Best Selling Books by edith wharton

In "The Choice," Edith Wharton intricately explores the complexities of love, marriage, and personal ambition through the narrative of a young woman confronted with pivotal life decisions. Wharton''s literary style is characterized by her keen psychological insight and elegant prose, shedding light on the societal constraints of her time while examining intimate emotions. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century America, the novella encapsulates the tensions between individual desires and societal expectations, revealing the nuanced interplay of choice and consequence in the search for fulfillment. Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, drew from her own experiences as a member of the American upper class, which grants her a unique lens through which to critique the social mores of her time. Her diverse literary career ranges from profound novels such as "The Age of Innocence" to her keenly observed short stories, providing a rich framework for her exploration of the inner lives of her characters. Wharton''s focus on the female experience reflects both her personal struggles and her advocacy for women''s autonomy in a patriarchal society. Readers captivated by Wharton''Äôs previous works will find "The Choice" a compelling addition to her oeuvre, providing a thought-provoking examination of the dilemmas faced by women in their pursuit of self-determination. This novella is recommended not only for its literary merit but also for its timeless relevance, resonating with contemporary discussions on agency and identity.

In "Kerfol," Edith Wharton presents a haunting narrative that intertwines themes of love, loss, and the supernatural within the somber backdrop of a decaying French estate. Employing a rich, atmospheric prose steeped in Gothic tradition, Wharton''s story unfolds through the voice of a nameless narrator drawn to a mysterious manor once inhabited by a tragic love affair. The novella''s eerie tones and vivid imagery reflect Wharton''s sophisticated literary style, revealing her deep engagement with psychological complexity and spectral motifs, while also engaging with contemporary concerns of social class and gender roles. Edith Wharton, a luminary of early 20th-century literature, often drew inspiration from her own privileged upbringing and acute observations of society''s intricacies. "Kerfol" was inspired by Wharton''Äôs fascination with the history and decay of old estates in Europe, reflecting her own experiences as an expatriate in France. Her profound understanding of human emotions, coupled with personal encounters with romance and betrayal, shaped her narratives, allowing readers to navigate the intricate interplay between the living and the dead. "Kerfol" is a must-read for enthusiasts of Gothic literature and admirers of Wharton''s oeuvre. Its exploration of the shadows that linger in the past not only captivates the imagination but also prompts introspection on human desires and regrets. This novella encapsulates Wharton''s gift for storytelling, making it an essential addition to any literary collection.

The Age of Innocence is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine Pictorial Review. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Appleton & Company. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize. Though the committee had initially agreed to give the award to Sinclair Lewis for Main Street, the judges, in rejecting his book on political grounds, "established Wharton as the American ''First Lady of Letters''". The story is set in the 1870s, in upper-class, "Gilded-Age" New York City. Wharton wrote the book in her 50s, after she had established herself as a strong author, with publishers clamoring for her work

Ethan Frome is an isolated farmer trying to scrape out a meager living while also tending to his frigid, demanding and ungrateful wife, Zeena. A ray of hope enters Ethan''s life of despair when his wife''s cousin Mattie arrives to help.

One of the first novels to deal honestly with a woman''s sexual awakening, "Summer" created a sensation upon its 1917 publication. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Ethan Frome" shattered the standards of conventional love stories with candor and realism. Nearly a century later, this tale remains fresh and relevant.

Essays on the craft of fiction writing from the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize, for her novel The Age of Innocence. In The Writing of Fiction,Edith Wharton, a prolific writer and one of the twentieth century’s greatest authors, shares her thoughts on fiction writing, devoting individual chapters to short stories and novels. She stresses the importance of writers putting thought into how they build their story, from selecting subject matter and fashioning characters to crafting situations and settings. She explores the history of modern fiction and the contributions of Honoré de Balzac and Stendhal. She even examines the difference between literary and commercial fiction, as well as the work of Marcel Proust. Although Wharton passed away in 1937, her advice here endures and is bound to inspire writers for ages to come. “In The Writing of Fiction Edith Wharton gives us not only a period-appropriate glimpse into the mind of an exceptionally creative writer but also an appreciation for the thoughtfulness and discipline she brought to her craft. We are fortunate she was willing to share her observations.” —Ralph White, author of Litchfield

"Problems of a midwestern writer in the East." Cf. Hanna, A. Mirror for the nation

Reproduction of the original: The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

