The House of Mirth in Never too Late to Read Classics

Feb 20, 2015 Sara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: classics

Wonderful!

Lily Bart is the most genuine character that I have had the pleasure of encountering in a long, long time. She is a product of her world and imprisoned by it. When I started the novel, I had flashbacks to Anna Karenina. Society lures these women into their situations and then condemns them for their inability to survive the gauntlet they are set.

Wharton obviously intimately understands the “old money” society of New York city and all the nuances that exist between those who are securel Wonderful!

Lily Bart is the most genuine character that I have had the pleasure of encountering in a long, long time. She is a product of her world and imprisoned by it. When I started the novel, I had flashbacks to Anna Karenina. Society lures these women into their situations and then condemns them for their inability to survive the gauntlet they are set.

Wharton obviously intimately understands the “old money” society of New York city and all the nuances that exist between those who are securely engrained in the upper echelon and those who are just trying to either remain there or climb to those heights. One cannot help wonder why anyone would want to be a part of such a narrow-minded, snobbish set; but at the same time one understands that having tasted that world a girl would have little idea of how to survive outside it. The dichotomy between what is true and the appearances that are merely kept at the surface make up the substance of the world that Lily must hang on to or perish.

In the midst of all this disingenuousness, Lily tries to keep a hold on her moral compass. While she is expected to marry for money, she can barely make herself fulfill that odious requirement. She has genuine feelings for Seldon and knows he has the same for her, but she is unable to put aside her need for wealth and accept his offered love. She is really and truly trapped by her station in society and therefore at the mercy of catty, unethical, frightened and jealous women, wealthy men who think they should be able to purchase any woman with their wealth, and uncaring relatives who are judgmental and capricious. Only two persons of her acquaintance actually make an effort to know who Lily IS, the rest just see who Lily ought to be or appears to be.

This is a sad and cynical story, but it reads with truth. Lily is a complicated character...not perfect, not saintly, but certainly mistreated and victimized. I loved that Lily accepted her own role in her fall and that, even in her desperation, refused to sink into the immorality of blackmail or trading her body for money. I very much wanted this tale to end differently, while at the same time knowing that it was unlikely Lily could regain her position without compromising her soul.

I remember reading Ethan Frome when I was much younger and not being overly impressed with it. I recently read a book of Wharton’s short stories and felt quite the opposite about them. This novel is remarkable and ranks high on my list of must-read classics. I will certainly read The Age of Innocence now and I am sure I need to revisit Frome, I obviously missed something essential the first time around. ...more

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Jan 27, 2024 midnightfaerie rated it really liked it

Shelves: literature, classics

I'm not sure much can be said about this that hasn't already. A woman of age, Lily Bart is almost 30 and still not married. The words of her mother's rants constantly an entourage in the back of her head, she knows that being poor is not the way to go. But being beautiful and popular in New York's society makes her feel like we all did when we were 17, that we had plenty of time to accomplish our goals.

Unfortunately, this is Lily's downfall, and she keeps putting off offers of marriage and lik I'm not sure much can be said about this that hasn't already. A woman of age, Lily Bart is almost 30 and still not married. The words of her mother's rants constantly an entourage in the back of her head, she knows that being poor is not the way to go. But being beautiful and popular in New York's society makes her feel like we all did when we were 17, that we had plenty of time to accomplish our goals.

Unfortunately, this is Lily's downfall, and she keeps putting off offers of marriage and likely prospects to spend time with the man she really loves, Lawrence Seldon, a charming man, who sees Lily for who she really is, and loves her completely. But he, too, understands society during this day and age and knows it's important for her to make a "suitable match".

This story has so many fun characters. Characters with their own motives and such depth. The cunning hijinks displayed by some can only be seen as devious and intelligent both, as the soap opera of lives of high society hang constantly in the balance. There are such a myriad of characters too, from the woman who uses Lily to try and have an affair, to the man who "helps with her money", thinking she's loose and he might get some special favors from her.

Poor Lily is constantly backed into a corner because of the rules and because of her actions, which although are mostly her fault, can only be seen as trying to follow her heart in the best of circumstances. The House of Mirth is thought provoking and does an impressive job and showing what life was like towards the end of the 19th century of those born into money, and those trying to keep it. I would have liked to have seen a happier ending for Lily, as I'm a sucker for those, and that's why this doesn't get a 5 rating. I understand why Wharton felt she had to end it this way, I just didn't enjoy it as much because of it. I still would have seen and understand what she was trying to show, but perhaps the book wouldn't have gotten as popular as it did. In any case, nicely done and highly recommended. ...more

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Nov 14, 2024 Shirley (stampartiste) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: challenge-bingo-2024, to-read-in-2024, published-1900-1999, read-classics, setting-france-riviera

To many of us alive today, only a century or so separates us from Lily Bart, the heroine of The House of Mirth. The restrictions by which women such as Lily were bound during New York’s Gilded Age are almost unimaginable today to American women. Feeling frustrated at times with Lily’s self-sabotaging, I had to keep reminding myself that Lily was trying to be true to herself in a society that would only allow her to be true to it.

When we meet the beautiful, self-assured Lily, she is 29 years old ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Sarah rated it did not like it

This was supposed to be this weeks car book. I know that Wharton was trying to show how horrible life was for society women. I hated it. I couldn't stand Lily, nor any of her friends. I quit a little more than halfway through because I could not take any more manufactured drama by these spoiled rich folks.

Ok its nearly two years since I listened to the audio. (its now July 2018) I took the paper book to the cottage and started it today. It felt familiar, but I was enjoying it, so I kept reading. ...more

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