edithwharton

A Son at the Front: A Library of America eBook Classic | Edith Wharton

https://youtu.be/FQq8dO4UiHM?si=rK9UB75dqIkaHZd5

Introduction
Mystery guest
Week in Review
A Son at the Front by Edith Wharton
All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey by Teresa Wong

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Morr_Books

New Year's Day | Edith Wharton

Perfect read to pick up and finish on a New years day at sea.

33 likes

CarolynM

Hudson River Bracketed | Edith Wharton

pick

Catch up review from mid year 5/5

I‘m reviewing these 2 together because they are 2 parts of a whole. The tagged book follows the early career of a young man from a small town who achieves literary success but struggles in society. In the sequel (tagged in comments) he struggles to replicate that success while travelling through Europe with his mistress. In both books he is oblivious to making a lot of people unhappy.

Read for #WhartonBuddyRead

CarolynM

The Gods Arrive

1mo

54 likes1 comment

Deblovestoread

New Year's Day | Edith Wharton

#BookspinBingo

Going to stick with a fairly loosy goosy #Bookspin list for 2025. Here‘s January.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo

BkClubCare 🪿 1mo

51 likes2 comments

TeamFiction

Ethan Frome & Other Stories | Edith Wharton

It caught him back to the dreadful moment in the lodge when, raising himself up from Rainer‘s side, he had looked at his hands and seen that they were red…
#EthanFromeAndOtherStories #EdithWharton #lastline #closingline #book #books #bookworm #bookworms #bookwormlife #bookwormproblem #bookwormproblems #bookworld #bookword #epicreads #bookend #bookends #Classics #Fiction #Romance #Literature #School #HistoricalFiction #American #Novels #HighSchool

15 likes

TeamFiction

The Age of Innocence | Edith Wharton

At that, as if it had been the signal he waited for, Newland Archer got up slowly and walked back alone to his hotel.
#TheAgeOfInnocence #EdithWharton #lastline #closingline #book #books #bookworm #bookworms #bookwormproblem #bookwormproblems #bookword #bookworld #epicreads #bookend #bookends #bookending #bookendings #bookedit #bookedits #bookeditor #Classics #Fiction #HistoricalFiction #Romance #Literature #American #Historical #Novels #NewYork

dabbe 😭😭😭 2mo

19 likes1 comment

Graywacke

The Gods Arrive | Edith Wharton

pick

Not sure exactly what Wharton was doing here as her artist wanders through all sorts of writing and social circumstances, and his one time muse, now lover, gets neglected, left behind, forgotten. I waited for her seek independence, but Wharton wasn‘t writing for me. I merely got a wink. Still, it‘s pleasant reading. #whartonbuddyread @Lcsmcat

52 likes

TeamFiction

Ethan Frome & Other Stories | Edith Wharton

#EthanFrome #EdithWharton #book #books #bookyourself #bookunion #bookutopia #bookunicorn #bookunicorns #bookunhaul #bookish #bookishfeature #bookishfeatures #bookishlife #booksoflitsy #bookobsessed #bookoholic #bookoholics #bookperson #bookpeople #bookpassion #bookpicture #bookpictures #bookphoto #bookphotos #bookphotograph #bookphotographer #bookphotography #bookart #bookartist #bookattitude #bookaholic #bookaholics #bookshelf #bookshelves #stack

25 likes

Lcsmcat

The Gods Arrive | Edith Wharton

Searching for analysis of our novel, this poem popped up. If you can‘t read it here it‘s available online here https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50464/give-all-to-love
Wow. Once again Wharton expects us to be well read, as well as well travelled, and it all makes so much more sense. I still don‘t like V and think Halo deserves better, but we all make stupid choices sometimes. 😂 #whartonbuddyread

Graywacke

Lcsmcat @KathyWheeler @kspenmoll @Leftcoastzen @LitStephanie @llwheeler @Louise @rubyslippersreads @SamAnne @sarahbellum @Suet624 @TheBookHippie @cindyash 3mo

Lcsmcat @mdm139 @jewright @AllDebooks @amysisson @Ann_Reads @arubabookwoman @batsy @BookishTrish @CarolynM @catebutler @Catherine_Willoughby @Cathythoughts @Crazeedi @Currey @dabbe @emilyhaldi @IMASLOWREADER 3mo

Lcsmcat Now the quotes “He had thought he loved her, and he had failed her; she had accepted the fact, and faced it with her usual ironic courage; and the one service his unstable heart could do her now was to leave her in peace and go his way.” (I almost liked Vance here.) 3mo

