The first time I read this book, I was very impressed by Edith Wharton and the awful pictures she paints of Lily Bart's life. This time, since I already knew what was going to happen, all I kept thinking was how mad I was at Lily Bart. I kept telling her, SUCK IT UP, WOMAN. CAN'T YOU SEE WHERE THIS ...
Amazing. I loved it more than I loved Age of Innocence. I pitied Lily Bart because she made such poor decisions to be part of a society that was so shallow. She was also way too flighty for her own good.
The transformation of Lily Bart from a slightly careless but ambitious beauty into a helplessly unlucky woman fighting for her morality kept me engrossed. At the beginning of the novel, Lily is keenly focused on her goal of having as much of the things that please her as she wants. Because her own f...
House of Mirth is an excellent novel, but it is hard to have much sympathy for Lily Bart. She can't decide if she wants to marry for money or love and her hesitation results in her loosing out on both. She is given multiple opportunities to save herself, although each opportunity is a little worse...
This was one of the most depressing books I have ever read. There was no bright moment in sight. Nowhere to 'rest your eyes' so to speak, from deep darkness. Lily Bart is one of the most tragic heroines in literature. There was absolutely no way of a happy ending for her. She was doomed from the sta...
I don't do well with books with sad endings. That's a personal quirk and I'm well aware it has no influence on the literary quality of the book."The House of Mirth" falls into the same genre as "Ditte Menneskebarn" and several other Danish books of that era - books that are well-written, but where t...
The House of Mirth was the selection for my book club this month. Maybe because it is on the classics shelf, my first thought was that this would be another delightful 'parasol' book. You know, the type where all the characters seem to enjoy 'taking a turn around the parlor.' How big were the pa...
"The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" Ecclesiastes 7:4 KJV. Hence begins the story of Lily Bart, raised from birth with no other purpose in life than to be a beautiful ornament to society. Lily is left with little money of her own and mu...
Another book I really wanted to like. I got super excited about this book when the movie came out and I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. I couldn't finish the book. At all. It's not a bad book necessarily but it really didn't hold my attention long enough for me to venture into that world.
To this day, I have not been able to read the last third of this book. I know what happens in the end, but I just can't make myself read it. The sensitive way Wharton wrote Lily Bart and Arthur, the subtle nuances and social cues she managed to capture on paper, are awe inspiring. This was the fi...
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