The House of Mirth – Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
I’m not really going to review this book, but I just wanted to write down my thoughts on it. I wanted this book because of the pretty cover. I know not to judge a book by it’s cover, but often I do. I thought this cover was so pretty, that I had to have this book! So I got it.
The back flap reads:
At twenty-nine, Lily Bart dazzles at New York balls and soireés, but she knows that her days as a fascinating beauty are numbered, as she has not yet found a husband. But when she is accused of an affair with a wealthy married man, Lily is set to lose her life of luxury, her stability, and any hopes for the future.
And I really liked it! I love books that take place in a different time period. I like them even better when they were actually written in that time. I love reading about how life was back then (in this case early 1900s). So maybe I’m a bit biased.
The story is not a very happy one. There’s a lot of misery and despair, and even evilness in some of the characters. Towards the end there was some hope for a better future, but then the ending happens and the hope is gone. The ending was very sad to me, though also kind of pretty in a way.
I often didn’t like Lily, especially in the beginning of the book. She’s calculating everything and playing everyone. But at some point I started to feel for her. It’s not easy being 29 and not married! (Well, at that time.) I was really hoping for her to find security in her life, but I also didn’t want her to marry just any of the men. This book is really just a romantic story, kind of like the chicklits nowadays. Lily is looking for a husband, basically. But she also plays with the idea of leaving the society and to be independent, but she just doesn’t has the money to be independent.
I don’t regret wanting to have this book because of the cover. I really enjoyed it now that I had to time to actually sit down and read it. The beginning was tough to get into, but I don’t know if that is because I didn’t have a lot of time to read non-school things, or if the beginning is just slow. Sometimes it’s ok to judge a book by it’s cover!
I like reading, so I blog about books. Makes total sense. All the sense, really. I also like art and other things, so they might pop up here as well. I've never been a person to stick to one thing. Other things might be even more fun!
This sounds like a really good book, I’m definitely additing to my library list. The early 20th century is such a fascinating era. You are right about the cover, it is really pretty and I think it probably sums up society’s attitude towards women at the time.