The House of Mirth
The House of Mirth
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Summary
The heroine of this novel is Lily Bart, whose goal is to secure a rich husband who can sustain her lifestyle. She operates in a world where social position is important, but money can buy it. Lily is redeemed by her clear view of the corrupt society which is her gilded cage.
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The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Introduction and Notes by Janet Beer, Manchester Metropolitan University. The House of Mirth tells the story of Lily Bart, aged 29, beautiful, impoverished and in need of a rich husband to safeguard her place in the social elite, and to support her expensive habits - her clothes, her charities and her gambling. Unwilling to marry without both love and money, Lily becomes vulnerable to the kind of gossip and slander which attach to a girl who has been on the marriage market for too long. Wharton charts the course of Lily's life, providing, along the way, a wider picture of a society in transition, a rapidly changing New York where the old certainties of manners, morals and family have disappeared and the individual has become an expendable commodity. The House of Mirth was published in October 1905 to widespread critical acclaim. It became an instant bestseller and is regarded today as one of Edith Wharton’s most accomplished and compelling social satires.
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was born into a distinguished New York family. She not only lived as part of smart society, but it was one of her principal subjects. She was a prolific writer of novels, short stories and articles. She also produced a volume of poems and an adaptation for the theatre of her novel, The House of Mirth. Ethan Frome, which is considered her greatest tragic story, is, by contrast, about simple New England people.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781840224191 |
| ISBN 10 | 1840224193 |
| Title | The House of Mirth |
| Author | Edith Wharton |
| Series | Wordsworth Classics |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Wordsworth Editions Ltd |
| Year published | 2002-02-05 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |