âThe House of Mirthâ was the breakthrough novel for Edith Wharton and its immediate commercial and critical success put her on the American literary map.
Based on Whartonâs own experiences among the elite of the New York City social set in the late 1890âs, âThe House of Mirthâ is both a fascinating glimpse into the upper-reaches of high society and a searing satire of the cruelties, frivolities and hypocrisy of the cityâs ultra-rich. The story follows the romantic entanglements of twenty-nine year old Lily Bart, a beautiful socialite who has fallen on hard financial times and must secure a rich husband before the clock runs out and she is forever branded a spinster.
An immediate success when it was first serialized and published in 1905, âThe House of Mirthâ launched Whartonâs extraordinary career and remains an American literary classic to this day. It is presented here in its original and unabridged format.