The Age of Innocence is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine Pictorial Review. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Appleton & Company. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize.[1] Though the committee had initially agreed to give the award to Sinclair Lewis for Main Street, the judges, in rejecting his book on political grounds, "established Wharton as the American ''First Lady of Letters''".[2] The story is set in the 1870s, in upper-class, "Gilded-Age" New York City. Wharton wrote the book in her 50s, after she had established herself as a strong author, with publishers clamoring for her work

Reproduction of the original: Artemis to Actaeon by Edith Wharton

These carefully chosen selections from Edith Wharton''s travel writing convey the writer''s control of her craft. Wharton disliked the generality of guidebooks and focused instead on the "parentheses of travel"--the undiscovered hidden corners of Europe, Morocco, and the Mediterranean. Included is an excerpt from Wharton''s unpublished memoir, The Cruise of Vanadis, as well as front line depictions of Lorraine and the Vosges during World War I. Photos.

Edith Wharton''s "The Glimpses of the Moon" is a captivating exploration of love, wealth, and societal expectations set against the backdrop of New York''s elite in the 1920s. Wharton''s prose is both elegant and incisive, weaving rich character development with keen social commentary. The novel intricately dissects the lives of its protagonists, Nick and Elise, two socialites who marry not out of love but for financial convenience, ultimately revealing the insidious nature of wealth and the pursuit of happiness. Wharton''s literary context, deeply rooted in the Gilded Age and the subsequent social changes, enhances the narrative, employing irony and realism to reflect the moral dilemmas of her characters. Edith Wharton, a prominent figure in American literature, was acutely aware of the intricacies of high society, having been born into it herself. Her experiences as a socialite provided her with firsthand insight into the complexities of wealth and the emotional void it can create. This background, coupled with her skillful narrative techniques, enables her to poignantly illuminate the contrasts between superficial glamour and genuine connection in "The Glimpses of the Moon." This novel is highly recommended for readers interested in early 20th-century American literature and the intricate interplay between personal desires and societal pressures. Wharton''s deft storytelling invites readers to reflect on the nature of love and the compromises made in the pursuit of social status, making it a timeless exploration of human relationships.

From first to last, poetry was part of Edith Wharton''s writing life. Whilerarely (after early youth) her primary focus, it always served her as a medium for recording the most vivid impressions and emotions, an intimate journal of longings and regrets. "Poetry was important to Wharton," writeseditor Louis Auchincloss, "because it enabled her to express the deeply emotional side of her nature that she kept under such tight control, not only in her life but in the ordered sweep of her fiction." In later years her poetry also engaged with the public passions of wartime, as she found herself involved with the plight of Allied soldiers in France. Her first models were Romantic, but in the course of her life she absorbed the influences of Symbolism and Modernism; and throughout her poetic career she showed a care for form even in her most private utterances, as in the erotic ode "Terminus," never published in her lifetime. This volume collects the bulk of Wharton''s significant poetry, including much work previously uncollected or unpublished.

The House of Mirth is a 1905 novel by the American author Edith Wharton. It tells the story of Lily Bart, a well-born but impoverished woman belonging to New York City''s high society around the turn of the last century.[a] Wharton creates a portrait of a stunning beauty who, though raised and educated to marry well both socially and economically, is reaching her 29th year, an age when her youthful blush is drawing to a close and her marital prospects are becoming ever more limited. The House of Mirth traces Lily''s slow two-year social descent from privilege to a tragically lonely existence on the margins of society. In the words of one scholar, Wharton uses Lily as an attack on "an irresponsible, grasping and morally corrupt upper class.

Summer is a novel by Edith Wharton published in 1917 by Charles Scribner''s Sons. The story is one of only two novels by Wharton to be set in New England, who was best known for her portrayals of upper class New York society. The novel details the sexual awakening of its protagonist, Charity Royall, and shares many plot similarities with Wharton''s better known novel, Ethan Frome. Only moderately well-received when originally published, Summer has had a resurgence in critical popularity since the 1960''s

The House of Joy is Edith Wharton''s second novel, published in 1905 and after her first book, Sanctuary, as well as the title of the film that narrates the personal drama of a graceful woman in high society in New York at the beginning of the twentieth century.Includes a biography of the author.

It Was Going to Be The Perfect Wedding - Until He Showed Up... The Age of Innocence centers on an upper-class couple''s impending marriage, and the introduction of the bride''s cousin, plagued by scandal, whose presence threatens their happiness. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of 1870s New York society, it never develops into an outright condemnation of the institution.The novel is noted for Wharton''s attention to detail and its accurate portrayal of how the 19th-century East Coast American upper class lived, and the social tragedy of its plot. Wharton was 58 years old at publication; she had lived in that world and had seen it change dramatically by the end of World War I. The title is an ironic comment on the polished outward manners of New York society when compared to its inward machinations. It is believed to have been drawn from the popular 1785 painting A Little Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds that later became known as The Age of Innocence and was widely reproduced as the commercial face of childhood in the later half of the 18th century. The title, while ironic, was not as caustic as the title of story featured in the The House of Mirth, published in 1905. The Age of Innocence was a softer and more gentle work than The House of Mirth, set in the time of her childhood. Wharton wrote, "I found a momentary escape in going back to my childish memories of a long-vanished America... it was growing more and more evident that the world I had grown up in and been formed by had been destroyed in 1914." Scholars and readers alike agree that The Age of Innocence is fundamentally a story which struggles to reconcile the old with the new. Wharton was raised in that old world of rigid and proper New York society which features in the story. She spent her middle years, including the first World War in Europe where the devastation of new mechanized warfare was felt most deeply. As explained by Millicent Bell in the Cambridge companion to Wharton, "The Age of Innocence was composed and first read in the aftermath of Roosevelt''s death and in the immediate wake of World War I. We frame the ending remembering the multiple losses... not only the loss of Roosevelt but the destruction of the prewar world and all that Wharton valued in it." With the first World War, a definitive line was crossed. There would be no return to the New York of old from which Wharton was raised. And for all that can be condemned in that, there is a certain tenderness with which she crafts the world, "as if she had forgotten nothing." This intones the title word innocence, as the novel seems to connect personal innocence with that of national innocence. To Robert Martin, The Age of Innocence, was "fundamentally about America and its failure to fulfill its own possibilities". The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton''s twelfth novel, initially serialized in four parts in the Pictorial Review magazine in 1920, and later released by D. Appleton and Company as a book in New York and in London. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize. Though the committee agreed to award the prize to Sinclair Lewis, the judges rejected his Main Street, on political grounds and "established Wharton as the American ''First Lady of Letters''", the irony being that the committee had awarded The Age of Innocence the prize on grounds that negated Wharton''s own blatant and subtle ironies which constitute and make the book so worthy of attention. The story is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s, during the Gilded Age. Wharton wrote the book in her 50s, after she had established herself as a strong author with publishers clamoring for her work. (Wikipedia) Get Your Copy Now.

The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton''s twelfth novel, initially serialized in four parts in the Pictorial Review magazine in 1920, and later released by D. Appleton and Company as a book in New York and in London. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize.Though the committee initially agreed to award the prize to Sinclair Lewis, the judges rejected his Main Street on political grounds and "established Wharton as the American ''First Lady of Letters''", the irony being that the committee had awarded The Age of Innocence the prize on grounds that negated Wharton''s own blatant and subtle ironies, which constitute and make the book so worthy of attention. The story is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s, during the Gilded Age. Wharton wrote the book in her 50s, after she had established herself as a strong author with publishers clamoring for her work.

The Age of Innocence is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine Pictorial Review. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Appleton & Company. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize. Though the committee had initially agreed to give the award to Sinclair Lewis for Main Street, the judges, in rejecting his book on political grounds, "established Wharton as the American ''First Lady of Letters''".The story is set in the 1870s, in upper-class, "Gilded-Age" New York City. Wharton wrote the book in her 50s, after she had established herself as a strong author, with publishers clamoring for her work.

The Age of Innocence is a 1920 novel by American author Edith Wharton. It was her twelfth novel, and was initially serialized in 1920 in four parts, in the magazine Pictorial Review. Later that year, it was released as a book by D. Appleton & Company. It won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize.This Age of Innocence, set for Wharton''s childhood, is softer than Wharton''s House of Merith published in 1905.In her autobiography, Wharton wrote of The Age of Innocence that it had allowed her to find "a momentary escape in going back to my childish memories of a long-vanished America... it was growing more and more evident that the world I had grown up in and been formed by had been destroyed in 1914."Experts and readers alike agree that An Age of Innocence is basically a story that struggles to reconcile the old with the new.