The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

Again, this is an author that I should have read before but have not. This is a wonderful book, surprisingly entertaining and quite tragic. It's really a study in social mores of a particular group of New York society in the 1880's or 1890's. The story revolves around a beautiful, from a "good background", but impoverished young woman named Lily Bart. She was raised in luxury and with a sense of entitlement until her father lost his money and subsequently died. She and her mother gradually decline in society until the mother dies too and Lily is taken in by her father's sister who is well off but lives in an extremely proper and parsimonious way. In other words, a very dull place for Lily Bart. To offset this drab home, Lily spends the bulk of her time as a guest in the homes of the wealthy people she recognizes as her social set. She has all the trappings of wealth but is totally dependent on others for her lifestyle. She has a bit of money of her own but she is accustomed to luxury. We come into the story when Lily is 29, she should have been married to a wealthy man long ago but for some reason she has remained single. She is friends with a pair of cousins, Lawrence Selden, a lawyer who is comfortable but far from wealthy, and Gerty Farish, a poor and plain young woman who has reconciled herself to her situation. Lily dreads ever having to "cope" like Gerty Farish does with her "good works" and her penurious existence. Lawrence Selden is an important character. He represents the one who can both move in Lily's world and yet is not truly of that world. He is critical of the shallowness, selfishness, and ignorance of that world yet he can still admire the beauty and comfort that great wealth can obtain. He both loves Lily and is a little repelled by how she lives her life. When she is with Selden, Lily can see the problems with her so-called friends and the empty pleasure-seeking lives they lead. But then, she is addicted to luxury and remains confident that she can snag a rich man. She has some opportunities, but Lily always manages to defeat her own purpose. She comes to blame Selden for making it difficult for her to prostitute herself and yet she loves him for it at the same time. Lily experiences a painful act of betrayal which has devestating consequences for her social standing and at the same time her aunt dies leaving her a relatively small amount of money instead of the bulk of the estate as she had been lead to believe. The is really the beginning of the end for Lily Bart. She sinks lower and lower in the social orders, frequenting groups and places she never would have before and realizes she has been foolish. Gerty Farish remains her friend throughout this time and Selden too but with mixed emotions. As the reader, I want Lily to marry Selden and stabilize her life because they truly care for each other but I know they're both trapped in their social roles and have not the courage to break out of them. Ultimately, Lily is destroyed and Selden is left knowing he failed her. The character of Lily Bart is complex and frustrating. I felt sympathetic towards her and at the same time annoyed. Of course, this story takes place in a particular time period and a 21st century reader must accept that. Highly recommended!