Book Review: The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton

One-line summary: Gossip Girl: 1870.



Published in 1920. Approximately 102,000 words. Available for free at Project Gutenberg.

The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton's most famous novel, is a love story, written immediately after the end of the First World War. Its brilliant anatomization of the snobbery and hypocrisy of the wealthy elite of New York society in the 1870s made it an instant classic, and it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921.

Newland Archer, Wharton's protagonist, is charming, tactful, enlightened - 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.

Independent, free-thinking, and 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.

( The perfect novel to read if you want immaculate details about landscaping, fashion, and table settings in Upper Manhattan circa 1870 )

Verdict: Finely and elegantly written, reading the The Age of Innocence is like browsing a private art gallery full of paintings that you can appreciate are beautiful but none of which interest you. Wharton's hints of humor and satire are neither sharp nor funny enough to suit my tastes, but I am sure people who like this sort of book will... well, like it. So my generally negative review is very much a YMMV opinion.

The Age of Innocence is one of the books on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die, so now I have, though I did not read it for the books1001 challenge. However, we have lots of other books waiting to be read, so please come sign up and add your own review!

Book Review: The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton

One-line summary: Gossip Girl: 1870.



Published in 1920. Approximately 102,000 words. Available for free at Project Gutenberg.

The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton's most famous novel, is a love story, written immediately after the end of the First World War. Its brilliant anatomization of the snobbery and hypocrisy of the wealthy elite of New York society in the 1870s made it an instant classic, and it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921.

Newland Archer, Wharton's protagonist, is charming, tactful, enlightened - 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.

Independent, free-thinking, and 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.

( The perfect novel to read if you want immaculate details about landscaping, fashion, and table settings in Upper Manhattan circa 1870 )

Verdict: Finely and elegantly written, reading the The Age of Innocence is like browsing a private art gallery full of paintings that you can appreciate are beautiful but none of which interest you. Wharton's hints of humor and satire are neither sharp nor funny enough to suit my tastes, but I am sure people who like this sort of book will... well, like it. So my generally negative review is very much a YMMV opinion.

The Age of Innocence is one of the books on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die, so now I have, though I did not read it for the books1001 challenge. However, we have lots of other books waiting to be read, so please come sign up and add your own review!