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Lcsmcat ‘Some books fail slowly, imperceptibly, as though an insidious disease had undermined them; others plunge from the heights with a crash, and thus it was with “Colossus”‘ (The voice of experience?) 3mo

Lcsmcat “Like most artistic coteries they preferred a poor work executed according to their own formula to a good one achieved without it;” (Definitely the voice of experience!) 3mo

Lcsmcat “They were not used to death at the Westons‘, it did not seem to belong to the general plan of life at Euphoria, it had no language, no ritual, no softening conventions to envelop it.” 3mo

Currey @Lcsmcat As usual great quotes. 3mo

Currey @Graywacke @Lcsmcat It was an extraordinarily rich two books, clearly full of life experiences, deeper and more subtle understanding of the human heart, but Vance is still a selfish, childish man. Did Wharton hope to win me over just a touch? Or was this her way of crafting a damning portrait of a failed artist? Ah, yes. I wish Halo had some hope of better. 3mo

Lcsmcat I think that Halo is one spoken to in the poem, so you have to flip the gender. But it‘s almost like Wharton followed the narrative arc of the poem across the two novels. My head‘s spinning a bit. 3mo

Lcsmcat @Currey I wonder why I hoped for a less-flawed character in these 2 books. It‘s not like Wharton ever gave us one before. But I really wanted Vance to be better. 3mo

Currey @Lcsmcat Yes, I certainly was not expecting a happy ending or a complete turn around of Vance‘s character. Have read too many Wharton‘s for that. 3mo

jewright It‘s sort of a happy ending? I was honestly surprised by Lewis‘s offer at the end. 3mo

Graywacke Halo was too good for Vance. Thanks for the poem. It explains things a bit. I was really puzzled by the title. 3mo

Lcsmcat @jewright Me too. As a matter of fact I also marked this quote “He had been prepared—perhaps—to regret his offer; but not to have it refused. It had never occurred to him that such an extreme of magnanimity could defeat itself.” 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke The title puzzled me too. And none of the things I read addressed it, until the poem popped up. I find knowing the source of a title can be helpful, especially from an author as widely read as Wharton. 3mo

Graywacke Two quotes from me. First the awkward departure from Lewis: "They stood by each other in silence, miles of distance already between them, while they waited for the preliminary rattle and rumble from below; then the mirror-lined box shot up, opened its door, and took her in.” 3mo

Graywacke Halo‘s best line ?: “Did you really come all the way to Paul's Landing just to tell me that you were going away again?" (edited) 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Halo sees right through him, doesn‘t she? The line about having 2 children to raise also rang true to me. 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Re your first quote - Wharton is very good at describing the uncomfortable between people, isn‘t she? 3mo

Graywacke I‘m puzzled on the purpose of this book. Vance‘s WI soul searching is brief at best. A seasonal vacation. (About as deep as Thor‘s in the Avengers movies?) Halo‘s affirmation to Tarrant doesn‘t hold up to Vance. Yes, she establishes control on the relationship - she‘s read her Age of Innocence. But, you know, why not be free? And this is just this last section. We have two books of V & H the lead to - ?? Hmm. 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat Tarrant as Hades returning Persephone? 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke I‘ve not seen any of the Avengers movies so I can‘t speak to that, but, Vance is being true to character. He hasn‘t stuck with anything long. I was hopeful when I read “these weeks outside of time gave him his first understanding of the magic power of continuity.” But he didn‘t stick with it. So bye-bye magic power? 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Tarrant as Hades I can see (you‘re exposing my lopsided cultural knowledge here) but I can‘t decide quite that he acted. It was more like he knew he couldn‘t stop it, so he would let it happen with the least fuss possible. Hard on his pride, but true to character as far as his propensity to avoid exertion. 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat i think Halo just knew how to manage Tarrant. And she‘s the moment. Vance gone and can‘t undermine or stand for anything, she‘s pregnant. Cards were in her favor when she made that move. 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat in the Avengers movies Thor occasionally can‘t pick up his hammer. He‘s not pure enough - always this is plot friendly. But then the movie needs a snap-quick convincing purification scene so can finally pick it up. 🙂 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Thanks. Now I won‘t look so stupid in front of my son-in-law. 😂🔨 3mo

