Bible quote (Ecclesiastes 7:4) "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Lily Bart, the central character of The House of Mirth, is most definitely a fool. She has been brought up on the fringes of high
I have enjoyed other books by Wharton but this book was not my cup of tea. I found Lily irritating. She could have lived within her means; she could have even found work; but instead she wastes her money and spends her days on frivolous activities. I could see doing that when she was eighteen or twenty-one but to still be carrying on that way when she was twenty-nine strikes me as extremely self-centered. Wharton can do better (or, more correctly, did do better). Ethan Frome by her was one of the most beautifully tragic books I have ever read.
My book club chose this book for February 2012. It will be interesting to see what other members think of it.
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society and her sole aim in life is to marry someone rich so that she can continue to remain in society. She has a small income of her own. I don't think it is ever explicitly said how much but it is not enough for Lily to live in the style to which she has become accustomed. She lives with her aunt but spends weeks visiting rich friends on their estates outside of New York. Her aunt has often paid her dressmaker's bills and it is supposed that Lily will inherit her aunt's fortune. Nevertheless Lily treats her aunt's home as a waystation and only spends time with her when there are no other invitations. Lily has had suitors but at the age of twenty-nine she is still unmarried and starting to worry she is losing her looks. When she manages to lose the interest of another marriage prospect she thinks she might need to see if she can make more money by speculating in the stock market. She aks the husband of a friend to invest her small capital and is soon being handed substantial cheques from this man. She finally has enough money to spend as she likes but then the man starts importuning her to spend time with him. After an unsettling encounter with him she realizes that he has given her the money in order to persuade her into his bed. Unfortunately, her late night departure from his house was witnessed by the one man who genuinely loves Lily and he pulls back. Lily's reputation suffers further when she is abroad. Then when she returns home she finds that her aunt has died and left her only (!) ten thousand dollars which is the sum of money the friend's husband has given her. Lily tries, at last, to obtain some paid work but is dismal even at that. Her foolishness finally brings her to the lowest echelon of society.I have enjoyed other books by Wharton but this book was not my cup of tea. I found Lily irritating. She could have lived within her means; she could have even found work; but instead she wastes her money and spends her days on frivolous activities. I could see doing that when she was eighteen or twenty-one but to still be carrying on that way when she was twenty-nine strikes me as extremely self-centered. Wharton can do better (or, more correctly, did do better). Ethan Frome by her was one of the most beautifully tragic books I have ever read.
My book club chose this book for February 2012. It will be interesting to see what other members think of it.
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LibraryThing member messpots
Modern readers will have trouble seeing Lily Bart as a sympathetic character. They're apt to see her as a superficial person who gets her come-uppance. But Wharton presses the point again and again that Lily Bart is a victim: a genuinely kind person who happens to be suited to a narrow mode of
It is not clear what Wharton wants us to take away from this: the book is either an "indictment of society" in the manner of Tolstoy and Proust, or a more general statement about adhering to your allotted mode of life (closer to Henry James's A Portrait of a Lady).
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life. Whenever the opportunity is offered her to betray the accepted standards of that mode of life and gain some unfair advantage, she passes it up automatically, as if by instinct. The few missteps she makes are innocent and quickly repented.It is not clear what Wharton wants us to take away from this: the book is either an "indictment of society" in the manner of Tolstoy and Proust, or a more general statement about adhering to your allotted mode of life (closer to Henry James's A Portrait of a Lady).
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LibraryThing member beabatllori
This book reminded me of when I used to tutor a particular 15-year-old boy. I'd arrive and he'd be snacking and watching this dreadful MTV reality show called “My Super Sweet Sixteen”. I used to spend a lot of time over there, so I caught enough bits and pieces of it to feel thoroughly
Those of you in the USA have probably seen it – it follows over-privileged kids as they organize and throw their lavish 16th birthday parties. But what I find scary about it aren't the 6-figure cars these kids get, but the sense of entitlement floating in the air. These children think that if they want something they will automatically get it – what's more, they think if they want something bad enough, that means they deserve it.
I remember standing there one day, waiting for my pupil to rinse his glass, and being overcome by a crushing feeling of pity. Because I really wanted to slap the kid on the TV, but at the same time I knew, with an overwhelming certainty, that this girl was never going to be truly happy, ever. Even if their parents could keep this up, this sort of entitled, shallow upbringing can only lead to frustration, one way or the other. What a waste of a perfectly good life.
