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The House of Mirth

By: Edith Wharton
Narrated by: Barbarra Caruso
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Publisher's summary

Lily Bart, a beautiful, intelligent, but penniless young woman, lives on the outskirts of New York's high society, craving the luxurious lifestyle of her wealthy contacts. But while Lily possesses the grace, taste, and morality of the ideal turn-of-the-century lady, her delicate innocence threatens her survival in that very world. As she fights to maintain her newfound place among the aristocracy, Lily struggles mightily against what lurks beneath all the glitter and gold - greed, vulgarity, and ruthless competition. In her brilliantly perceptive novel, The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton, the peerless, Pulitzer Prize-winning chronicler of Old New York, provides yet another heartbreaking glimpse into the world of manners, privilege, betrayal, and shocking falls from grace.

Public Domain (P)1999 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"The House of Mirth is uniquely authentic among American novels of manners." (Louis Auchincloss)

What listeners say about The House of Mirth

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Compelling story, great narration.

The story follows a beautiful young socialite with limited funds who is ambivalent about her marriage prospects (choosing between love and money). The book sets the scene of turn of the century New York society incredibly well and also has great dialogue. Initially, I thought the narrator's voice was too deep to work, but she does an excellent job of voicing the various characters. The overall experience is so enjoyable, I've listened to this book repeatedly.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A tragic ending

What is it about authors from this time period - was life really that tragic? In my opinion, Edith Wharton falls into the same category as Henry James - good plots but the women always get the short end of the stick but the end of the novel. In any event, a very good read that really captured my attention. I really came to sympathize with Lily and so wanted her to have a different fate.

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