Hi all. We were busy watching the Olympic hockey game early this morning. It was crazy … but great action which required a lot of yelling and agony on my part, lol. All in all, we enjoyed streaming quite a bit of the Olympics, including much of the biathlon, figure skating, ice dancing, and hockey … as well as some of the other sports. It was a good distraction no doubt … from all the news crises going on, the latest being possible war in the Middle East. I’m sure the State of the Union address this week will be one big sham of untruths. But in the midst of this, we had a good family reunion trip to Vancouver, B.C. this past week. And for one sunny afternoon, we were even able to bike the Seawall and shoreline bike paths. This was quite a treat! You don’t get many sunny days in Vancouver in the winter, so we took full advantage of it … and it was beautiful … albeit around 36 degrees F.
We arrived back home just in time for my fourth and final Zoom class on Edith Wharton’s novel The House of Mirth. Each class was two+ hours long and we were full on discussing passages as we went on. It was great. I must have read the full novel like two or three times over the past month as I prepared for each class, lol. It’s a bit of a long novel too … with various layers to it, but I was in its grip. See the review down below.
Meanwhile another classic novel — Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights — is playing as an adapted movie at the theater in town now, and we might see it though this adaptation has received various up and down reviews, many quite terrible about how it’s not faithful to the novel etc. We will keep that in mind. Still it is spurring on new readers to the book. Maybe even I will be lured back to the days of Catherine and Heathcliff. It’s been a long while … and I find with classics you need to reread them after a decade or two goes by.
And now I’ll leave you with a review of what I finished recently.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton / Scribner / 1905
“She was so evidently the victim of the civilization which had produced her, that the links of her bracelet seemed like manacles chaining her to her fate.”
5 stars. This is the story of Lily Bart, a 29-year-old New York socialite at the turn of the century whose parents become financially ruined and died when she was 19/20 leaving her with very little, other than an aunt who took her in. The aunt gives her some allowances but it’s not enough for the dresses and luxuries Lily requires … or for the bridge gambling she dabbles in among her rich friends.
Mostly what Lily has going for her is her incredible beauty and pretty face and she needs to marry to secure her status in high society and any future, but she’s let her early opportunities go, back when she debuted as a debutante.
Now she’s at the brink of turning 30 and sees only boring or distasteful prospects in her sights. Her friend, Selden, is a man she admires but he’s not wealthy enough for her. So she gets a bit desperate and gives some money to her friend’s husband to invest in the stock market, but this turns into an entanglement she comes to regret … along with another entanglement with the heiress Bertha Dorset, who invites her to stay on her yacht during a trip to Monte Carlo and the Mediterranean.
Poor Lily. Her reputation takes a beating from schemes concocted by this nemesis. You hope upon hope Lily can restore herself and rise above her entanglements … as she has a good sense of honor about her. And there are a couple options (not many for a woman like her) and friends — Gerty Farish, Carry Fisher, and Selden who try to help her but somehow despite Lily’s beauty and capabilities, it’s a spiral she faces that you wouldn’t wish on anyone.
I got caught up in this debut novel as there’s turns and nuances along the way and many good passages about Lily. It’s sort of like a soap opera at times … but more since Wharton is a talented writer who’s able to weave a tale so tellingly and satirically about the times and high society in Lily’s milieu. It’s not as streamlined as Wharton’s novel Ethan Frome, but you come to feel for Lily, who’s a sympathetic protagonist even if born into a snobby existence. Near the end she comes to see those downtrodden whom she once gave charity to better — like Nettie Struther, a mother with a baby out of wedlock who survived her situation and found a partner.
I continue to be a big fan of Wharton’s (she even was a dog lover, see photo at left) and will read more of her in the future. Though my class’s instructor didn’t like The Custom of the Country (1913) as much as The House of Mirth since he found the protagonist less likable.
Still as Lesley at the blog Coastal Horizons told me: The Custom of the Country is going to be adapted into a new movie with Sydney Sweeney and Leo Woodall — who were both in The White Lotus, lol. I will have to read it before then and see it … but first here is one more line below from near the end of The House of Mirth whose protagonist — Lily Bart — I won’t forget anytime soon.