I thought a lot about this moment while reading The House of Mirth. I felt sorry for Lily Bart, while hating her at the same time. I wanted to slap her, while knowing it wasn't her fault that she was the way she was. I wanted her to make up her mind, and at the same time dreaded every one of the options she had.
For make no mistakes – she does have options. A few of us at Bookish were discussing whether this was feminist literature or not. If feminist literature aims to portray women's lack of possibilities as constraining the female character, then this is not your average feminist book (I know, I know, but bear with me for a minute). Lily Bart does in fact have a few options to choose from, even though they would all entail some measure of dependence from other people. But none of these ever crystallize into anything tangible, because she won't make up her mind.
Wharton tries to imply that she's secretly an idealist, and she may be subconsciously sabotaging her own attempts at marrying money. But in fact, for most of the book she doesn't openly defy the system – mostly, she's just angry that she can't find a rich man to support her (she wants one, so she should have one, right?). Her moral scruples only show up when she's already put herself in a compromising position and she needs to save what little self-respect she has left. She is not an idealist, not in practice – she wants to work within the system.
Yet the very system of which she is a result has no place for her. She's a highly specialized product, an ornamental object, the Gilded Age in its most extreme expression - and as such, she's so profoundly dysfunctional she can't bring herself to make a choice for her future, because none of her options are even remotely acceptable. This world is so messed up, its own product can't function within it.
Watching Lilyshy away from at least 4 potential husbands, a few socialite patrons and even an opportunity for blackmail can get annoying after a while (“will you make up your mind already? I have stuff to do, you know?!”). But it also brings me back to my thoughts that day, watching “My Super Sweet Sixteen”. I vaguely thought that this world was f'd up if it was capable of creating such a monstrous thing as that over-entitled 16-year-old. This kid was the product of an environment that was condemning her, by effect of her upbringing, to be chronically dissatisfied for the rest of her life.
The world that Ms. Wharton portrays in her book is just as monstrous. And if it did this to people, and those people were mostly women, then by the FSM, this book serves its purpose, and it definitely is a feminist book.
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revolted.Those of you in the USA have probably seen it – it follows over-privileged kids as they organize and throw their lavish 16th birthday parties. But what I find scary about it aren't the 6-figure cars these kids get, but the sense of entitlement floating in the air. These children think that if they want something they will automatically get it – what's more, they think if they want something bad enough, that means they deserve it.
I remember standing there one day, waiting for my pupil to rinse his glass, and being overcome by a crushing feeling of pity. Because I really wanted to slap the kid on the TV, but at the same time I knew, with an overwhelming certainty, that this girl was never going to be truly happy, ever. Even if their parents could keep this up, this sort of entitled, shallow upbringing can only lead to frustration, one way or the other. What a waste of a perfectly good life.
I thought a lot about this moment while reading The House of Mirth. I felt sorry for Lily Bart, while hating her at the same time. I wanted to slap her, while knowing it wasn't her fault that she was the way she was. I wanted her to make up her mind, and at the same time dreaded every one of the options she had.
For make no mistakes – she does have options. A few of us at Bookish were discussing whether this was feminist literature or not. If feminist literature aims to portray women's lack of possibilities as constraining the female character, then this is not your average feminist book (I know, I know, but bear with me for a minute). Lily Bart does in fact have a few options to choose from, even though they would all entail some measure of dependence from other people. But none of these ever crystallize into anything tangible, because she won't make up her mind.
Wharton tries to imply that she's secretly an idealist, and she may be subconsciously sabotaging her own attempts at marrying money. But in fact, for most of the book she doesn't openly defy the system – mostly, she's just angry that she can't find a rich man to support her (she wants one, so she should have one, right?). Her moral scruples only show up when she's already put herself in a compromising position and she needs to save what little self-respect she has left. She is not an idealist, not in practice – she wants to work within the system.
Yet the very system of which she is a result has no place for her. She's a highly specialized product, an ornamental object, the Gilded Age in its most extreme expression - and as such, she's so profoundly dysfunctional she can't bring herself to make a choice for her future, because none of her options are even remotely acceptable. This world is so messed up, its own product can't function within it.
