The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
Set in the backdrop of New York's high society during the turn of the 20th century, the novel follows the life of Lily Bart, a beautiful but impoverished woman of social standing. As she navigates the pressures and expectations of her social circle, Lily grapples with the need to secure a wealthy husband to maintain her lifestyle. However, her romantic inclinations and her desire for personal freedom come into conflict with societal norms, leading to her tragic downfall.
The 217th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 1434
This book was first published in 1905
32 Lists
- score: 190 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 150 -- 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2020 (Weight: 142)
- score: 148 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 127 -- The Great Books Podcast from John J. Miller - 2025 (Weight: 120)
- score: 121 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 100)
- score: 105 -- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature - 2021 (Weight: 105)
- score: 100 -- Ezra Klein Show's Most Recommended Books - 2024 (Weight: 100)
- score: 90 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 89)
- score: 79 -- The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels - 1999 (Weight: 79)
- score: 63 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) - 2026 (Weight: 60)
- score: 63 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 53 -- 500 Great Books by Women - 1994 (Weight: 50)
- score: 31 -- Siri Hustvedt's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 30)
- score: 31 -- The New Lifetime Reading Plan - 1999 (Weight: 30)
- score: 30 -- In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels - 2011 (Weight: 30)
- score: 10 -- Jennifer Egan's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- Nancy Pearl's 100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade - 2009 (Weight: 10)
- score: 10 -- The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read - 2009 (Weight: 10)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Well-Educated Mind - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read - 2008 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 501 Must-Read Books - 2006 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers - 2002 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years - 2005 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Complete 500: OCLC - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction - 1999 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 - 2014 (Weight: 1)