The Age of Innocence Audiobook

" "There was no use in trying to emancipate a wife who had not the dimmest notion that she was not free; and he had long ago since discovered that May's only use of the liberty she supposed herself to possess would be to lay it down on the alter of her wifely adoration." "

" For me it was kinda like an American version of Anna Karenina but the characters responded differently to their sexual urges. It is like the alternate plot for what could have happened if Kitty married Vronsky but he stayed in love with Anna. I really enjoyed this book!! "

" Complete mastery. I've read this book several times, and recently, feeling the need to read a perfect novel, I picked it up again. Everything about it is perfect: the characters, the intricacy of the plot, the style, the insights. This time, I was so distraught at the ending, just devastated -- perhaps the older you get, the more Wharton destroys you. "

" Lots of great quotes in this one! "

" I enjoyed the look at life and values. "

" Henry James Jr.s' friend, and author up to her eyebrows in family psychological problems, this author spins a good tale. I wish I'd been told when younger that there is no fiction, just personal narrative for which the people involved are not identified. The descriptions of places and people's emotions which you find in this book are skilled. There are a lot of memorable quotes, like, "The worst of doing one's duty was that it apparently unfitted one for doing anything else." If you have the time and inclination, you won't be wasting the time reading this book. "

" I really enjoyed this one. Not a fast read, but interesting. It's a must-read just because it's become a part of the canon. "

" I'm sure I would have liked this book even more with a book club. It is an age old story in a specific setting, however I do believe that May was the smartest of them all! "

" Ahh...unrequited love. Sad look at marriage and longing in the Victorian days. Did Archer do the right thing by staying and living his "real" life, or would his life have been more passionately lived otherwise? The romantic in me chooses the latter. Hated the end. "

" Man, did that pick up at the end. It jumped up 2 stars in the last 20 or 30 pages. Was it just me or did anyone else think (at the Archer's dinner) of the ending of The Godfather? "

" Possibly my favorite book to read this last quarter, insane detail. Newland's a bit of a pansy. "

" New York society in the late 1800's.... Downton Abbey lifestyle without the titles. "

" Loved it! I love the mix of old-fashioned paired with sentiments that still ring so true in today's world. Who hasn't felt hemmed in by their choices or other people's expectations of you? A delightful read and a perfect example of why some books are "classics." "

" Bonus points for identifying the character based on Teddy Roosevelt, with whom Wharton was acquainted. "

" Well, this is one classic I could have done without...prolonged torture from beginning to end, much like the rigid and monotonous conventions of the society Wharton depicts in this novel...1 star for how much I actually liked it/enjoyed it, but 3 stars for exceptional writing and language. "

" A startlingly, devastatingly good book. "

" I didn't like this nearly as much as "The House of Mirth," but it was good. A bit slow getting started, but I really liked it by the end. I'm just going to say it, I couldn't stand May, even though I should feel sorry for her. She was manipulative and just vapid. But anyway, good book. "

" Less dramatic than House of Mirth but possibly more powerful. I enjoyed this. "

" I really enjoyed this one. I would hate to live in a society where so much is unspoken but it was an entertaining read. "

" Hard to leave this book. I will always wonder why Newland walked away from Ellen at the end. "

" I have read this book before and enjoyed it very much "

" Equal parts love and pain. Exquisite. The best of the best. "

" Just one of my all time favorite books. The social pressures and the outcomes that result are timeless. "

" My grand daughter read this book in her high school class last year. I realized that I had never read it. As I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, I wondered at girls of today trying to understand the constraints of society way back when. "

" Well-written story, but not my favorite story line. I don't usually enjoy stories all about social status and married people who long to be with someone who is not their spouse (well, with the one exception of Gone with the Wind!). "

" I didn't care for the twisted love story. "

" This book is an old favorite. I reread it every so often, and never get bored of it. I love Edith Wharton's subtle, skillful way of telling a story, and pulling the reader into its world. I love that I am still in suspense, even knowing exactly how it will end. "

" Great look at NY society and manners at the start of the 20th century. The relationship between Newland Archer and Countess Ellen Olenska is a bit frustrating. All propriety is maintained in the end! "

" This made a great discussion for bookclub. I admit that the first half was slow reading for me, but the second half picked up and I was anxious to see how events played out. "

" One of my absolutely favorite books. Just perfect. "

" I'm glad I took the time to read The Age of Innocence. I did not expect the ending (which is good!). If you're going to pick up a Wharton novel, I'd start with Ethan Frome or The Bunner Sisters before reading The Age of Innocence. "