Watching Lily
The world that Ms. Wharton portrays in her book is just as monstrous. And if it did this to people, and those people were mostly women, then by the FSM, this book serves its purpose, and it definitely is a feminist book.
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LibraryThing member debnance
No mirth in this sad story of the decline of a beautiful woman in 1890's New York. No grins at all. Not one smile. Edith Wharton, I surmise, would have easily made the cut as an Oprah selection. Lily Bart is stunningly beautiful but poor, and ladies of her day had few choices about changing their
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life situation. Marriage, a good marriage to a rich and interesting man, eludes Lily, and the years are hard on her. Gossip begins to follow her, though none of it is warranted, and every day brings more and more misery. It won't surprise you to learn that the story ends in Lily's death. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Audio book (unabridged) performed by Wanda McCaddon
When a girl is raised only to be an ornament, what is to become of her when she can no longer serve that function? Who is to blame when she has no other choice? Or does she have options?
Wharton excels at shining a bright light on the intricacies of
The beauty of Wharton’s work is that she weaves such a rich tapestry. Every character, even a minor one, is fully fleshed out. She gives the reader a clear picture of the nuances of daily life for the wealthy socialites with whom Lily has always associated. Weeks spent as the guest of friends with a country estate, playing bridge for money, dining on the finest repast, enjoying the sparkling conversation (and the gossip and conjecture) – this is the life of Lily and her friends. And once “the season” starts back in the city, there are rounds of calls to be made, balls to attend, opera and theater and dinners, and the occasional charitable work for appearances sake. I found myself near tears several times, knowing Lily was headed for disaster and feeling so helpless to stop her.
McCaddon does a fine job performing this book. There were a few scenes – especially if between two young women – where it was a little difficult to tell who was “speaking,” but that was a minor inconvenience. She has an elegance of speech that is perfect for this book.
I have read several commentaries on this book and they repeatedly refer to Lily’s death as a suicide, the inference being that she intentionally overdosed. But I absolutely disagree with this interpretation. When she spontaneously visited Selden that last evening, she took the opportunity to destroy Bertha’s letters (her final chance at wealth and getting back into society). I think she had finally recognized the goodness in loving Selden, whether he reciprocated or not. Then when she met up with the woman with the baby, she had the chance to observe what true love and happiness is like – how warm and inviting (and NOT dingy) a home filled with love can be. Once she got to her room and found that the check had arrived, she knew she could finally settle her debts and go to Selden fresh and without encumbrance. I think the overdose was accidental – as it usually is for those who become addicted to narcotics. “Just a little more” has worked in the past, why not this time?
When a girl is raised only to be an ornament, what is to become of her when she can no longer serve that function? Who is to blame when she has no other choice? Or does she have options?
Wharton excels at shining a bright light on the intricacies of
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New York society in the late 1890s and early 1900s. This book follows the incredibly beautiful, but not very wealthy, Miss Lily Bart. At the novel’s opening she is 29 years old, and everyone (including herself) agrees that she really needs to get married – and soon. But Lily has been raised to expect wealth and all it offers, and to fear shabbiness or “dinginess” Over and over she makes decisions based on this false sense of what will bring her happiness, and over and over she falls farther and farther from her goal. The beauty of Wharton’s work is that she weaves such a rich tapestry. Every character, even a minor one, is fully fleshed out. She gives the reader a clear picture of the nuances of daily life for the wealthy socialites with whom Lily has always associated. Weeks spent as the guest of friends with a country estate, playing bridge for money, dining on the finest repast, enjoying the sparkling conversation (and the gossip and conjecture) – this is the life of Lily and her friends. And once “the season” starts back in the city, there are rounds of calls to be made, balls to attend, opera and theater and dinners, and the occasional charitable work for appearances sake. I found myself near tears several times, knowing Lily was headed for disaster and feeling so helpless to stop her.
McCaddon does a fine job performing this book. There were a few scenes – especially if between two young women – where it was a little difficult to tell who was “speaking,” but that was a minor inconvenience. She has an elegance of speech that is perfect for this book.
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LibraryThing member stevesmits
Edith Wharton gives a searing portrait of New York high society at the turn of the 20th century. Lily Barton is a woman captivated and immersed in the society of the super rich. She desperately wants to belong to the inner circle with its world of luxury and leisure. She is beautiful and charming
Lily knows she must marry money if she is to maintain her position among the elite. She knows that love will be entirely secondary, if present at all; social status is all that matter to her. She is close to Lawrence Selden, an attorney who, while welcomed in her circle for his charm, has not the financial means that will support her needs. She is clear with Selden that while she has affection for him their marriage is out of the question. She meets Percy Gryce, a young man with a large fortune who she is sure she can capture. Percy is also dull and boring, but Lily knows she will have to bear this to achieve her greater goal.
Lily makes some mistakes. After visiting Selden in his apartment (something a single woman should not do) she is spotted by Simon Rosedale, a Jewish business man who cannot be part of society due to his race, but is tolerated by the upper elite because his business acumen is useful to them. Rosedale indicates that he may use the scandal of Lily’s visit with Selden at some time in the future. While on a stay at a party in a country estate, Lily is working toward snaring Percy but he spots her in a scene of mild amorousness with Selden and he drops her in favor of another woman. Lily is desperate for money so she takes advice from Gus Trenor, the husband of her friend, on investments and there is a good return on her investment. Later she realizes that Gus has actually given her the money as part of his romantic intentions toward her. He entices her to his town house on the pretext that his wife wants to see her, where he tries to seduce her. Her visit here becomes known, furthering the scandalous reputation she has acquired.
Lily is so beautiful and charming and attractive to the husbands of her friends that they begin to cut her out of their crowd. She is finally ostracized when she is set up by a rival on the false story that Lily has tried to seduce her husband. She tries a number of approaches to regaining her position but nothing works. Rosedale had asked for her hand a year before and she rejected him as socially unacceptable, but now in her desperation she approaches his with her reconsideration. To her shock he says no and gives as the reason that his entry into society’s ranks through her is not longer possible due to the aura of scandal surrounding her.
Lily continues to decline in status and spirit. Her aunt dies and Lily expects to receive her modest estate, but she learns that she has so alienated the aunt that the inheritance goes to another niece. She finally is forced to take work in a millinery shop and live in a seamy boarding house. She can never reconcile herself to a life outside of the halls of society and by the end she is suffering from emotional angst and to combat her chronic insomnia she takes sleeping draughts every night. One night she unintentionally takes too large a dose and she dies.
Wharton’s book is a blistering depiction of the shallow vacuousness and nastiness of society in the gilded age. The unwritten rules that govern one’s place in society were arbitrary and cruel. Lily had many attributes that she could have used to break free from this world – her beauty, intelligence and charm – but she was so drawn to it that she could see no alternative style of living. She was dependent on others to maintain her standing since she hadn’t the fortune that otherwise would have secured it. The jealousy and vindictiveness of her friends and associates made her an outcast and she could do nothing but scheme to get back in the grace of society. Lily is more than a victim, however. She is so compelled to be a part of this social class that she has closed off any alternatives to it.
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and is confident in her social skills to maneuver adroitly among society’s denizens. She has two liabilities, though. She is thirty years-old and unmarried and she is not rich. Her father once had a fortune and her society-obsessed mother gave Lily an unquenchable thirst for the life style of the top echelon of class. Her father lost his money in a business failure and soon after he and her mother died. Lily is living on a small inheritance and allowance from an elderly spinster aunt. Lily’s cousin, Gert, lives a more practical life of community service that Lily thinks is not admirable and which she has no desire to emulate. Lily knows she must marry money if she is to maintain her position among the elite. She knows that love will be entirely secondary, if present at all; social status is all that matter to her. She is close to Lawrence Selden, an attorney who, while welcomed in her circle for his charm, has not the financial means that will support her needs. She is clear with Selden that while she has affection for him their marriage is out of the question. She meets Percy Gryce, a young man with a large fortune who she is sure she can capture. Percy is also dull and boring, but Lily knows she will have to bear this to achieve her greater goal.
