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The House of Mirth

Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937. Book - 1993 Fiction / Wharton, Edith 1 On Shelf 1 request on 2 copies Community Rating: 4.2 out of 5

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Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Wharton, Edith
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length Call Number Checkout Length Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Wharton, Edith 4-week checkout On Hold Shelf
Downtown 2nd Floor
4-week checkout
Fiction / Wharton, Edith 4-week checkout On Shelf

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Would make for an interesting discussion submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 10, 2015, 8:13pm Gah! The only thing that got me through this book was a commitment to my book club, and a belief that by surviving to the end, I'll be able to be part of an interesting discussion.

So, here's what the book has going for it, and I will admit that this is not inconsequential: it raises interesting questions about the roles of women (particularly in the early 1900's), about how we see and define ourselves, about societal expectations (of both men and women), and about whether we can change the course of our lives. Are we all really social chameleons? Perhaps so, to some extent. How much does this define us, and what then happens when others begin to define us to the group? Again, I think this will spark some excellent discussion.

But reading this book was agonizing to me. It was six pages of the drivel inside Lily Bart's head followed by maybe two pages of her actually interacting with other human beings. Then eight pages of her thoughts, and a page and a half of interaction. Until the last 60 pages (and even then!) this book was nearly all tell and hardly any show. Simply agonizing. It became almost bearable when, halfway through the book, I gave myself permission to skim (skip) most of the internal pap.

This one might actually work better as a play or a movie, because then you would HAVE to focus on the action. As is, I can't possibly recommend it.

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SERIES
Penguin twentieth-century classics.



PUBLISHED
New York, N.Y. : Penguin Books, 1993.
Year Published: 1993
Description: 338 pages ; 20 cm.
Language: English
Format: Book

ISBN/STANDARD NUMBER
0140187294
9780140187298

SUBJECTS
Single women -- New York -- Fiction.
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction.