I finished my first book for the
Back to the Classics reading challenge - a book by
an author new to me. Edith Wharton’s book
House
of Mirth is about Lily Bart, a late-nineteenth century socialite brought up
during the Gilded Age to believe that the only things that are important in
life are beauty, fun, and money. Lily
has the first two qualities in spades, but falls far short of the third, leaving
her with the time-honored solution of “marrying for money.” This unfortunately becomes her downfall as
she can’t quite commit to any of the men who cross her path, because while
rich, they also strike her as boring, unsavory, unscrupulous, or henpecked. The one man she seems to consider a true
friend and her intellectual equal, Lawrence Selden, while not exactly
poverty-stricken, does not have the bank balance to support the lifestyle Lily
feels she must have.
Like many people, I was hoping for this book to conclude
with a happy ending, but it doesn't. It was an interesting book and made me reflect
a bit on the “nature vs nurture” syndrome – how much does your upbringing
really determine your path in later life? Having been a high school teacher for
many years, I tend to think there comes a time when you have to stop blaming
your parents for the mistakes you make as an adult. Since this was my first book in the
Back to the Classics reading challenge, it took me a while to get into the
rhythm of such formal prose. I don’t think I've read a classic since high
school. But I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 and will probably read another
book by Edith Wharton at some future date.