Lily makes some mistakes. After visiting Selden in his apartment (something a single woman should not do) she is spotted by Simon Rosedale, a Jewish business man who cannot be part of society due to his race, but is tolerated by the upper elite because his business acumen is useful to them. Rosedale indicates that he may use the scandal of Lily’s visit with Selden at some time in the future. While on a stay at a party in a country estate, Lily is working toward snaring Percy but he spots her in a scene of mild amorousness with Selden and he drops her in favor of another woman. Lily is desperate for money so she takes advice from Gus Trenor, the husband of her friend, on investments and there is a good return on her investment. Later she realizes that Gus has actually given her the money as part of his romantic intentions toward her. He entices her to his town house on the pretext that his wife wants to see her, where he tries to seduce her. Her visit here becomes known, furthering the scandalous reputation she has acquired.
Lily is so beautiful and charming and attractive to the husbands of her friends that they begin to cut her out of their crowd. She is finally ostracized when she is set up by a rival on the false story that Lily has tried to seduce her husband. She tries a number of approaches to regaining her position but nothing works. Rosedale had asked for her hand a year before and she rejected him as socially unacceptable, but now in her desperation she approaches his with her reconsideration. To her shock he says no and gives as the reason that his entry into society’s ranks through her is not longer possible due to the aura of scandal surrounding her.
Lily continues to decline in status and spirit. Her aunt dies and Lily expects to receive her modest estate, but she learns that she has so alienated the aunt that the inheritance goes to another niece. She finally is forced to take work in a millinery shop and live in a seamy boarding house. She can never reconcile herself to a life outside of the halls of society and by the end she is suffering from emotional angst and to combat her chronic insomnia she takes sleeping draughts every night. One night she unintentionally takes too large a dose and she dies.
Wharton’s book is a blistering depiction of the shallow vacuousness and nastiness of society in the gilded age. The unwritten rules that govern one’s place in society were arbitrary and cruel. Lily had many attributes that she could have used to break free from this world – her beauty, intelligence and charm – but she was so drawn to it that she could see no alternative style of living. She was dependent on others to maintain her standing since she hadn’t the fortune that otherwise would have secured it. The jealousy and vindictiveness of her friends and associates made her an outcast and she could do nothing but scheme to get back in the grace of society. Lily is more than a victim, however. She is so compelled to be a part of this social class that she has closed off any alternatives to it.
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LibraryThing member dee_kohler
Nothing mirthful at all
LibraryThing member Limelite
Materialistic NY society in the fin de siecle literally crushes Lily Bart to death under the weight of its code. There is no possibility for a young single woman to have a life of her own, an honorable occupation, or a visible means of support.
She exists only as a marital prospect, and that only
Lily Bart, motherless and dependent on her aunt, exists only as a fortune hunter restricted to finding herself a husband attached to the purse. But fortunes attract fortunes, and Lily has none of her own, only expensive tastes. One misstep is followed by another and another. Disastrous financial decisions, a naivete concerning Gus Treanor, her friend, Judy’s husband who “invests” her meager savings on the basis of vague speculator tips, a manipulated indebtedness to Mr. Rosedale, a man who is despised by a society riddled with racism against his Jewishness, and her own misplaced effort to protect her friend Laurence Selden from the humiliating evidence of undestroyed letters from a married woman with whom he had a liason combine to effect Lily’s ruin.
In an effort to escape her downward spiral she accepts an invitation from Bertha Dorset to join her and her husband, George, on a cruise of Europe aboard their yacht only to be accused by Bertha of adultery with George in order to hide her own affair with Nate Silverton. Again, she tries to shield Selden. But it is too much and Lily, having been disinherited by her aunt has nowhere to go but down.
Wharton’s “novel of manners” written a century and a half after Austen’s novels on that subject and moved to the US shows a society just as perversely aligned against maidens of a certain age. The environment of both NYC and Bath is akin to a tank filled with patrolling fish – some of whom are sharks, some of whom are bait.
She exists only as a marital prospect, and that only
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for a short decade, during which time a single slight misstep can spell utter ruin of reputation and prospects. If after that time, she remains unmarried, her desperation is neither pitied nor remedied but used as an indictment against her.Lily Bart, motherless and dependent on her aunt, exists only as a fortune hunter restricted to finding herself a husband attached to the purse. But fortunes attract fortunes, and Lily has none of her own, only expensive tastes. One misstep is followed by another and another. Disastrous financial decisions, a naivete concerning Gus Treanor, her friend, Judy’s husband who “invests” her meager savings on the basis of vague speculator tips, a manipulated indebtedness to Mr. Rosedale, a man who is despised by a society riddled with racism against his Jewishness, and her own misplaced effort to protect her friend Laurence Selden from the humiliating evidence of undestroyed letters from a married woman with whom he had a liason combine to effect Lily’s ruin.
In an effort to escape her downward spiral she accepts an invitation from Bertha Dorset to join her and her husband, George, on a cruise of Europe aboard their yacht only to be accused by Bertha of adultery with George in order to hide her own affair with Nate Silverton. Again, she tries to shield Selden. But it is too much and Lily, having been disinherited by her aunt has nowhere to go but down.
Wharton’s “novel of manners” written a century and a half after Austen’s novels on that subject and moved to the US shows a society just as perversely aligned against maidens of a certain age. The environment of both NYC and Bath is akin to a tank filled with patrolling fish – some of whom are sharks, some of whom are bait.
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LibraryThing member Jim53
Ms. Wharton gives us Lily Bart, a young woman whose beauty has been her entree into a world of rich society in whch she cannot afford to live. She contemplates marrying a rich man who bores her but cannot keep from sabotaging her half-hearted efforts. Lily makes mistakes, and we see the noose of
Wharton does a nice job with the society characters, showing us the qualities that both attract and repel Lily. I found two other characters of greater interest: Lily's cousin Gerty, who lives a poor but honest life and longs to entice Lily away form her obsession with money; and Lawrence Selden, a bachelor who can move in various circles but shows Lily different ways of thinking and in effect acts as her conscience. The most finely drawn character is Lily herself; we see her motivations, her hesitations, her hope and despair. Her final choice to act honorably rather than accept a path into society seems inevitable based on how she has been developed throughout the novel.
The style of the novel is unexceptional, reflecting the slow pace prevalent at the turn of the century, but with some nice phrases and imagery. The novel requires some patience but rewards it nicely.
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her fate tightening inextricably. Wharton does a nice job with the society characters, showing us the qualities that both attract and repel Lily. I found two other characters of greater interest: Lily's cousin Gerty, who lives a poor but honest life and longs to entice Lily away form her obsession with money; and Lawrence Selden, a bachelor who can move in various circles but shows Lily different ways of thinking and in effect acts as her conscience. The most finely drawn character is Lily herself; we see her motivations, her hesitations, her hope and despair. Her final choice to act honorably rather than accept a path into society seems inevitable based on how she has been developed throughout the novel.
The style of the novel is unexceptional, reflecting the slow pace prevalent at the turn of the century, but with some nice phrases and imagery. The novel requires some patience but rewards it nicely.
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LibraryThing member pgchuis
Lily Bart is beautiful and lives with her rich aunt. She is nearly thirty and has been trying to make an advantageous marriage, without being able to bring herself to do it, for the last ten years. We see her throw over Percy Gryce, who was about to propose, because he is wrong and because she
The whole book reads like a car crash and is relentless and oppressive. I found myself taking breaks out of a need to escape the unfolding disaster, although it is not without humour: Lily "had been bored all afternoon by Percy Gryce ... but... must submit to more boredom...and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life." Wharton cleverly causes us to sympathize with Lily, but at the same time we judge her for her sense of entitlement, the way she puts status and wealth above love, even the way she cannot bring herself to make the compromise she determines to make and just marry some one. Her moral conscience is important, and I was cheering for some of her later decisions (although I would have borrowed from Rosedale to repay Trenor and set up a shop).
Gerty is a helpful character to show us a life style choice Lily could have made and Selden demonstrates a choice not to take society too seriously. None of Liliy's other "friends" are truly her friends at all, except for Carry Fisher and, in a sense, Simon Rosedale. Wharton's attitude to this Jewish character is of another era, but he has redeeming qualities and again offers Lily choices which she fails to take.
Very interesting, with lots to think about, but I'm glad it's over and I need to go and read something cheerful.
