Edith Wharton

Written by Edith Wharton

Narrated by Kathleen Chalfant, Maria Tucci, Brenda Wehle and Christina Pickles

Selected Shorts has toured The Mount, the stately and elegant home of the great American writer Edith Wharton, for the last several summers, presenting Broadway and Hollywood actors reading stories by Wharton and others. Selected Shorts now presents a collection of four of Edith Wharton's short stories, recorded live at the Mount, and featuring acclaimed actresses Kathleen Chalfant, Christina Pickles, Maria Tucci, and Brenda Wehle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Symphony Space
• Release date: Jan 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9781467663441

Edith Wharton

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

Reviews for Edith Wharton

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful novel of manners and the downfall of an overly-confident society wannabe. Lily is doomed no matter how much we root for her.

[skullstuffing_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favourite books - improves on every reading.

[fhudnell-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Once she's talked about she's done for." Lily Bart knew all of the rules of society, but she refused to follow them, out of pride, naiveness, stubbornness and integrity. This led to her downfall. This book demonstrated the snobbishness and hypocrisy of the society in which Lily lived, but she did not rebel against it, in fact she was raised to be a part of it and loved the glitter and comfort and wanted more of the same. However, she suffered from the problem of being a poor relation with expensive tastes. Opportunities for women were very limited and marriage was the only viable option for Lily to obtain the life she desired. Unfortunately, her miscalculations and missed opportunities made it impossible for her to achieve her goal. Lily's inability to climb her way out of her situation led to a very tragic story.This book had all the bright, sparkling language and penetrating observations for which Wharton is known. The fact that Lily was not a totally sympathetic character made the story more realistic and more disturbing. Wharton has definitely become one of my favorite authors.I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Wanda McCaddon was excellent.

[quaintlittlehead · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was wonderful in so many ways. I would recommend it as a perfect bridge book to any classics fan, especially those enamoured of Austen or the Brontës, as a great segue into reading more 20th century literature. Lily Bart's plight is exacerbated by the times in which she lives, but modern enough to still be relevant to today's readers. People too often walk away from nineteenth century literature thinking "how awful to be a woman in that time where you were not allowed to have any occupation other than serving a husband and family or sitting around all day waiting to get married off. Things are so much different now." The perils that distress Lily Bart, in spite of her wealth, are not that much different now, and many millennial feminists will see resonance in her crises. The writing style also strikes a lovely balance between the traditional and the new--not too experimental, but not as inaccessible as some older writing can be. The ambiguity in the ending is perfect and would open up great possibilities for book club conversations.If you do read this book, however, I do not recommend the Barnes and Noble edition, or else recommend that you ignore most of the ancillary material included in it. Jeffrey Meyers' introduction manages to spoil every significant detail of the plot, including the ending, along with the endings of three other major books. His assessment of the film version of the book is snobbishly dismissive, and his annotated bibliography is just arrogant and tacky. I've never read an annotated bibliography before that described works as boring or not worth a reader's time. In a review this would be fine, but in a scholarly text it seems unprofessional. Just describe what the additional material is about and let readers decide what they are interested in seeking out.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wharton is an excellent writer and storyteller. House of Mirth is her 1st literary success. Lily Bart is an accurate portrayal of NY’s aristocracy at the turn of the century. Bart is her most unforgettable character. She is beautiful but finds herself broke from gambling debts and needs to find a wealthy husband. This ultimately leads to her tragic downfall. I found this book most interesting and look forward to reading Age of Innocence next.

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the Edith Wharton novel I read in college. I didn't really care for it at the time, but now that I'm older, I'm willing to give Wharton another try.

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To this day, I have not been able to read the last third of this book. I know what happens in the end, but I just can't make myself read it. The sensitive way Wharton wrote Lily Bart and Arthur, the subtle nuances and social cues she managed to capture on paper, are awe inspiring. This was the first story by Wharton I ever read, and even though it depressed and infuriated me, I was hooked on her from then on.

[bkohl_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Bart descends through high society, society's fringes, the generally wealthy and finally the working class in a journey that ruins her reputation but leaves her morals intact.When I was younger I loved this book for the scope of its tragedy. In every chapter a new opportunity is presented to Lily that she chooses to pass by. She makes her choices based on her own moral compass, and, Job-like, is punished for each choice. The beginning of the book, and the loss of Percy Gryce, is smoothed over with well-bred manners. By the end of the book Lily is raw and direct and the price she is paying totally clear.What I don't remember is how much you end up hating Lawrence Selden by the end of the book. Lily has his number when she admonishes him at Bellomont for decrying society while enjoying its company. He's too bright to be an obtuse Ashley to Lily's Scarlet, and so he ends up being just plain impotent — realizing too late on every occasion that he's done exactly the wrong thing.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Audio book (unabridged) performed by Wanda McCaddonWhen 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 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. 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?

[bogopea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If you like Edith Wharton . . . enough said.

