The House of Mirth - Edith Wharton

55%
14.05.17

There were plenty of houses but there wasn't much mirth. The style itself is hardgoing these days, and the self-sabotaging heroine so much the product of another time that is was hard to sympathise with her plight. Still, it's one of those classics that I can now drop into conversation when I next find myself discussing the commodification of women in early 20th century America.

The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

67%
26.05.13

The great thing about my reading group (in addition to the lovely members) is how it makes me read books I would otherwise never have considered. I thought this would be turgid but in fact it is sharp, witty and absorbing. The characters in particular are drawn as complex individuals, even when seen only from Archer's point of view. Being a feminist, I feel a "Wide Sargasso Sea"-type sequel is required to cover poor May Welland's rather tragic life.