The Age of Innocence.
by WHARTON, Edith
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Fine in Fine dust jacket
- Seller
-
Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s, during the so-called Gilded Age. The novel, which takes its title from artist Joshua Reynolds’ 1785 painting of a little girl, focuses on impending marriage of an upper-class couple: Newland Archer, a distinguished lawyer, and the shy, but lovely May Welland. Enter the bride's cousin, Ellen Olenska, plagued by a scandalous separation from her European husband, a Polish count. The presence of Ellen, a classic femme fatale, threatens the happiness of Newland and May. However, May’s determination must not be undermined as she proceeds to use everything in her power to ensure her marriage to Newland. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of the Gilded Age, it never explicitly condemns the era. …And perhaps it should have. The Age of Innocence won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize; however, upon being awarded the honor, the novel was praised as “best present[ing] the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood.” Many claimed that even Wharton was taken aback when reviewers failed to see the irony of the title and her social criticism of 1870s New York society. Of the many film, television, and theatrical adaptations of The Age of Innocence, perhaps most notable is the 1993 film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, and Winona Ryder as May Welland Archer. The film won an Oscar for costume design and Ryder was not only nominated for an Oscar, but won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of May Welland Archer. The Age of Innocence is ranked 58th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 45th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels.
Read More: Identifying first editions of The Age of Innocence.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 59188
- Title
- The Age of Innocence.
- Author
- WHARTON, Edith
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine in Fine dust jacket
- Publisher
- First Edition Library,
- Place of Publication
- Shelton:
- Date Published
- N.D.
Terms of Sale
Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB
Please contact us to reserve books in advance. We will hold books for ten days, pending payment. All orders should be prepaid. Payment may be made by personal check, money order, or PayPal. Institutions can be billed to suit their needs. Massachusetts residents please add 6.25% sales tax. Domestic orders are shipped via the U.S. Postal Service (Priority Mail) starting at $15.00 for the first book. Shipping cost may be slightly higher depending on weight of book and shipping destination. Media Mail shipping rate is also available: $7.00 for the first book and $2.00 for each additional. Overseas orders are billed at cost. Books may be returned within 10 days for whatever reason, provided their condition has not been altered. We request that you notify us in advance of returns.
About the Seller
Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB
About Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Facsimile
- An exact copy of an original work. In books, it refers to a copy or reproduction, as accurate as possible, of an original...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...