“She felt a stealing sense of fatigue as she walked; the sparkle had died out of her, and the taste of life was stale on her lips. She hardly knew what she had been seeking, or why the failure to find it had so blotted the light from her sky: she was only aware of a vague sense of failure, of an inner isolation deeper than the loneliness about her.”
Poor Lily. That’s all for now. What about you — have you read Wharton and if so, what did you think?
Welcome back, Susan, great pictures too! I always thought Vancouver was sunny; I don’t know where that idea came from. Growing up I used to watch a TV show titled City of the Air, or Air City, or something like that. It was about the work of animal rescuing in Vancouver. Good show it was. Anyway, I’m glad that you enjoyed great discussions in your class and your review is a reflection of that. You came across with a good understanding of the times and characters reflected in the novel. Someday I’ll tackle classics again as I have a good library full of them, but the new releases seem to consume all my attention now.
Hi Carmen, thanks, I will ask my husband about that TV show in Vancouver — it doesn’t ring any bells with me. Are you sure that’s the title? I found one called Danger Bay (1984-1990). Maybe that’s it? I haven’t seen it but the man worked at the Vancouver Aquarium. Anyways like most of the Northwest, Vancouver is cold & rainy in the winter months. So it’s always nice to get a sunny day.
I can relate to what you say: as I feel I haven’t read many classics and don’t often focus on them, but once in a blue moon I will pick one up. I have a long ways to go on reading classics. Cheers!
Thanks. It’s possible that Danger Bay is the show I refer to since I’m providing my own translation of a translation that may not be literal at all. The Vancouver Aquarium rings a bell, so there’s that.
Yes, Robert, my husband says Danger Bay was good and it was about saving wildlife out of Vancouver. He also says Da Vinci’s Inquest was another Vancouver show (1998-2005) about a coroner’s cases. Now he thinks we should get these Ha … they’re dated shows but likely just fun to watch. I’d like to see the scenery. We found a copy of The House of Mirth movie from 2000 on YouTube with Gillian Anderson and Eric Stoltz and Laura Linney. It’s sometimes hard to find old TV shows and movies. But it’s good to see it after reading it.
I read this sooo long ago and could barely have told you what it was about until I read your excellent review which brought it all back. All that I remembered really was that I had enjoyed it at the time.
Vancouver looks lovely in that picture. I see the daffodils were in bloom. They are just beginning to bloom here.
Thanks Dorothy, I’m glad the review brought the novel back for you. I think that’s one of the reasons I like writing down about these books so I can remember them much later! We now are watching the film of The House of Mirth from 2000 with Gillian Anderson … I only found it on YouTube. Pretty good.
You have a good eye for the flowers in the Vancouver photo. That’s amazing they’re out already. I guess they’re pretty hardy as it was in the 30s. Hmm.
Enjoy your week.
I read A House Of Mirth many years ago. I read it in my twenties and I didn’t know what to expect because I had read Ethan Frome in high school and didn’t like it. And so I was stunned by how great a novel A House Of Mirth is and recently I reread Ethan Frome and though I still dont love it I do love the way Wharton described the wintery rural New Egland town where the novel is set.
Hi Kathy, interesting. Yeah Ethan Frome is a bit fierce and dark … but man like you — I could feel that winter there, lol. House of Mirth is quite sad … but I kept rooting for Lily Bart … but she makes some bad choices early on that sort dooms her. I’m glad you’ve read Wharton too. She doesn’t mess around, lol.
Have a good week.
I think I’m going to pass on Wuthering Heights but glad to hear about House of Mirth. I was glued to the Olympics too. I will NOT be glued to the state of the union address. I cannot even bear that guy’s voice, much less anything that comes out of his mouth!
Hi Jeanie, yeah I can relate … I cannot watch or hear trump in any capacity and I will not be watching his State of the Union full of lies. Each week seems worse, sadly. Luckily we had the Olympics for a while. I will report back on Wuthering Heights, lol. The moors are calling me. Enjoy your week.
