From the Bookshelf of The Roundtable…

The Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton

Start date: April 1, 2015

Finish date: April 30, 2015

Discussion: Side Reads - Fiction

Discussion leader: Lori

Why we're reading this: Side read in April
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Side Reads - Fiction

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What Members Thought

May 16, 2008 Sera rated it it was amazing

Shelves: literary-fiction, favorites, 1001-books, own, classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I forgot how much I love to read Edith Wharton. She can capture the mood of a specific point in time perfectly through both the actions and thoughts of the characters and the setting. I felt so much emotion as I read the book, because I felt the feelings of the primary players in the story. May's innocence, but underlying determination to keep her man. Archer's boredom with NY high society, and Ellen's quest for peace and freedom to be herself without fear of reprisal or rejection.

I found the st ...more

15 likes · Like · see review

May 30, 2013 Heather(Gibby) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1001-to-read, august-15-challenge

My first Edith Wharton, and I enjoyed it tremendously.
The novel's commentary on upper class New York in the late 19th century is done extremely well. The expectations of society have an overwhelming influence on the main character Archer, much more so than his own feelings and desires. However, his wife is quite aware of what is going on, and May uses those social conventions to gently manoeuver and manipulate him into doing what is expected of him. The character of Ellen is a strong willed wom ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 08, 2015 Irene rated it really liked it

I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of humor and social commentary, of respect for an old social order and openness to evolving norms, the historical setting and the lovely writing in this classic novel.

3 likes · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2013 Lauren rated it it was amazing

Newland Archer is an upper-crust New Yorker at the turn of the century. Except for his inherited wealth, he is an utterly unremarkable man. He has a "career" as a lawyer that doesn't take too much effort. He has an affair with a married woman, and then settles down to a long engagement with May Welland, who he regards as lovely and proper and ready to devote her life to him. He thinks she is a blank slate, and he looks forward to reading her poetry and teaching her stuff. (view spoiler) ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 31, 2015 Christopher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, american, fiction, pulitzer-prize

I've been trying to write a review for awhile now, but the words aren't flowing too well on this brisk Monday morning. It's well written with lifelike characters and an engaging plot and it probably deserves the five star treatment, but I can already tell that I'm not going to be thinking about this book for more than a few days, so it loses a star. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 23, 2008 Elise rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, women, read-in-2016, 1920s, historical

Is it truly cowardice to choose the inertia of fantasy over action when any relationship will erode to "dull duty" in the long run? ...more

1 like · Like · see review

May 28, 2013 Wendy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, blooms-western-canon, audiobooks, 1001-books, pulitzer

Hmmm...virtually all my GR friends who have read this gave this book 4 or 5 stars, so I feel like I'm somehow at fault for not appreciating this one more. Maybe I should have read the book instead of listening to the audio version (the narrator Lorna Raver was brilliant, though). Did I miss a huge twist? Are my tastes immature enough that I can't fully appreciate quiet books about the idle rich? Because I really did enjoy Wharton's Ethan Frome, and I'm trying to figure out why this one seemed to Hmmm...virtually all my GR friends who have read this gave this book 4 or 5 stars, so I feel like I'm somehow at fault for not appreciating this one more. Maybe I should have read the book instead of listening to the audio version (the narrator Lorna Raver was brilliant, though). Did I miss a huge twist? Are my tastes immature enough that I can't fully appreciate quiet books about the idle rich? Because I really did enjoy Wharton's Ethan Frome, and I'm trying to figure out why this one seemed to just whiz right over my head. One big difference between Ethan and Innocence (I believe, anyway) are the stakes. In Ethan, the characters are poor, they are isolated, they are trapped by more than just social tradition, and they have very few choices. The consequences are absolutely ruinous. in Innocence, the characters are like mimes in invisible boxes, acting trapped when really, they can walk through their invisible wall at any time. Archer wants to discourage Ellen's divorce? He wants to shorten his own engagement? May knows Archer isn't "into" her and wants to keep the long engagement, but then suddenly decides to ask her parents for permission to cut it down to a month anyway? Why? If these are the decisions the characters insist on making (and it seemed to me that the changing of the engagement was ruffling feathers and going against tradition, so I don't get why these people are so terrified of feather-ruffling at other times) I can't really feel bad for them when they don't get what they want. Or, at least, don't get what they think they want. It seemed to me that they all (view spoiler) That's just how life is for any of us--*correction, the luckier of us.

I'm not trying to say that I didn't like the book, because I did, but it didn't really move me beyond mild frustration with the characters, mostly Newland Archer. Wharton's writing was lovely as usual, her descriptions evocative, and I still caught of whiff of the haunting ending, though my reaction was more like "yeah, I know, that's how it is." Perhaps I'll read this again in a few decades to see if a little aging will do me some good and give me more insight into what I've missed--because I sure as hell must be missing something. ...more

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Sep 16, 2007 Meghan rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, classics, modern-classics, dmbc

I really enjoyed this second reading of this story. I took my time when reading it and was able to really get into the nuances of Wharton's descriptions. If you love old New York City, this is an intimate look of how the "other-half" lives. It is also a walk through time through the historical landmarks and architecture of old New York.

Newland Archer, for me, is no longer a sad sack who can't decide which woman he wants. He has become a symbol of what happens when you're torn between doing what ...more

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Jan 28, 2015 Dawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

I really liked this book, personally I found it much better than The House of Mirth.

I thought the most interesting character in the book was May. She starts out as such a innocent, or so it seems, but as the story progresses you realize that she knows exactly what's going on and uses social convention of the time to get her way. Manipulative but in a sweet way, kind of.
She reminded me of the quintessential southern lady who knows how to insult people and herd people all without losing the smile ...more

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