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The House of Mirth Audiobook
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(3.00) - 32,964 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Set among the elegant brownstones and opulent country houses of turn-of-the-century upper-class New York, Edith Wharton’s first great novel is a precise, satiric portrayal of what the author herself called “a society of irresponsible pleasure-seekers.”
Her brilliantly complex characterization of the doomed Lily Bart, whose stunning beauty and dependence on marriage for economic survival reduce her to a decorative object, is an incisive commentary on the status of women in that society. Lily is all too much a product of the world indicated by the title, a phrase taken from Ecclesiastes: “The heart of fools is in the house of mirth.” From her tragic attraction to bachelor lawyer Lawrence Seldon to her desperate relationship with the social-climbing Rosedale, it is Lily’s very specialness that threatens the fulfillment she seeks in life.
Time after time, Lily fails to make the ultimate move, to abandon the possibility of a greater love and enter into a mercenary union. This masterful novel from one of literature’s greatest voices is a tragedy of money, morality, and missed opportunity.
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"Lily has everything a girl could want in the early 20th century: beauty, friends, and the admiration of men. The only thing that she doesn't have; money and a husband to provide it, is the one thing she can't get. Lily is pretty vapid and selfish most of the time, but when she fumbles and sabotages herself from moving upward. She is a tragic figure. Her clashes with Selden, a working man, separate from society, is especially interesting. A book about how society shapes our desires and crushes us with them."
— Kayla (5 out of 5 stars)
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“The listener is well served in this audiobook by the truly marvelous narration of Anna Fields. She perfectly captures Lily and a largish cast, discriminating among them with such skill that you’ll believe you’re hearing a full-cast recording. Wharton’s book, though dated, is fine, and Fields makes it even finer. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
“Fields’ rendition vivifies the character in such a way that they become lifelong companions in one’s mind.”
— Booklist -
“The performance by Fields is a perfect balance of energy and subtlety, lending and authenticity that is in keeping with Wharton’s vibrant prose style.”
— Kliatt -
“A tragedy of our modern life, in which the relentlessness of what men used to call Fate and esteem, in their ignorance, a power beyond their control, is as vividly set forth as ever it was by Aeschylus or Shakespeare.”
— New York Times -
“Wharton’s characters leap out from the pages and…become very real. You know their hearts, souls and yearnings, and the price they pay for those yearnings.”
— San Francisco Examiner -
“Wharton is mercilessly frank as she chronicles Lily’s fall from grace…where individual tragedies are easily subsumed by the current of other people lives.”
— Guardian (London) -
“Perhaps the finest study of American social life, certainly the strongest and most artistic novel of the year.”
— San Francisco Chronicle, 1905
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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One of Modern Library's 100 Best English-Language Novels of the Twentieth Century
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A New York Public Library Staff Pick of Favorite Books of the Last 125 Years
The House of Mirth Listener Reviews
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" Gorgeous and lush writing, of course. In terms of story, a bit more wheel-spinning than I'd like, but I love the way she witholds--so what is not written is equally important as what is. "
— Caroline, 2/20/2014 -
" This book was just OK for me. The main character reminded me a bit of Miranda from Dragonwyk...hard to believe the choices she made throughout the book. I felt the story would have been better if it were about 100 pages shorter. Not too much mirth in this book. I can honestly say it's hard to believe a love for wealth would be powerful enough to overpower true love... "
— Eomicheli, 1/28/2014 -
" This book just gets more interesting every time I read it. My take on the character of Lily Bart has definitely evolved over the last 10 years. "
— Amber, 1/22/2014 -
" The story of Lily Bart is a story about how a young woman slips through the cracks of society and finds herself on the outside due to the poor choices she makes. There is also an excellent movie with Gillian Anderson as Lily. Edith Wharton is one of my favourite novelists. Wharton was considered a masterful novelist. Even her second novel shows her true talent. She is an inspiration to me as a writer. This was the second time I have read this book. "
— Andrea, 1/16/2014 -
" The novel started off well but then I personally found that it got dull and eventless up until the last few chapters which were fantastic. When you see the final decline of Ms Bart is when I think Wharton truly shines and I hope this continues in the next novels. "
— Maaian, 1/10/2014 -
" i really enjoyed the first half of the book -- i especially enjoyed giggling at lily's self-absorption and arrogance. the second half started to drag on after a while, but i enjoyed it overall. "
— Lauren, 12/24/2013 -
" Loved this book. Older book but holds up so well still. "
— Phyllis, 12/22/2013 -
" I love Judith Wharton. I read this book over 20 years ago and recommend it highly. "
— Valerie, 9/3/2013 -
" Great slice of life of New York high society in the 1900's. "
— Philicia, 8/29/2013 -
" Edith Wharton was ahead of her time, a true talent. "
— Barb, 7/20/2013 -
" Beautifully written but what a depressing read. Unfortunately, there was little redeeming about the protagonist, Lily Bart. I much preferred "Age of Innocence." "
— Kristi, 7/17/2013
About Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton (1862–1937) is the author of the novels The Age of Innocence and Old New York, both of which won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. She was the first woman to receive that honor. In 1929 she was awarded the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Fiction. She was born in New York and is best known for her stories of life among the upper-class society into which she was born. She was educated privately at home and in Europe. In 1894 she began writing fiction, and her novel The House of Mirth established her as a leading writer.
About Anna Fields
Kate Fleming (a.k.a. Anna Fields) (1965–2006), winner of more than a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award in 2004, was one of the most respected narrators in the industry. Trained at the Actors Theatre of Louisville, she was also a director, producer, and technician at her own studio, Cedar House Audio.