another book

[nolly]

20) The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, via LibriVox

The tragedy of Lily Bart, who has just enough moral fiber to refrain from things that would truly hurt others, but not enough to refrain from hurting herself.

Comments

[letter-d.livejournal.com]

It makes me happy to see people reading (listening to?) Edith Wharton's work.

[jane-dennis.livejournal.com]

It's been a long time since I've read that. (Like since I fled Grad School.) But I remember Lily Barton, and felt so sorry for her. I think you might just give slightly more consideration to the pressure of society thing. I like your synopsis, but for the time Wharton's portrayal of a-trying-to-be independent woman was pretty out-there.

Try "The Damnation of Theron Ware" if you want to get more of a similar late 19th c. society. (There won't be a quiz, so stop reading the instant you get bored!)

[nolly.livejournal.com]

I've been audioreading a lot of classics over the last few years. Studio 360 had a segment on The House of Mirth recently, which reminded me I hadn't gotten to Wharton yet, so I hit LibriVox, and added several of hers to my queue.

[nolly.livejournal.com]

Her friend Gertie, Selden's cousin, was a woman being independent, and living within her means. Lily was, I think, a woman who couldn't quite decide if she wanted to be independent, or if maintaining a life of luxury at any cost was more important.

That said, I try to avoid even mild spoilers in these write-ups, no they are necessarily brief and incomplete. :) (But comments are fair game for details.)

[charlie-ego.livejournal.com]

Edith Wharton, I think, blows away all the modern writers trying to do Edgy High New York Society.