CarolynM Another abrupt ending that left me a bit puzzled. Thanks for the poem, I think it throws light on what EW was doing here. There‘s no doubt H deserves better than V, but for whatever reason she actually does love him, faults and all, so she‘ll accept whatever he offers. This is in stark contrast to V‘s “love” for F which collapsed as soon as he recognised her true character. Very interesting pair of books. Thanks for all your insights. 3mo

Lcsmcat @CarolynM Good observation about the difference in V‘s infatuation with F and H‘s more mature love! 3mo

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Lcsmcat

The Gods Arrive | Edith Wharton

Wow. This was a brutal section for me. Vance has sacrificed any sympathy I ever had for him. He‘s not young and impulsive anymore. He‘s selfish and cruel. I wish Halo had better options, but she needs to be shed of V.! Thoughts about either V or H‘s behavior? #whartonbuddyread

Graywacke

Lcsmcat @KathyWheeler @kspenmoll @Leftcoastzen @LitStephanie @llwheeler @Louise @rubyslippersreads @SamAnne @sarahbellum @Suet624 @TheBookHippie @cindyash 3mo

Lcsmcat Quotes coming, but I‘ll be out of pocket most of today for my grandson‘s birthday, so talk among yourselves as they used to say on SNL. 😀 3mo

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Lcsmcat “But it is almost unbearable to be forgotten. The victim invents a thousand pretexts rather than admit that one fact.” 3mo

Lcsmcat “This man whom she could no longer make happy, who needed her so little that he could disappear for weeks without giving her a sign—how much longer was she going to burden him with her unwanted devotion?” 3mo

Lcsmcat “Ah, happy artists! No wonder they were careless of other people‘s wounds, when they were born with the power to heal their own so easily…” 3mo

Lcsmcat And I won‘t quote it, but the cruel words V used when telling H that F had dumped him but he still wanted her and the way he dismissed H‘s intelligence and contributions to his work make me think Wharton must have had some wrenching scenes with her lover! 3mo

Currey @Lcsmcat it was so painful to watch Halo twisting herself into a pretzel 🥨 really appearing to believe that her love for Vance wasn‘t worthy and leaving him would be the best thing she could do for him. Meanwhile I‘m thinking “get out of there Halo, you deserve so much better” 3mo

Lcsmcat @Currey If everything else hadn‘t done it, his “do I have to use words of one syllable” dig pushed him past redemption in my eyes. Run, Halo, run! 3mo

Currey @Lcsmcat I agree that much of the writing appears to come from personal experience but I suspect her sympathy (as a writer) to Vance is that at some point in her life she had played both parts 3mo

Lcsmcat @Currey Yes, she is much more understanding of him than I can be. But how she could write him that clearly and see herself in that behavior- wow. That‘s a tough self-reflection. 3mo

Graywacke Happy birthday to your grandson! 3mo

Graywacke I wonder what drove this Wharton take on jealousy and unrequited devotion. Vance hurt me most when he called Hale an amateur critic. And she handled all his bitter lines so gracefully. He‘s not worthy 3mo

Graywacke Why does Frenside always offer such inadequate advice that never helps anyone? 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Frenside is a puzzle. He seems intelligent and caring, but always at a remove. Like he can‘t quite connect. I wonder if that‘s why his advice doesn‘t quite work? 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat he is a puzzle. He‘s so nice, though. 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke Yes, he is one of the likable ones in this story. 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke As to why these themes now, what makes a 70 year old tackle doomed love. It seems like a subject for a young romantic, doesn‘t it? Was she looking back at her relationship with Walter Berry? Maybe trying to justify to herself why it went the way it did? I‘m not sure. 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat i think about Berry a lot. Of course, she‘s the Vance artistically. He‘s the Halo. 3mo

CarolynM You have summed up my response to this part perfectly. As an aside, I think it was a bit mean of EW to take a swipe at Belgium😆 3mo

Lcsmcat @CarolynM 😂 Everyone mistreats Belgium! 3mo

jewright Vance is so self-absorbed. My word. In a sense, Flossy treats him just like he treats everyone else in his life. I do wonder if his new book is any good, or if Halo is right. 3mo

Lcsmcat @jewright I so want Halo to be right! 3mo

Graywacke @Lcsmcat 🙂 ( @jewright ) 3mo

Graywacke @Currey @CarolynM @jewright - just, a bit random, but I‘m really proud of Halo in chapter 34. Not sure how it will play out, but, for now, thank goodness 3mo

Lcsmcat @Graywacke 😀 Me too. 3mo

Currey @Graywacke @Lcsmcat @jewright @CarolynM Me too! 3mo

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