Edith Wharton

by Harold Bloom (Editor)

Edith Wharton is recognized for her complex yet controlled handling of character and situation in her writing. The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, and Ethan Frome are among her novels that are examined here, along with an examination of Wharton as a writer of short stories. This title, Edith Wharton, part of Chelsea House Publishers’ Modern Critical Views series, examines the major works of Edith Wharton through full-length critical essays by expert literary critics. In addition, this title features a short biography on Edith Wharton, a chronology of the author’s life, and an introductory essay written by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1986

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Tatiana]

"Fairy-Tale Love and The Reef" by Elizabeth Ammons - a great interpretation of The Reef. Anne Leath a Sleeping Beauty expecting to be emotionally/sexually awakened by her Prince Charming (George Darrow).

The fairy-tale fantasy of deliverance by a man appears to be but is not a dream for women. It is a glorification of the status quo: a culturally perpetuated myth of female liberation which in reality celebrates masculine dominance, proprietorship, and privilege. Well said.

[Laura]

Some of these essays are helpful, but for the most part this book is way too outdated to use right now. And I HATE how Bloom claims Wharton is just "Jamesian." Apparently he's unaware of the differences between the two writers.

[Marybeth]

I loved the movie but resisted reading the book. What a loss it would have been to miss this beautiful story as it was best told, in words. I will go on with pleasure to read more Edith Wharton.