The House of Mirth cover art

The House of Mirth

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The House of Mirth

By: Edith Wharton
Narrated by: Emma Messenger
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About this listen

In 1905 New York City, Lily Bart is a young, witty and beautiful socialite. Through a series of unfortunate events, she learns of the bitter consequences for a single woman without wealth, living in an uncaring society.

Public Domain (P)2013 Trout Lake Media Classics Witty

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All stars
Most relevant  
It's a well written book, well presented, but not my style. Despite the fact it kept making me think of the vapidity of Paris Hilton and countless Kardashians, I still made it half way through. That is quite some endorsement.

Not my style

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If you could sum up The House of Mirth in three words, what would they be?

Frustrating female character

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It annoyed me because the main character was just so principled to her own detriment. I didn't have much sympathy for her in the end but that doesn't take away from the quality of the writing, it only shows how good it was to elicit such strong feelings from me!

Any additional comments?

Would like to watch the TV adaption

Worth a read

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The performance is adequately pleasant for listening and the story is one which infuses romance and social commentary in a fabulous way.

Emotional and thought provoking

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This novel of social commentary, highlights the unjust treatment of single women in New York high Society at the end of the nineteenth century. I imagine it was controversial when published but time has tamed its criticism.

Beautiful Lily Bart has many family connections and an aristocratic upbringing but is forced to depend on the small allowance of an elderly aunt. Lily's extravagant friends and life style mean she soon finds herself unable to keep up financially and so she must consider marrying for money to maintain the lifestyle she is accustom to. However, she faces the all too familiar issue of marrying for love over money. Could she be happy in poverty with the man she loves? This novel explores the options facing many young women from this period.

I found the narrator of this book quite annoying. Very breathy at times and putting on many hammed up voices. I would rather have read it myself and I think I would have connected with the characters more had they not been so frustratingly portrayed.

Ahead of its Time

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This a a story of unutterable tragedy, the adamantine chains of a deeply conservative Society and the waste of a young woman’s life. Brought up to believe luxury and wealth were the only desirable goals in life - mirrored so accurately in the modern world of reality TV stars like The Kardashians - Lily Bart has unfortunately for her peace of mind also got a conscience - and honour. Torn between these warring imperatives and let down by the cowardly men in her life Lily drifts inexorably towards the terrible climax of her rootless existence.

Wharton writes extensively and brilliantly about a narrow band of Old New York Society and in doing so shows the cruelty of bringing up girls to be ignorant, sheltered and purely decorative objects to be bought and sold by the men who run that Society. Her writing is superb, especially here.

The narrator is both good and bad. The voice of the narrator and characterisations are perfectly suited to the subject - her portrayal of Lily is excellent - but she reads at breakneck speed and the editing of the narration is very poor. This is a great shame because it spoils what could have been a truly excellent presentation.

Brilliant but flawed

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struggled as main character didn't seem to think like a person just like a scripted character

frustrating read/listening.

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