The Age of Innocence

“Is it—in this world—vulgar to ask for more? To entreat a little wildness, a dark place or two in the soul?“—Katherine Mansfield“There is no woman in American literature as fascinating as the doomed Madame Olenska… . Traditionally, Henry James has always been placed slightly higher up the slope of Parnassus than Edith Wharton. But now that the prejudice against the female writer is on the wane, they look to be exactly what they are: giants, equals, the tutelary and benign gods of our American literature.“—Gore Vidal“Will writers ever recover that peculiar blend of security and alertness which characterizes Mrs. Wharton and her tradition?“—E. M. Forster

Edith Wharton, born into the upper stratum of New York society in 1862, found abundant material for her novels within that world, though it did not foster her artistic growth. Educated by tutors and governesses, she was raised primarily for marriage. Her marriage in 1885 to Edward Wharton proved emotionally disappointing. She experienced the first of several nervous breakdowns in 1894. Despite, or perhaps because of, her marital strain, she began writing fiction, publishing her first story in 1889.

Her initial publication was a guide to interior decorating, followed by numerous novels and story collections. These works were created while the Whartons resided in Newport and New York, traveled through Europe, and established their opulent home, The Mount, in Lenox, Massachusetts. In Europe, she befriended Henry James, who became a close friend, travel companion, and insightful critic of her writing. The House of Mirth (1905) achieved both critical acclaim and bestseller status, as did Ethan Frome (1911).

In 1913, the Whartons divorced, and Edith established permanent residence in France. However, her literary focus remained on America, particularly the affluent New York society of her youth. Her significant satirical novel, The Custom of the Country, was published in 1913, and The Age of Innocence earned her the Pulitzer Prize in 1921.

In her later years, she garnered admiration from a new wave of writers, including Sinclair Lewis and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In total, she authored approximately thirty books, including her autobiography, A Backwards Glance (1934). She passed away at her villa near Paris in 1937.