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 207th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1905
- Nationality
- American
- Length
- Moderate
- Pages
- 350-400
- Words
- 140,391
- Original Language
- English
- Alternate Titles
-
- La Casa De La Alegría
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following 27 lists:
- 5th on As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- 40th on The Telegraph’s 100 Novels Everyone Should Read (Telegraph)
- 58th on Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century (themodernnovel.com)
- 65th on 20th Century's Greatest Hits: 100 English-Language Books of Fiction (Larry McCaffery)
- 69th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 80th on In Which These Are the 100 Greatest Novels (ThisRecording.com)
- 198th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 628th on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- 100 Books You Must Read Before You Die (BBC Radio Oxford)
- 125 Books We Love for Adults (NY Public Library)
- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (The Center for Fiction)
- 500 Great Books by Women (Book)
- 75 Books Every Woman Should Read (Jezebel)
- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Pop Sugar)
- A Century of Reading (Lithub)
- Ezra Klein Show's Most Recommended Books (Ezra Klein Show)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Nancy Pearl's 100 Good Reads, Decade by Decade (Book Lust (Book))
- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 (The American Scholar)
- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- The Booklist Century: 100 Books, 100 Years (BookList)
- The College Board: 101 Great Books Recommended for College-Bound Readers (The College Board, an American not-for-profit organization)
- The Great Books Podcast from John J. Miller (The National Review )
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- The Well-Educated Mind (Book)