I originally picked up this novel hoping to be swept away by the refined, antiquated language of Edith Wharton and the 1920s New York setting. I was NOT disappointed. The Club Box at the New York Opera, The Beaufort's ballroom, high-society dinner parties, archery competitions, Skuytercliff, fifth avenue, UGH. It was wonderful. But the contrast between the antiquated morality displayed by the characters in this novel and the morals we accept in modern society was striking, which really spoke to me. Although as a female, I love living in this day and age because of all the opportunities and freedoms that exist for me that didn't in Edith Wharton's time, I can't say I don't have a respect for the values that we've lost since then. 
13 May 2011
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
I originally picked up this novel hoping to be swept away by the refined, antiquated language of Edith Wharton and the 1920s New York setting. I was NOT disappointed. The Club Box at the New York Opera, The Beaufort's ballroom, high-society dinner parties, archery competitions, Skuytercliff, fifth avenue, UGH. It was wonderful. But the contrast between the antiquated morality displayed by the characters in this novel and the morals we accept in modern society was striking, which really spoke to me. Although as a female, I love living in this day and age because of all the opportunities and freedoms that exist for me that didn't in Edith Wharton's time, I can't say I don't have a respect for the values that we've lost since then. 
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