Edith Wharton

Set among the elegant brownstones of New York City and the opulent country houses like gracious Bellomont on the Hudson, the novel creates a satiric portrayal of what Wharton herself called "a society of irresponsible pleasure-seekers" with a precision comparable to that of Proust. Her brilliant and complex characterization of the doomed Lily Bart, whose stunning beauty and dependence on marriage for economic survival reduce her to a decorative object, becomes an incisive commentary on the nature and status of women in that society.

Describing the acerbic life of a lonely New England village through a the eyes of a snowbound visitor, readers will glimpse the history and mystery of the surrounding landscape. Piecing together the story of Ethan From, his wife, and his wife's cousin, Wharton explores the psychological dead-lock of frustration, longing, resentment, and passion. 117 pages, softcover.

Set against the backdrop of upper-class New York society during the 1870s, Edith Wharton's powerful prose, combined with a thoroughly researched evocation of the manners and style of the period, created a classic novel that's been honored by the Pulitzer Prize. 234 pages, softcover.