Edith Wharton's writing is so beautiful. So many times I found myself re-reading lines just to wonder to myself how someone can put words together like she does.

I loved this book because of the emotional quandaries I found MYSELF in when trying to decide how to react to the characters. Wharton does a remarkable job of eliciting sympathy from the reader for all three of the main characters, and since they can't all have what they want, therein lies the emotional conflict for the reader.

The last chapter is interesting because so, so, so much happens there. I loved it because I felt like I was lifted up and swept through time. It is representative of the varying pace throughout the novel, which I think keeps it very interesting. Wharton got it just right.

I especially loved the ending. With the last line, my heart just broke but I also felt strangely satisfied. Amazing. This is the rare kind of book whose ending--and entire message--reverberates with you for several days. This is the kind of book that makes me LOVE reading. It's my first Edith Wharton novel but certainly not my last.