I'm somewhat of a late-comer to Edith Wharton--sure, I read Ethan Frome in high school and watched The Buccaneers when it aired in 1995, but I only read The Age of Innocence a few years ago. However, after finishing The House of Mirth this week, I can count myself as a Wharton fan. I was so impressed with The House of Mirth--the writing is brilliant, the structure flawless, and the dialogue convincing.
As with any tragedy, I repeatedly wanted to step into the story and take Lily Bart in hand and shake some sense into her. The copy of the novel that I read, a Modern Library Classic, contained a number of contemporary reviews of the work and I found myself disagreeing with most of them. They talked about Lily's descent, her love of material things, her mistakes, but I saw the novel much differently.
In a way, I saw the story as her transcendence, her ascent above material goods and the superficiality of her society. The House of Mirth chronicles a two-year period in the life of Lily Bart, circa 1890, society girl in New York City in which she goes from having the pick of America's most eligible bachelors to living in poverty, an insomniac, friendless and futureless. Yet in the end, she is the "noblest Roman of them all."
If I look at the various scenarios in which she "makes mistakes," I can't say she should've done anything differently. She was a babe in a shark tank but she never gave in to the desire to live a lie.
Having been an Austen fan for four decades, I thought it interesting to think about Lily's inability to actually seal the deal with the many men who pursued her and become someone's wife. The story begins when she is 29, already well past her coming out, and although she was raised to marry well, she ends up sabotaging every relationship before it actually results in marriage.
I admired Lily immensely for her inability to treat marriage as a financial contract. Without marriage, she cannot retain her identity in society, but to the end, she retains possession of her soul.
I am so looking forward to watching the movie version.
This is my American classic for the Back to the Classics Challenge.
This is my favorite Edith Wharton novel! I know Lily's story is sad, but it's also beautiful in a way. I like how you phrased it best: her transcendence and her ascent. What a great way to express it. Loved the post. (And couldn't agree more!)
ReplyDeleteI have not read any of her books but I have just downloaded this one to try
ReplyDeleteI'm a big Wharton fan, too. House of Mirth is excellent, but I really loved The Custom of the Country.
ReplyDeleteThe Custom of the Country is on order! :)
DeleteCan't wait to hear what you make of Undine... she is one of the most unforgettable characters I've come across!
DeleteAs we have discussed I loved this book. Though there is some moral redemption as you allude to, it is so very tragic and sad in a realistic way.
ReplyDeleteI thought that I was the only person who wanted to step into a book and talk to characters to change outcomes!
Gillian Anderson is superb as Lily Bart in the film version. As a fan of her work in the X - Files, I was astounded by this performance.
>I thought that I was the only person who wanted to step into a book and talk to characters to change outcomes!
DeleteNot by a long shot! :)
I found the video on YouTube and started watching it last night--you're right, Gillian Anderson is superb in the role.
I'm so glad you liked it -- this is the book that made me into a huge Wharton fan. I'd read Age of Innocence, but was underwhelmed. House of Mirth just blew me away.
ReplyDeleteI hope you like the TV adaptation -- I tried watching it a couple of years ago and I thought the actors were superbly cast (except for Eric Stoltz as Laurence -- just WRONG). However, I did find the pace really slow, and I never finished it -- maybe it was just the wrong time. I do love Wharton, though, and want to read more of her books, soon. I read The Glimpses of the Moon this year and loved it.
And thanks for linking to the Back to the Classics Challenge!
This sounds excellent. I can't say I've any knowledge of Wharton yet, but she's on my list and I think I'll have to get to this book sooner. The social aspect sounds great, especially if it looks positively at the choices to the end.
ReplyDeleteCool! I think the only Wharton I've read is the nonfiction Decoration of Houses. I should change that! I like that you disagreed with the published commentary -- I think they don't get it right, always, especially with female characters and authors.
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I've wanted to read this one ever since I watched the Gillian Anderson movie, which I loved.
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