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Jennifer Silva Redmond's avatar

The Age of Innocence is a favorite of mine, for all the reasons already listed, and I adore her writing, especially her ability to fully immerse you in a world.

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Jeremy Anderberg's avatar

Yeah I definitely felt immersed in the opulence of that world. For me, it was mostly a style problem. Just didn't match what I tend to like. Different strokes for different folks!

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Laura McLaws Helms's avatar

Have you read ‘The House of Mirth’? I am a huge Wharton fan and I believe that one to be, by far, her best.

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Jeremy Anderberg's avatar

I have not! Happy to give it a try though sometime in the near future.

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Maggie O'Connor's avatar

The House of Mirth is one of my all-time most favorite books EVER.

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Kate Lillie's avatar

I’m in the middle of reading Age Of Innocence at the moment - Haley Larson is doing a close reading of it over on her Substack Closely Reading and the insights have added so much to it. I’m curious to see how it plays out. On the topic of First Ladies, have you read American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld? It’s a fictionalised version of Laura Bush’ story and a brilliant novel.

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Jeremy Anderberg's avatar

I've not read any Sittenfeld, thanks for the tip!

And I have Haley's substack on my radar, but haven't jumped in. Maybe I'll do that at some point.

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Ted's avatar

I fully agree on the Wharton book’s unsettling aspect. The image of Newland moping about outside Ellen’s place still sticks with me. (I must admit that I didn’t pick the book up for the right reason. I had a period when I thought I should read a few things I’d snoozed through when I was a lad.)

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Jeremy Anderberg's avatar

Oof, yeah I didn't know what to make of any of the characters my final mental analysis. It was a little bit baffling.

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Melissa Joulwan's avatar

I read The Age of Innocence for the first time a few months ago and had a mixed reaction. I loved the beginning very much. I hadn't expected it to be funny, and I laughed out loud (more like snorted) a few times at the skewering of society. I struggled through the middle, and the ending made me actively angry. There were also a few times when I thought Archer was very cruel; did not love that guy. I'm glad I read it just to have that hole in my literary education filled. I can't imagine reading it again.

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Jeremy Anderberg's avatar

Yeah, like I said just above in response to Ted, I didn't really know what to make of any of the characters by the end. Just felt sort of empty — which was maybe the point? I don't know.

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Melissa Joulwan's avatar

Yeah, I think it may be the point. And I didn't care for it ;-)

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Ted's avatar

I’m curious. Why angry?

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Melissa Joulwan's avatar

I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it yet, so I'll be vague and say that I wished Archer had taken a different action in Paris.

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