I don't think I've ever wanted to live in a fictional world more than I want to live in Edith Wharton's early 1900s New York. She makes even the most drab moments into something charming. It has such a simplicity to it that makes me envy the lives of characters like Lily Bart and Percy Gryce. And yes, I'm aware of the satirical style of writing of which this book is founded. House of Mirth ignores the poverty of the lower class and focuses on the extravagance of the rich, but it still appeals to the shallow, lazy side of my personality (which is, at times, a very large part). And no one portrays this lifestyle and ignorance better than the main character Lily Bart.
I find her fascinating. She treats New York as some sort of safari-kingdom. She hunts down these men and uses a different technique for each one. She realizes Mr.Gryce is shy and withdrawn so she uses his liking of Americana as bait to lure him to her. And during all this she has to avoid the dangers of ill-fitting suitors such as Mr.Rosedale.
I mean I find her tactics (and motivation) somewhat off-putting, but there is something admirable about how she turns finding a husband into an art form. My favorite line of hers is when she says "But we're so different, you know: she likes being good, and I like being happy." That pretty much sums up Lily Bart at this point.
Now I really want to read House of Mirth! Darn, I wish I'd picked it. I haven't read any books that poke fun of these types of stories, but I'm going to have to look into it because it sounds totally awesome.
ReplyDeleteHouse of Mirth is in my top 5 favorite books of all time... it might even make the top 3.... yep... it does. Edith Wharton was an amazing writer, and I think she is incredibly underrated. She is most famous for Age of Innocence, but I think her true masterpiece is House of Mirth. I often wonder why authors are very famous for works that I don't think are their best. Steinbeck, for example, is most famous for The Grapes of Wrath. However, East of Eden is a million times better in writing and plot! Why didn't they ask me when making these decisions? Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI think I ended up liking Age of Innocence more than House of Mirth, but Edith Wharton created a masterpiece with both. And I totally agree! East of Eden was totally better than Grapes of Wrath. It has so much more substance.
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