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The Uncollected Critical Writings: Edith Wharton
The widespread resurgence of interest in Edith Wharton's career over the past twenty years has restored to print most of her fiction, travel books, and writings on architecture, gardening, and interior decoration. Yet one significant and substantial portion of her accomplishment has remained largely Wharton's numerous exercises in literary criticism. Constituting an unusually little-known body of work by an otherwise preeminent American writer, Wharton's many scattered reviews and essays, literary eulogies, and forewords and introductions (to her own work, and to works of others) have never before been collected in a single volume. Covering works of various literary traditions, including eloquent general considerations of fiction and criticism, and embracing novels, volumes of lyric and dramatic verse, and works by other critics of literature, art, and architecture, these critical writings uniquely demonstrate the extraordinary range of Wharton's critical interests and intelligence.
A searching and comprehensive introductory essay places her critical prose in the context of Wharton's career as a whole, and draws on a wealth of unpublished materials in exploring the uncertainties and inhibitions against which she had to struggle in order to express herself as a critic at all. Assembling her miscellaneous critical writings (including some newly discovered texts), this authoritative edition makes an exceptional contribution not only to the ongoing "Wharton revival" but to the study of American literature, of literary criticism, and of women as writers of criticism.
A searching and comprehensive introductory essay places her critical prose in the context of Wharton's career as a whole, and draws on a wealth of unpublished materials in exploring the uncertainties and inhibitions against which she had to struggle in order to express herself as a critic at all. Assembling her miscellaneous critical writings (including some newly discovered texts), this authoritative edition makes an exceptional contribution not only to the ongoing "Wharton revival" but to the study of American literature, of literary criticism, and of women as writers of criticism.
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
About the author
Edith Wharton
1,727 books5,663 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 18, 2016
De fácil lectura y con la inconfundible prosa de Wharton, «Criticar ficción» no decepciona. Recomendado para todos los amantes de la literatura en general, del siglo XIX en particular y especialmente para aquellos interesados en la labor de los críticos literarios.
September 10, 2015
As the other three readers rated this book four stars, I feel I should try to justify my two star rating.
First: The book is comprised of exactly what the title says it is, plus an longish introduction by Frederick Wegener. Wharton's writings are subdivided into Essays and Reviews up to 1920, Essays and Reviews from 1920 on, Eulogies, Introductions and Prefaces, and Wharton's reflections on her own writing.
My first impulse is to say that the book is for Wharton completists, though I might go even farther and say that the book would be an enormous aid to anyone doing graduate studies on Wharton, or feminist studies, or even turn-of-the-century American writing or Americana. Wharton's views can't help but be interesting if anyone was curious as to what an established writer, or a female writer, was thinking--critically--about the age she lived and worked in.
Having said that, since I'm not pursuing any of those objects, the book was of limited interest to me. In fact, I only made it through the two Essay and Review sections (about half the book), and skimmed after that. I though maybe her recollections on her own writing might still spark some interest, but I think I was simply too worn down by that time to continue. Wharton's style is demanding, and if there isn't something there to pique your interest, it might end up seeming like a slog. For context, I recently read one of Wharton's contemporaries--Dreiser's Sister Carrie--and I would rate them very similar in manner. Since many of the subject Wharton treats here are of little interest to me, I was never really able to absorb myself in her reviews.
Several years ago, I read The House of Mirth, and thinking about it now, I can barely remember any of it, other than it had to do with people pursuing money. It may be that Wharton is just not a writer for me, or it may be that I'm not ready for her yet. She makes too many 'all-time' best-of lists to be ignored, so I'm sure I'll revisit her again--at least her fiction. Unfortunately, I found her occasional writing to be ponderous and verging on snobbish.
First: The book is comprised of exactly what the title says it is, plus an longish introduction by Frederick Wegener. Wharton's writings are subdivided into Essays and Reviews up to 1920, Essays and Reviews from 1920 on, Eulogies, Introductions and Prefaces, and Wharton's reflections on her own writing.
My first impulse is to say that the book is for Wharton completists, though I might go even farther and say that the book would be an enormous aid to anyone doing graduate studies on Wharton, or feminist studies, or even turn-of-the-century American writing or Americana. Wharton's views can't help but be interesting if anyone was curious as to what an established writer, or a female writer, was thinking--critically--about the age she lived and worked in.
Having said that, since I'm not pursuing any of those objects, the book was of limited interest to me. In fact, I only made it through the two Essay and Review sections (about half the book), and skimmed after that. I though maybe her recollections on her own writing might still spark some interest, but I think I was simply too worn down by that time to continue. Wharton's style is demanding, and if there isn't something there to pique your interest, it might end up seeming like a slog. For context, I recently read one of Wharton's contemporaries--Dreiser's Sister Carrie--and I would rate them very similar in manner. Since many of the subject Wharton treats here are of little interest to me, I was never really able to absorb myself in her reviews.
Several years ago, I read The House of Mirth, and thinking about it now, I can barely remember any of it, other than it had to do with people pursuing money. It may be that Wharton is just not a writer for me, or it may be that I'm not ready for her yet. She makes too many 'all-time' best-of lists to be ignored, so I'm sure I'll revisit her again--at least her fiction. Unfortunately, I found her occasional writing to be ponderous and verging on snobbish.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews