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Age of Innocence
by Edith Wharton
- Used
- Good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Good
- ISBN 10
- 1853262102
- ISBN 13
- 9781853262104
- Seller
-
Missoula, Montana, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
With vivid power, Wharton evokes a time of gaslit streets, formal dances held in the ballrooms of stately brownstones, and society people "who dreaded scandal more than disease." This is Newland Archer's world as he prepares to marry the docile May Welland. Then, suddenly, the mysterious, intensely nonconformist Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a long absence, turning Archer's world upside down.
Synopsis
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s, during the so-called Gilded Age. The novel, which takes its title from artist Joshua Reynolds’ 1785 painting of a little girl, focuses on impending marriage of an upper-class couple: Newland Archer, a distinguished lawyer, and the shy, but lovely May Welland. Enter the bride's cousin, Ellen Olenska, plagued by a scandalous separation from her European husband, a Polish count. The presence of Ellen, a classic femme fatale, threatens the happiness of Newland and May. However, May’s determination must not be undermined as she proceeds to use everything in her power to ensure her marriage to Newland. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of the Gilded Age, it never explicitly condemns the era. …And perhaps it should have. The Age of Innocence won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize; however, upon being awarded the honor, the novel was praised as “best present[ing] the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood.” Many claimed that even Wharton was taken aback when reviewers failed to see the irony of the title and her social criticism of 1870s New York society. Of the many film, television, and theatrical adaptations of The Age of Innocence, perhaps most notable is the 1993 film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, and Winona Ryder as May Welland Archer. The film won an Oscar for costume design and Ryder was not only nominated for an Oscar, but won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of May Welland Archer. The Age of Innocence is ranked 58th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 45th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels.
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Details
- Seller
- The Vespiary Book Restoration & Bindery
(US)
- Seller's Inventory #
- SQ5597903
- Title
- Age of Innocence
- Author
- Edith Wharton
- Format/Binding
- Ex-library
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 1853262102
- ISBN 13
- 9781853262104
- Publisher
- Wordsworth Editions Ltd
- Place of Publication
- San Diego, California, U.s.a.
- Date Published
- August 5, 1997
- Bookseller catalogs
- Literature;
Terms of Sale
The Vespiary Book Restoration & Bindery
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
The Vespiary Book Restoration & Bindery
Biblio member since 2020
Missoula, Montana
About The Vespiary Book Restoration & Bindery
The Vespiary Book Restoration & Bindery has been operating since 2008 providing a wide range of book repair, conservation, and binding services. Her used book selection is eclectic, but discerning. If you have books you'd like to trade, The Vespiary offers credit for merchandise and services in exchange for books.
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