I’ve read (I think) five of Edith Wharton’s novels: The House of Mirth; The Age of Innocence; The Custom of the Country; Madame de Treymes; and Summer. I’m not sure if this link will work for anyone except me, but if it does, you can see my little thoughts about each of these books here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1654645-deb-readerbuzz-nance?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Bquery%5D=edith+wharton. I have Glimpses of the Moon by Wharton on my Classics Club list. I am fascinated with Wharton’s portrayals of women in another time. These books remind me over and over how fortunate I am to live in a different time.
Hi Deb, thanks for your link on your Wharton reads … I liked seeing your thoughts about her books. You’ve read several of hers. I find Wharton writes with a precision and astuteness that’s often unmatched. And I agree: Women in the Gilded Age had a pretty bleak existence … for those in Lily’s group, it seemed to be all about reputation and stature …. and being screwed if you didn’t adhere to all of the mores of the day. Lily got sideswiped! Good luck with your next Wharton read.
Great review and info about your class on Wharton and The House of Mirth. I will start with Ethan Frome for my Wharton reading. Glad you had such a good time with the class.
Vancouver looks lovely and that’s great you got a bike ride in. I saw a comment above about thinkning it was always sunny there – I thought that as well. Not sure why. Maybe the only photos I have ever seen of the city are sunny skies.
Sending you an email shortly.
Hi Tina, thanks — most of the time I don’t know how the heck I’m going to write a review of what I read — lol. It’s like a dribble that has to be pulled forth.
Kathy reminded me that Ethan Frome is fierce and dark — so you might not “enjoy” it … but somehow I admired it.
And Vancouver is like the other cities in the Northwest –Seattle & Portland which are usually rainy & cold in the winter. I lived in Seattle once — 3 years! It rained. So when finally the sun comes out — it feels glorious. Vancouver is like that. I’m so pleased I got to bike outside and my knee worked! chat later.
I’ve never read anything by Wharton.
We were very happy with our hockey win in both men and women.. just wow.
Hi Hena, the Olympic hockey games were great action. I bet your boys loved watching. I pulled for Canada — but it was not to be this time. Still I respect their silver medals. Have a great week.
My last Olympics watch was the women’s 50k ski. Who knew a 2-hour race could be so interesting?! I feel like I’m coming out of an Olympics coma and I can’t quite seem to figure out what to read.
Ha ha, Helen. Yes a good Olympic coma. I feel that too. I think I missed seeing the women’s 50k ski (saw the men’s) … so I will watch it. I like that I can still stream it — if I missed something. So the coma continues …
Have a good week.
Poor Lily Bart indeed! I love House of Mirth; it’s one of my favorite Wharton novels, even though it’s SO sad. But then I love most of Wharton’s books. She and Henry James are two of my favorite authors…just below Jane Austen. ;D And I’m sad the Olympics are over with; I love watching all the sports. And the hockey game was great. I can’t believe both the men’s and the women’s games went into OT. But I was so happy to see the USA win gold both times. Yay!!!
Hi Lark, it’s cool you too are a Wharton fan. House of Mirth is a tragic story and I was sad for Lily. She couldn’t turn the spiral around sadly.
Glad you liked the Olympics. It was good action. I was pulling for Canada in the hockey but it didn’t go their way this time. It’s a good battle. I am a dual citizen which is a bit confusing at times. I cheer for both teams in other sports. Still I’m a proud Alberta girl now, lol! Hope you have a great week, despite the Olympic withdrawals.
Thanks for sharing those photos. Vancouver looks like a nice place to visit.
I have mixed thoughts about reading The House of Mirth. I have not read anything by Wharton. The story sounds so depressing. I will check and see if I can find an inexpensive copy at the book sale and give it a try.
Hi Tracy, thanks, Vancouver is a nice place to visit especially in the summer.
And you’re right Wharton’s novels can be sort of depressing or sad but she does give an interesting perspective into the days of the Gilded Age. So I like trying to understand how it was back then. And women had it rough … with not too many options. Lily’s job was to marry into wealth … but that turned out harder than was believed for her. I have not read a lot of classics but I’m trying to improve on that … over time. Cheers. Have a great week.
I agree with you on reading books set in the past (and especially if they were written at that time) that show what life was like. I don’t always enjoy reading them though. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to add another book to the stacks.
However I went back to check which books by Wharton I have on the Kindle and I found that The House of MIrth and The Age of Innocence had been “filed” together as Modern Library 100 Best Novels and I had not seen that I already have a copy. It may have been my husband that purchased that but we will never know. So at the very least I can read enough of the book to see what I think.
That’s good you found copies of the Wharton novels on the Kindle. I read a copy on Kindle as well and I like being able to highlight passages that way. I’d like to read The Age of Innocence maybe later this year. Some like that novel better. I found out that Wharton — in addition to 15 novels — wrote seven novellas and as many as 85 short stories! So you might opt for one of those. Apparently they include several that are ghost stories: “Pomegranate Seed” and “The Lady’s Maid’s Bell,” and “Afterward” …. are a few. Sort of interesting to find that out. Hmm. more reading, argh!
I listened to The House of Mirth last summer and really enjoyed it! It made me so mad, but that’s actually part of what I loved about it. It felt so immediate, even though it was written over a century ago.
Hi Karis, Wow that’s great you listened to House of Mirth and enjoyed it. It does make you mad that book! I was ticked about Bertha Dorset trying to ruin Lily’s reputation and the actions of Gus Trenor too. I was hoping Lily would use the letters she has of Bertha’s affair … to fight Bertha. But she never does. It’s sad how it goes. You’re right it seems like a novel that could be written today. Thx for your comments. Cheers.
I’m glad you enjoyed your reunion. It’s quite odd to me to see such blue skies yet know it’s actually so cold.
Your study of House of Mirth has been quite intense but I’m glad you found it interesting .
Wishing you a lovely reading week
Hi Shelleyrae, thanks. It was a short good trip. Still full on winter here, alas, but yet March is coming!
You’re right … I was inundated with The House of Mirth … but I think I can rest a bit now, lol. I hadn’t taken a class in years. Luckily I kept up with the reading.
Hope you have a nice week too.
I’ve been to Vancouver twice, and I think it was raining and foggy both times. I’m glad you had a good trip!
Ha AJ … so you know too that Vancouver is part of the rain belt lol, but mostly in the winter. It was a rare treat to have a sunny afternoon like that! And I always love going around the Seawall path. I’m sure I’ll go back sometime. Have a great week.
Glad you had a good family reunion!
I won’t be watching the State of the Union. It would just be an exercise in misery. And as you pointed out, it will be filled with lies.
I haven’t read any of Edith Wharton, but I’m thinking I need to. This book is going on the TBR list.
Hi Olivia, thanks it was a good reunion. And I agree: any speech from this president would be full misery & lies. I won’t be watching it either.
I haven’t read a whole lot of classics but I’m trying to improve on that gradually …. and Wharton is one of my favs. Hope you like it. Cheers. Have a great week.
More beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing them! We’ve never been to Vancouver, but hope to visit one day.
Hi Kay, thanks. Vancouver is a fun place to visit, especially in the summer. And it has some old used bookstores that I had fun browsing around in. The walking paths near the shoreline are enjoyable too.
Have a great week.
Your review of The House of Mirth comes at a perfect time. One of the books I’m reading right now is called: The Writer’s Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives. I think The House of Mirth has been mentioned by more of the included authors than any other single book that’s come up. I was already leaning in that direction but your enthusiasm for the book and author is the last little push I needed. Looking forward to it, now.
Hi Sam, Wow I didn’t realize The House of Mirth would be mentioned so much by other authors. I sort of thought it might have been forgotten and relegated to the dustbin of literary history — but that’s good to hear it wasn’t. Perhaps Wharton is having a resurgence of sorts these days. While reading the novel, it’s clear to me how women certainly had an unadmirable lot in life during the Gilded Age, yikes. I think Wharton’s books satirize high society life well. Sometime I want to read The Age of Innocence and The Custom of the Country. But I’ll take a Wharton break for now. See what you think when you get to it. Cheers.
