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A black comedy of manners about vast wealth and a woman who can define herself only through the perceptions of others. The beautiful Lily Bart lives among the nouveaux riches of New York City - people whose millions were made in railroads, shipping, land speculation and banking... Read Full Overview

In The House of Mirth , Edith Wharton depicts the glittering salons of Gilded Age New York with precision and wit, even as she movingly portrays the obstacles that impeded women's choices at the turn of the century. The beautiful, much-desired Lily Bart has been raised to be... Read Full Overview

This Norton Critical Edition includes:

- The 1905 book edition of the novel, complete with A. B. Wenzell's eight original illustrations.
- A preface and explanatory footnotes by Elizabeth Ammons.
- An abundant selection of contextual material, including... Read Full Overview

Since its publication in 1905 The House of Mirth has commanded attention for the sharpness of Wharton's observations and the power of her style. A lucid, disturbing analysis of the stifling limitations imposed upon women of her generation, Wharton's tale of Lily Bart's search... Read Full Overview

Selden paused in surprise. In the afternoon rush of the Grand Central Station his eyes had been refreshed by the sight of Miss Lily Bart.It was a Monday in early September, and he was returning to his work from a hurried dip into the country; but what was Miss Bart doing in town... Read Full Overview

In The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton gives us a witty and piercingly insightful dark satire about the privileged society of early twentieth-century New York.

Part of the Macmillan Collector's Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics... Read Full Overview

Pulitzer Prize-winning American author Edith Wharton used her inside knowledge of upper class New York life in the early part of the 20th century as the basis for her 1905 novel, "The House of Mirth". The novel is the classic and tragic portrayal of Lily Bart, an intelligent... Read Full Overview

The House of Mirth tells the story of Lily Bart, aged 29, beautiful, impoverished and in need of a rich husband to safeguard her place in the social elite, and to support her expensive habits - her clothes, her charities and her gambling. Unwilling to marry without both love... Read Full Overview

The text has been introduced and thoroughly annotated by the editor for student readers. Backgrounds and Contexts includes selections from Edith Wharton's letters; articles from the period about etiquette, vocations for women, factory life, and Working Girls' Clubs; excerpts... Read Full Overview