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prefers the company of Lawrence Selden. Selden loves her, but is not rich enough for her purposes. Lily is caught up in marital dispute between two friend and rumours begin to circulate about her. Her aunt dies and leaves her only a small legacy. She begins to lose her place in society and eventually is forced to try to earn a living as a milliner.The whole book reads like a car crash and is relentless and oppressive. I found myself taking breaks out of a need to escape the unfolding disaster, although it is not without humour: Lily "had been bored all afternoon by Percy Gryce ... but... must submit to more boredom...and all on the bare chance that he might ultimately decide to do her the honour of boring her for life." Wharton cleverly causes us to sympathize with Lily, but at the same time we judge her for her sense of entitlement, the way she puts status and wealth above love, even the way she cannot bring herself to make the compromise she determines to make and just marry some one. Her moral conscience is important, and I was cheering for some of her later decisions (although I would have borrowed from Rosedale to repay Trenor and set up a shop).
Gerty is a helpful character to show us a life style choice Lily could have made and Selden demonstrates a choice not to take society too seriously. None of Liliy's other "friends" are truly her friends at all, except for Carry Fisher and, in a sense, Simon Rosedale. Wharton's attitude to this Jewish character is of another era, but he has redeeming qualities and again offers Lily choices which she fails to take.
Very interesting, with lots to think about, but I'm glad it's over and I need to go and read something cheerful.
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LibraryThing member Othemts
I suppose all the carefully composed satire on the roles and mannerism of the turn-of-the-century New York City cultured elite was lost on me, because I feel all too familiar with that type of society based on materialism and image. All the satire in the world hasn’t made a fat load of good in
Quotes:
Lily: “…the only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.”
Selden: “You might as well say that the only way not to think about air is to have enough to breathe. That is true enough in a sense; but your lungs are thinking about air, if you are not. And so it is with your rich people – they may not be thinking of money, but they’re breathing it all the while; take them into another element and see how they squirm and gasp!” (p. 69)
“Though many of Selden’s friends would have called his parents poor, he had grown up in an atmosphere where restricted means were felt only as a check on aimless profusion: where the few possessions were so good that their rarity gave them a merited relief, and abstinence was combined with elegance in a way exemplified by Mrs. Selden’s knack of wearing her old velvet as if it were new. A man has the advantage of being delivered early from the home point of view, and before Selden left college he had learned that there are as many ways of going without money as of spending it.” (p. 152)
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bringing any change to that. I feel a bit ashamed that I only felt drawn into the book at the part when Rosedale suggests to Lily to use Bertha Dorset’s letters as a way to regain her foothold in society. I had completely forgotten that Lily had purchased the letters earlier in the novel, and this revelation added a moment of exciting tension to the story. Somewhat sadly, the novel turns it into a morality play, and a story of redemption and sacrifice, things I admire in real life, but struck a contrived note to me in the novel. I feel I’m being a bit too harsh in my description, as the book was well written and worthy of its place in the literary cannon, but it still brings up such thoughts in me as the reader. Quotes:
Lily: “…the only way not to think about money is to have a great deal of it.”
Selden: “You might as well say that the only way not to think about air is to have enough to breathe. That is true enough in a sense; but your lungs are thinking about air, if you are not. And so it is with your rich people – they may not be thinking of money, but they’re breathing it all the while; take them into another element and see how they squirm and gasp!” (p. 69)
“Though many of Selden’s friends would have called his parents poor, he had grown up in an atmosphere where restricted means were felt only as a check on aimless profusion: where the few possessions were so good that their rarity gave them a merited relief, and abstinence was combined with elegance in a way exemplified by Mrs. Selden’s knack of wearing her old velvet as if it were new. A man has the advantage of being delivered early from the home point of view, and before Selden left college he had learned that there are as many ways of going without money as of spending it.” (p. 152)
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LibraryThing member sprainedbrain
My first Wharton, and I can see why so many people love her. The writing is excellent, the social commentary is strong, and the female characters especially in this book feel authentic. I found myself equal parts annoyed by and enamored of Lily. Her movements within ‘society’ as an independent
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woman, and her fall from that society, make for a compelling story. Lily Bart will stay with me for a long time. So many feels. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
Gads, what a depressing book. One hundred years does make a difference in literary tastes and what passes, I suppose, for a morality tale. This book was, to my memory, strongly reminiscent of Theodor Dreiser.
Still, as a Guttenberg Project digitized book, the price was right!
Still, as a Guttenberg Project digitized book, the price was right!
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FIC A4 Wha