Edith Wharton's Prisoners of Shame: A New Perspective on Her Neglected Fiction

by Lev Raphael

This study draws on recent discoveries in the psychology of emotion, most notably Dr Silvan Tomkins' affect theory, in an attempt to examine Wharton's fiction from a fresh angle.

351 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1991

About the author

I've wanted to be an author since I was in second grade and fell in love with "The Three Musketeers", which I read to pieces. It hasn't been a swashbuckling life exactly, but one full of surprises, including recently selling my literary papers to Michigan State University's Libraries.

Since second grade, I've loved all sorts of books and have ended up writing nineteen books in many genres: memoir, mystery, short story collections, a children's book, and more. I've been an academic, a radio DJ, had my own talk show, and currently have three terrific giugs.

I write a monthly column for Bibliobuffet.com called Book Brunch. I blog at Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lev-rap...). And I do a monthly "Under the Radar" book review for WKAR 90.5 FM in East Lansing, MI. I'm always on the lookout for beautifully written books in any genre, but I more and more favor books from smaller presses, because they need more exposure.

I love reading my work and have done hundreds of readings on three different continents. Readings are performances, and I practice, practice, practice.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raphael's thesis is that Wharton's characters carry a sense of shame...and he rambles on and on about it for all of her major novels. I did not find this very helpful, given most of his argument is self-explanatory and the fact that he does not bring in very much theory. All he has to say is "Newland Archer is ashamed"; "Lily Bart feels shame". There is way too much plot summary and not enough analysis. I understand that the characters feel shame, but give me something more. What's so important about the shame?