The House of Mirth

By: Edith Wharton

Narrated by: Eleanor Bron

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York's elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means.

Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened.

A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton's tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s. Taking us on a journey through lavish drawing rooms in grand country houses to cold and menacing boarding houses, Wharton addresses the consequences awaiting those who openly dared to challenge the status quo.

First published in serial form, The House of Mirth contributed significantly to Edith Wharton's already substantial riches. Accustomed to living a life of privilege, Wharton was able to foster her creative talents from a young age.

Working as a published author from the age of 18, Wharton's story is as intriguing and daring as her heroine's. Wedding and then divorcing Edward Wharton, her experience of marriage and consequent heartbreak is usually chronicled in her works.

Never the victim however, Wharton went on to receive multiple awards for her writing, as well as the bravery that she demonstrated during the First World War when she organised hostels for refugees, fund-raised for those in need and reported from battlefield frontlines.

Usually seen in the company of other great authors including Jack London, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jean Cocteau, Wharton became a literary master whose skill and wit is perfectly captured in this enthralling audiobook.

Narrator Biography

Celebrated author and stage, film and television actress, Eleanor Bron, lends her iconic voice to the narration of The House of Mirth.

Best known for her roles in films such as A Little Princess, Bedazzled, Women in Love, Black Beauty and Alfie, Eleanor's career is as varied as it has been successful.

Also not a stranger to the theatre, Bron thrived in classical and modern productions of plays including The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, The Merchant of Venice, Private Lives, All About My Mother and Hedda Gabler.

A celebrated writer, Eleanor has published various titles, including Life and Other Punctures, Double Take and The Pillow Book of Eleanor Bron.

Further audiobook contributions include A Little Princess by Frances Burnett, The Aeneid by Virgil, The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier and Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Very enjoyable listening!!

Where does The House of Mirth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my first listen and I enjoyed it very much!

What did you like best about this story?

The voice of the narrator and how she changed her voice from character to character.

Which character – as performed by Eleanor Bron – was your favorite?

Mr. Rosdale

I was surprised

I enjoyed this book. It has a certain "Austenesque" charm to it. I didn't like many of the characters but they were all so well drawn I felt as if I knew them. The world that Edith Wharton wrote about was a world that is a horrible one too and I found myself being quite angry about, because I know that it still exists.
Ultimately quite sad, but a good book.

Still exceptional

What a classic! Edith Wharton’s writing is concise and penetrating. Her themes are timeless and thought provoking. Highly recommended.

SAD

The most upsetting thing about this story are the lingering parallels to women's role in our own time. Despite feminist advances in the workplace, a woman who lacks marriage still lacks a certain amount of position and security in today's society. Argue if you will, but statistics demonstrate that women who have divorced are in a decidedly disadvantaged state economically compared to married women and men who have divorced.

A second upsetting aspect of the story related to the immense amount of judgment society doles out. Some are on top, some are on the bottom, and wherever you are, you look down your nose at those who are under you. Lily Bart was both scorner and scornee.

Finally, I was taken aback by the anti-semitism displayed by society as written by this author against Simon Rosedale, a Jewish man whom she characterizes by every stereotypical, anti-semitic trope available to her, both physical and personality. Strangely, Rosedale's experiences at the hands of a very anti-Semitic Upper Crust New York prepare him to be the only person who understands what has happened to our heroine, Lily Bart. I wanted to believe that the evolution of this unsavory character into a sympathetic one was the author's attempt to object to anti-semitism, but in the end result I could not because even as she redraws him as sympathetic, she keeps Rosedale's personality locked into Jewish stereotypes about money and shrewd business practice. I am Jewish and I wanted to smack Edith Wharton.

For all my distress with the book's themes, I didn't quit the book. I wanted to find out what happened to Lily Bart. But it was a lot of personal cognitive dissonance.

A walk through a different time

Beautiful and sad in the best possible way. We all come across glamorous, bright people and always wonder how they turned out in the end. This book will answer that question for you. Not in the way you hoped, but in the way you realize it always had to be.

Equally beautiful story and performance

Timelessly relevant and insightful story, and exquisitely written. Eleanor Bron’s performance is incredible and near-hypnotizing. I could hardly bare to turn it off. So good!

Like Henry James but more accessible

The novel portrays the New York upper middle class society in the late 19th century. Wharton writes elegantly, and is an acute psychologist and observer of manners. She's also very witty at times--with what you might call a stiletto wit. The reading is excellent, with subtle difference of voice and accent nicely calibrated to the character speaking.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book. But it made me wonder why writers like Wharton and Henry James devote themselves to writing about people who don't do anything--a class of idlers, in fact, who are terrified that they might have to work for a living. Perhaps they think that this idleness produces greater subjective sensitivity and depth. But I think their long descriptions and analyses of people's inner depths are rather more refined and sophisticated than is justified by reality. OccasionalIy found myself saying: Bring on a pirate! Let's have a murder! Or at least have someone kicked by a horse.

Good

Good story line, twist and turns in every chapter. Although the reader seemed to struggle with dry mouth syndrome.

Gripping!

Would you consider the audio edition of The House of Mirth to be better than the print version?

I alternated between audio and print, as I tend to listen to audiobooks in the car and had a few long drives (and time in between). Both were amazing, but I'm a sucker for being read to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lily. I kept wanting to shake her out of her illusions; she had so much potential to be more than just a social ornament.

Have you listened to any of Eleanor Bron’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't, but will be seeking them out.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cried at the end, which was a little embarrassing as I was on public transportation. The rest of the time, I was simply rapt. I've read Wharton (Age of Innocence, all her New York stories) but somehow skipped over The House of Mirth and even more amazingly, didn't know how it would end, other than a general awareness of "..not well." Bron's reading is excellent, although Rosedale's 'toidy-toid & toid' accent was sometimes a bit wobbly. I cared very deeply for all the characters in this book (well, except for the more oblivious rich folk).

Any additional comments?

Listen to this. Schedule a long drive, alone, and listen.

Tragically Good

My first Edith Wharton, brilliantly read. A part of Lily Bart will stay with me for years to come.