[jonbrammer-788089 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wharton, a product of the New York society she so ruthlessly satirizes, takes a few left turns in this novel, none of them really unexpected. Her strength lies in dissecting the social mores of the fin de siecle 1%; the subtleties of the intrigue and the perils to a young single lady like Lily Bart (whose status is dependent on the good will of others) reveal a gilded jungle where only the enormously wealthy are safe.

Unfortunately, as Lily's fortunes decline, "The House of Mirth" descends into melodrama. The introduction by Cynthia Wolff makes clear the poignancy of Wharton's dilemma, for which Lily Bart is a cipher. What use does a beautiful young woman serve, other than decorative? Wharton escapes this trap through her writing; Lily has no such option, mainly because her perspective is so limited. This is the tragedy of the pre-feminist era.

[eavans-914612 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful, but too many dry spots to say it was page turner. Biggest plus is Lily's character arc, though it seemed to all happen in the last 4 chapters and her unwillingness to part with any information was insufferable. I've never been one for stories theme-ing on fate, but I still found this story tragically enthralling and has a good execution to meditate (or brood) on. Makes you realize we all need someone or something to keep us grounded.

[burritapal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lily Bart's mother always wanted to be in the eye of society and she lived a life of Glamour. Daily Bart's father worked himself nearly to death and when he went bankrupt, his death followed soon after. "Never mind," said Lily Bart's mother, "with that face you'll get it all back." Lily, much like her mother, didn't know anything but the life of society. She lived off her rich friends, being invited to their country houses, onto their yachts to cruise the Mediterranean, where everything was paid for. Everything that is, except for the expectation of her to gamble at Bridge. That ate into her small allowance dreadfully. She was already 29 years old and she knew she had to get married soon, or face a life of poverty. She had several chances but something always made her blow off those boys. I found myself urging her "don't let this one get away, Lily, come on! you're running out of time." Well Lily did run out of time. A great commentary on the shallow graspingness of the rich and high society, This is also one of the saddest books I've ever read. I almost cried for her.

[arubabookwoman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"She was 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."Lily Barton lives among the rich of New York City, the creme de la creme, yet she is not rich herself. She comes from a good family, has some rich relatives, yet she must rely on the good will of her friends, as well as her beautiful face, her charm, her wit, her ability to always do and say the "right" thing. Her mission in life is to find a rich man to marry, and her ability to do so is unquestioned. Yet she has somehow arrived at the age of 29 and is still unmarried. It seems that at the last minute before sealing the deal something always causes Lily to question whether marriage to a rich man is what she really wants. Then through a series of misteps Lily finds herself on the wrong side of society's arbiters, an outcast.I first read this as a teenager, and remember loving it, but had no actual memory of the story. Wharton writes beautifully--I've always thought she was deserving of the Nobel in literature. Wharton was a member of the class that destroyed Lily, and she presents them to us warts and all.This is one of her earliest books, and it is the book that established her literary reputation, as well as being one of the three or four most read/most famous of her works. Some of the themes of her earlier works are fully developed here. It is an exquisite book and it deserves a place in the literary canon. This is one of the rare books I think everyone should read.Highly recommended5 stars

[lethalmauve · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Do you remember what you said to me once? That you could help me only by loving me? Well—you did love me for a moment; and it helped me. It has always helped me.”Misery and mishap live in The House of Mirth where genuine callings of the heart get trampled by the unhealthy need for status and money. This is the story of 29-year old unmarried, beautiful but financially strapped Lily Bart. Brought up in a household with an affluent lifestyle that eventually met its downfall, its aftermath draws from financial dependence which is not enough for naïve Lily to break her luxurious habits. So wading a pool of entitled men and snobbish women, her seemingly flirty and flighty behaviour is misinterpreted that it creates a catastrophic domino effect upon her reputation and situation; whilst she suffers from deluded desires and impossible expectations, at the same time refusing a passionate romance that promises no status or money, she unknowingly collides with more problems by running away and fastening herself with the wrong company. What seems to be reversible fate turns to irreversible consequences. And as heartbreak and ambivalence clumsily dance with each other, Lily Bart further stoops down the social ladder. All this time only her friend Gerty Farish, treated unkindly for the most part, is constantly behind her back.Moral convictions arise from assumptions and prejudices but not without hypocrisy. The influence of money is undeniable, its role against morality is not to be underestimated (here: assumed adultery versus explicit adultery); money makes one agreeable, powerful yet money, as the old saying goes, can’t buy everything. However can these be realised before it’s too late? Before an impending tragedy might happen?The House of Mirth is where rumours poison and malice spreads like a plague. The prose is compelling and I admit this made me a little teary-eyed near the end. Edith Wharton’s subtle social commentary laced in wit is brilliantly scathing. Despite being written in the 1900s it is still very evident at the present how money warps society’s perceptions on a lot of its already problematic standards. And a takeaway: you can’t offer someone with what you’re willing to give when they are not willing to accept—most specially in love.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overall plot is good, a little opaque, and the prose heavily worded, no 2 cent words here.

[booklove2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A classic.  I thought 'Ethan Frome' was one of the most over-emo things I've ever read (that sled), but from what little I know of Edith Wharton's own difficult history, her books demand to be read.  'The House of Mirth' is much better than 'Ethan Frome', possibly because it is more in depth.  Delving into the difficulties of being a woman without support or resources in the late 19th century -- I think this was an important book in 1905.  Lily Bart's journey is a complicated one here, but that was life for a woman back then - socially so complicated.  All those orphan characters, you can't help the bleeding heart.  I was wondering if my great grandmother had read this book - this could have been her. 

[boredgames · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Socially perceptive and stunning tragedy- Wharton is great at dynamic dialogue and scene-setting. Lily Bart's beauty gets described a thousand times in a different ways. A sucker-punch of an ending

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I usually really like Wharton, but I found this to be too damn depressing. How dare this beautiful woman with her tiny income show independence of spirit and flout convention. She must be brought to her knees by societal convention and destroyed. Eff that crap.

[jscape2000 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't love anything that smells too much like Victorian literature. This was pretty close, but I enjoyed the inversion of the tale- how the young woman falls from social prominence, overplays her hand, and then chooses to live with the consequences. It's not tragedy in the classical sense, but Lily is a tragic character. Her combination of determination and lack of self-awareness keep the engine of the novel running.

[profh-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting from a historical perspective and at moments still contains relevant observations about the shallow and materialistic lives of wealthy Americans. The social manners and high sentimentality might be dull for most contemporary readers, but it still retains value.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.

[bibliodiction · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The House of Mirth is my first Edith Wharton book so I really knew nothing about her writing style. I spent most of the book completely torn. Do I feel bad for Miss Lily Bart? She gets herself into many of the same situations girls are plagued with today. Lily was raised in high society. She was taught no different. Then I wonder if she should just grow up, wake up, and see what's happening around her. She does see it. She knows what it takes to truly be happy. Ingrained habits must be hard to break.

Overall, this story led me to ponder on women's roles in society. There is more diversity now; more education, however the "games" between man and woman will never change.

[carolfoisset · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally read an Edith Wharton. Excellent book, great writing. Enjoyed the insight into life in 1905.

[pinkkitty23 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

the ending was horrible

[etxgardener · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my favorite of Edith Wharton's novels. The story of Lily Bart's fall from the heights of society to its depths is a cautionary tale of the price of pride and hubris in early twentieth century New York.Lily Bart is a beautiful young woman - well not so young as she is 28 when the novel opens - of excellent birth, but limited financial means. She lives with her aunt and expects to inherit her wealth when she dies, which is a good thing, since her own income only allows her to live in a modest way. Lily, however, seems to think that her beauty will carry her to endless riches and she lords it over her less well situated cousin and also to enter into a questionable financial arrangement with the husband of her best friend.Lily's problem is that, while she is bad by the standards of the day, she is not bad enough to truly profit from the opportunities that appear before her. Her main fault is that she loves her life of luxury and is seemingly not able to make the smallest sacrifice to assure that her means of life will continue. Instead of attending to her aunt and living the life of a proper young woman as should, Lily embarks on a European adventure with dubious companions that will be her undoing. When her aunt dies, she finds she has been disinherited and faces a truly dismal life.Still, although she has the means to save herself and to, in all likelihood restore herself to her former position, she cannot bring herself to her former position, she cannot bring herself to do so, thus bringing her life to an untimely end.This is, perhaps, Wharton's most tragic novel and the modern reader's heart cries out at every twist and turn of the plot for Lily Bart.

[amerynth · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed reading Edith Wharton's "The House of Mirth." It's definitely a typical Wharton novel... but I've liked all that I've read by her, so this novel was certainly up my alley.The novel is the story of Lily Bart, a poor girl who is pretty enough to hang around with the rich New York society people. She is dependent on the kindness of her friends, who are fickle, and really has to find a husband with money to keep up her expensive tastes, but can't seem to commit to spending her life with a bore who has a fat wallet.Wharton does a great job painting Bart's character as a woman who struggles with what she wants and how to get that in the narrow corridor society has laid for her. I really enjoyed how the story progressed and peeling back the layers of Bart's character.

[pmaurer_11 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Story cloaked in too many words, describing a very superficial woman and lifestyle.

[bookscatsetc · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As much as I hate to admit it (I'm usually a huge Wharton fan) my reaction to House of Mirth was very tepid. The writing was brilliant, and the examination of Boston society fascinating -- both as one would expect -- but Lily Bart herself just left me cold. To me she came across as a good bit of a simpleton, which makes me feel I've entirely missed the point, which in turn makes me grumpy. Hence only 3 stars.

[alisony-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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 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.