The House of Mirth

De: Edith Wharton

Narrado por: Wanda McCaddon

The beautiful, much-desired Lily Bart has been raised to be one of the perfect wives of the wealthy upper class, but her spark of character and independent drive prevents her from becoming one of the many women who will succeed in those circles.

Though her desire for a comfortable life means that she cannot marry for love without money, her resistance to the rules of the social elite endangers her many marriage proposals. As Lily spirals down into debt and dishonor, her story takes on the resonance of classic tragedy.

The House of Mirth is a lucid, disturbing analysis of the stifling limitations imposed upon women of author Edith Wharton's generation. Herself born into Old New York Society, Wharton watched as an entirely new set of people living by new codes of conduct entered the metropolitan scene.

In telling the story of Lily Bart, Wharton recasts the age-old themes of family, marriage, and money in ways that transform the traditional novel of manners into an arrestingly modern tale of one woman's struggle to succeed.

Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

Good book, one suggestion...

Very good book. One suggestion for future listeners: If I had it to do over, I might have gone with another narrator. The one for this version has a very girlish quality that I really liked, however her voice was also very gravelly and after awhile, that started to bother me. Just a small issue, but something to consider!

The story is not mirthful

I have wanted to read this for awhile, and by listening on Audible, have successfully completed that mission. It is such an excellent work with multiple “clip worthy “ quotes and complete passages; truly a work of art , philosophy, social commentary, and literature. One caveat is that I did feel unexpectedly anxious when not reading/listening, and discovered that the book was making me carry so much sadness around!! I guess it’s the sign of an author who can creates realistic characters with whom you can readily sympathize...
The narrator is talented, but I felt her British Isles accent was disconcerting for the voices of the posh, turn of the century New Yorkers.

Yawn!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The only good thing about this book it that it occupied my time driving to and from work for a few weeks. I kept thinking the story would finally get better and the heroine would at least go get a job or learn a trade, but she was a vapid, useless woman, caught in a world where women are disregarded except for ornamental purposes. I had a hard time identifying with her in this story.

What could Edith Wharton have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

She could have had the heroine find something to do to make a living, or she could have had her marry her love interest instead of waiting to fall in love with a rich man. She was so shallow, but I suppose it was the era and how she was raised.

What about Wanda McCaddon’s performance did you like?

I liked her "continental" accent.

Do you think The House of Mirth needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No...it was shallow and plotless.

Any additional comments?

I was disappointed in this first book I have read by Edith Wharton. Perhaps it will be my last!

Beautiful People with Ugly Interiors

What constraints women lived under in 1905! Edith Wharton didn't take the easy way out in this chronicle of Lily Barth's rise and fall in society, and the horrible way her 'friends' and the men in her life treated her. It puts all those beautiful mansions in Newport and along the Hudson in perspective.

lovely and illuminating

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

This book was not easy listening but it was worth the extra effort.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Troubled heroine in a different era