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Edith Wharton’s Followers (3,928)

Edith Wharton

Born

in New York City, NY, The United States

January 24, 1862

Died

August 11, 1937

Genre

Fiction

Influences

Henry James, Jane Austen ...more

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Edith Newbold Jones was born into such wealth and privilege that her family inspired the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." The youngest of three children, Edith spent her early years touring Europe with her parents and, upon the family's return to the United States, enjoyed a privileged childhood in New York and Newport, Rhode Island. Edith's creativity and talent soon became obvious: By the age of eighteen she had written a novella, (as well as witty reviews of it) and published poetry in the Atlantic Monthly.

After a failed engagement, Edith married a wealthy sportsman, Edward Wharton. Despite similar backgrounds and a shared taste for travel, the marriage was not a success. Many of Wharton's novels chronicle unhappy marriages, in whic Edith Newbold Jones was born into such wealth and privilege that her family inspired the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses." The youngest of three children, Edith spent her early years touring Europe with her parents and, upon the family's return to the United States, enjoyed a privileged childhood in New York and Newport, Rhode Island. Edith's creativity and talent soon became obvious: By the age of eighteen she had written a novella, (as well as witty reviews of it) and published poetry in the Atlantic Monthly.

After a failed engagement, Edith married a wealthy sportsman, Edward Wharton. Despite similar backgrounds and a shared taste for travel, the marriage was not a success. Many of Wharton's novels chronicle unhappy marriages, in which the demands of love and vocation often conflict with the expectations of society. Wharton's first major novel, The House of Mirth, published in 1905, enjoyed considerable literary success. Ethan Frome appeared six years later, solidifying Wharton's reputation as an important novelist. Often in the company of her close friend, Henry James, Wharton mingled with some of the most famous writers and artists of the day, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, André Gide, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, and Jack London.

In 1913 Edith divorced Edward. She lived mostly in France for the remainder of her life. When World War I broke out, she organized hostels for refugees, worked as a fund-raiser, and wrote for American publications from battlefield frontlines. She was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her courage and distinguished work.

The Age of Innocence, a novel about New York in the 1870s, earned Wharton the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1921 -- the first time the award had been bestowed upon a woman. Wharton traveled throughout Europe to encourage young authors. She also continued to write, lying in her bed every morning, as she had always done, dropping each newly penned page on the floor to be collected and arranged when she was finished. Wharton suffered a stroke and died on August 11, 1937. She is buried in the American Cemetery in Versailles, France.
- Barnesandnoble.com ...more

Combine Editions
Edith Wharton’s books

Average rating: 3.79 · 484,982 ratings · 32,459 reviews · 1,504 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Age of Innocence 3.96 avg rating — 162,784 ratings — published 1920 — 3546 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ethan Frome 3.43 avg rating — 120,947 ratings — published 1911 — 2669 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The House of Mirth 3.96 avg rating — 93,122 ratings — published 1905 — 4563 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ethan Frome and Other Short Fiction by Edith Wharton, Mary Gordon (Introduction) 3.67 avg rating — 15,111 ratings — published 1911 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Custom of the Country 4.05 avg rating — 12,644 ratings — published 1913 — 884 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Summer 3.67 avg rating — 13,486 ratings — published 1917 — 423 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton, Marion Mainwaring 3.90 avg rating — 6,159 ratings — published 1938 — 52 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton 3.89 avg rating — 4,282 ratings — published 1937 — 24 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Glimpses of the Moon 3.86 avg rating — 3,764 ratings — published 1922 — 49 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Roman Fever and Other Stories 4.10 avg rating — 1,961 ratings — published 1934 — 14 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Edith Wharton…

Series by Edith Wharton

Old New York (4 books)
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Edith Wharton

3.95 avg rating — 3,721 ratings

Margaret Atwood has written more than 50 books during her literary career, including the modern classics The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake,...

Polls

August Side Reads 1st Poll!!

Top five books will move onto the second round.

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell

by Nadia Hashimi

8 votes, 14.0%

Sarah's Key

by Tatiana de Rosnay

8 votes, 14.0%

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

by Cheryl Strayed

8 votes, 14.0%

I Am Pilgrim

by Terry Hayes

8 votes, 14.0%

The Secret Wisdom of the Earth

by Christopher Scotton

6 votes, 10.5%

We Are Called to Rise

by Laura McBride

6 votes, 10.5%

The Butterfly and the Violin

by Kristy Cambron

5 votes, 8.8%

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

5 votes, 8.8%

The Age of Innocence

by Edith Wharton

2 votes, 3.5%

The Tale of Despereaux

by Kate DiCamillo

1 vote, 1.8%

57 total votes

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Edith Wharton’s Followers (3,928)

Edith Wharton

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