The Age of Innocence

by Edibooks, Edith Wharton

Paperback, 292 pages

Published May 9, 2016 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

ISBN:: 978-1-5331-5917-5

(11 reviews)

Edith Wharton's most famous novel, written immediately after the end of the First World War, is a brilliantly realized anatomy of New York society in the 1870s, the world in which she grew up, and from which she spent her life escaping. Newland Archer, Wharton's protagonist, charming, tactful, enlightened, is a thorough product of this society; he accepts its standards and abides by its rules but he also recognizes its limitations. His engagement to the impeccable May Welland assures him of a safe and conventional future, until the arrival of May's cousin Ellen Olenska puts all his plans in jeopardy. Independent, free-thinking, scandalously separated from her husband, Ellen forces Archer to question the values and assumptions of his narrow world. As their love for each other grows, Archer has to decide where his ultimate loyalty lies. - Back cover.

53 editions

Leth reviewed The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Very OK and good for snoozing

No rating

I had some expectations for this, given how much I remember liking "The House of Mirth." While I won't go so far as to say this was a miss, I felt a bit too distant from the upper crust situation to appreciate it fully. The romance of it rarely struck me and every character except Ellen Olenska felt too manipulative to root for. Although, I will say that refusing to see her again because she felt more real in his head was a huge mood...

I listened to the LibriVox recording by Brenda Dayne.