It sounds (and looks!) like an excellent trip. I’ll bet the pups were thrilled when you got home!
I’ve read quite a few of Edith Wharton’s novels, but it’s been several years. Definitely agree that classics need to be reread after a decade or two and House of Mirth is on my list to reread, especially after your review. You’re in for a treat when you get to The Custom of the Country. It’s my favorite Wharton and Undine Sprague is one of the most unforgettable characters I’ve ever come across!
Wow JoAnn, that’s good to know. Undine Sprague sounds like a firecracker of a character … and I look forward to her and reading that Wharton novel. We had a guest speaker in our last class — literary scholar Elaine Showalter — and she had good things to say about Undine Sprague … who wasn’t as passive as Lily Bart is … so I will add a couple more Wharton books to my TBR maybe for later in the year.
And the dogs survived our being away for 5 days … so that was a relief. We had a cold front that came through … so I was worried about old Stella … but she hung in there. Hope all is nice in Sanibel. Enjoy.
I am finally catching up on reading blog posts. My mom fell and broke her hip (femur) on the 16th. Had a partial hip replacement the following day. Hospital stay until the 23rd. Now in rehab. Ugh, ugh, ugh. We’re hoping she is able to come home soon! Anyhow…
We watched quite a bit of the Olympics while hanging out in the hospital. Especially loved the figure skating. Glad you had a good time in Vancouver. I’ve only been once and all I remember is that it was cold. I think we headed up to Whistler on that same trip. But your photos make it look especially pretty this time of year. We’ve had buckets of rain here, but the sun returned today and should hang around for the next few days. Yay! Helps boost my mood, which has been all over the place…
It’s been years and years since I read Wuthering Heights. Not really sure if I’ll watch the film. Glad you enjoyed The House of Mirth so well. I do think I’ll try to re-read The Custom of the Country. (Thanks for the shout-out.) Always good to have a class to discuss the finer points of a classic. I loved my Great Plains Lit class for this reason. I fell in love with Willa Cather’s novels while taking that course as a non-tradition (read: old!) student. BTW, I tried to read Wharton’s final (unfinished) book, The Buccaneers, but couldn’t get interested. I also read The Age of Innocence (twice) and thought it was quite good.
Daffodils are blooming here, too. Seems so early!
Hi Lesley, I’m so sorry about your mother’s fall! Ugh. Sounds terrible. I hope she has stabilized and is not in a lot of pain. And that her hip will be able to heal. I will email you. I’m sure you’ve been all over the place since this.
I liked hearing about which Wharton books you’ve read. I probably will read another of her classics perhaps later in the year. I hadn’t taken a class in ages. It is interesting to think of Cather and Wharton and their similarities & differences being the two biggest female authors of their day. I guess Hermione Lee wrote biographies on both but her books are very long!
I hope you’re all right after your Mom’s fall. Hang in there. It’s difficult I know.
Fantastic review of House of Mirth. I read it in 2014 and had to go back and reread my post on it: https://janegs.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-house-of-mirth.html
I was blown away by Wharton’s writing, and I truly admired Lily. Despite her follies, she was truly a good person. I saw her as “a babe in a shark tank but she never gave in to the desire to live a lie.”
I loved The Buccaneers, Wharton’s last and unfinished novel, as well as Ethan Fromme and Age of Innocence. I have a couple of collections of short stories that I’ve been meaning to read as well.
Your trip to Vancouver looks wonderful. Such great pictures–and sunny!
Happy March…come on Spring!
Glad you
Thanks so much Jane. Glad my review was all right … and glad for your link and your thoughts about the book. I thought yours were good. Wharton has become a favorite … although I have only read three of her books so far! I really liked Ethan Frome … and than this one … I wanted a bit more from her autobiography A Backward Glance but I’ll get to more of her novels later. Perhaps next will be The Age of Innocence and The Custom of the Country. Curious about The Buccaneers. I agree her writing is terrific! And her life quite interesting.
Happy March & reading.