Questions About The House of Mirth

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Answered Questions (14)

Why would Lily consider paying back all the money she owed when she received her inheritance since that act would be ruinous to her? Seems she was brain dead or would she have been carted off to prison for non payment?

Hayley She paid back all the money that she owed because her personal integrity wouldn't permit her to return to society with a debt like that still unpaid. …moreShe paid back all the money that she owed because her personal integrity wouldn't permit her to return to society with a debt like that still unpaid. Also, there was the implication that Trenor at least expected some kind of "personal" favour in return for lending Lily money, and I can well imagine that anything she could do to avoid that prospect would also be high in her mind. (less)

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Hi! I noticed this book has about 5 different audible versions! Does anyone have a recommendation on reader?

Nita I just finished the version narrated by Eleanor Bron. Her narration was excellent. She is a skilled reader, capturing the appropriate tone and emotion…moreI just finished the version narrated by Eleanor Bron. Her narration was excellent. She is a skilled reader, capturing the appropriate tone and emotion throughout each scene of the book. (less)

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I have started and not finished this novel several times in the last few years. I really want to read it, because it I love the writing and it is so quotable...but every time Lily does something - I get frustrated with her actions - I know where it all leads, but her decisions just aggravate me. should i stick it out?

KaylSalad I absolutely had the same issue with this book, the characters can be quite irritating from a certain perspective but I would recommend following thro…moreI absolutely had the same issue with this book, the characters can be quite irritating from a certain perspective but I would recommend following through to the end (if nothing more than to see who she ends up with🙃 (less)

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This question contains spoilers... (view spoiler)

Elly

This answer contains spoilers… (view spoiler)[I think the death is described as accidental in the scene where she takes the medicine. I feel the important phrase that explains the mentality behind the increased dosage is "Perspective had disappeared—the next day pressed close upon her, and on its heels came the days that were to follow—they swarmed about her like a shrieking mob". I think that this illustrates that the thoughts/regrets/choices/etc that passed through her mind during the day, were unbearable to her "like a shrieking mob" etc. I think because of that, she needed the quiet of -dreamless, hence the need for the medicine- sleep to get a break from such brain activity. That made temporary oblivion more important than living another day "Perspective had disappeared".
I feel, for most people, the lack of quiet for one night is not sufficient to risk their lives for. But Lily, became so exhausted by her day's reflections that, she couldn't think past temporarily relieving her head. I think we all have things we would risk our lives for. However, as most of us are not haunted by our daily thoughts and choices, like she was, we wouldn't risk having one night's sleep instead of the rest of our lives.
However, I think she did understand she was taking a risk. The same paragraph mentions that she thinks not waking up was possible but unlikely "But after all that was but one chance in a hundred". Therefore she was aware of the danger and chose to ignore it.
One could argue that this is equivalent with suicide but I don't think so. I think that playing with chances of self destruction (due to luck of choices) are very different from deliberately choosing suicide. The end goals are different. One results in renewed courage to tackle the issues and the other is permanently escaping from them.

Here's the part of the book that I'm talking about:

"She could bear it—yes, she could bear it; but what strength would be left her the next day? Perspective had disappeared—the next day pressed close upon her, and on its heels came the days that were to follow—they swarmed about her like a shrieking mob. She must shut them out for a few hours; she must take a brief bath of oblivion. She put out her hand, and measured the soothing drops into a glass; but as she did so, she knew they would be powerless against the supernatural lucidity of her brain. She had long since raised the dose to its highest limit, but tonight she felt she must increase it. She knew she took a slight risk in doing so—she remembered the chemist's warning. If sleep came at all, it might be a sleep without waking. But after all that was but one chance in a hundred: the action of the drug was incalculable, and the addition of a few drops to the regular dose would probably do no more than procure for her the rest she so desperately needed.... " (hide spoiler)]

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Truthfully I gave up on it! I could not spend the time with this book to get the flow of the language and or purpose of the story, anyone have the same problem?