Edith Wharton at Home: Life at the Mount

by Richard Guy Wilson, Pauline C. Metcalf (Introduction), John Arthur (Photographer)

The Mount, Edith Wharton’s country place in the Berkshires, is truly an autobiographical house. There Wharton wrote some of her best-known and successful novels, including Ethan Frome and House of Mirth. The house itself, completed in 1902, embodies principles set forth in Wharton's famous book The Decoration of Houses, and the surrounding landscape displays her deep knowledge of Italian gardens. Wandering the grounds of this historic home, one can see the influence of Wharton’s inimitable spirit in its architecture and design, just as one can sense the Mount’s impact on the extraordinary life of Edith Wharton herself. The Mount sits in the rolling landscape of the Berkshire Hills, with views overlooking Laurel Lake and all the way out to the mountains. At the turn of the century, Lenox and Stockbridge were thriving summer resort communities, home to Vanderbilts, Sloanes, and other prominent families of the Gilded Age. At once a leader and a recorder of this glamorous society, Edith Wharton stands at the pinnacle of turn of the twentieth-century American literature and social history. The Mount was crucial to her success, and the story of her life there is filled with gatherings of literary figures and artists. Edith Wharton at Home presents Wharton’s life at The Mount in vivid detail with authoritative text by Richard Guy Wilson and archival images, as well as new color photography of the restoration of The Mount and its spectacular gardens. "The Mount was to give me country cares and joys, long happy rides and drives through the wooded lanes of that loveliest region, the companionship of dear friends, and the freedom from trivial obligations, which was necessary if I was to go on with my writing. The Mount was my first real home . . . its blessed influence still lives in me." - Edith Wharton, 1934

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Architecture

188 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2012

Reviews

[quoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck between being 1) a biography of Edith Wharton, 2) a repository for the rare existing historical photos of The Mount, and 3) a document of the estate's restoration as of 2012, it doesn't quite accomplish any of those goals perfectly. But it's a nice book with some nice pictures. I suppose leaving a certain amount of detail up to the reader's imagination is consistent with The Decoration of Houses.

I was only in it for (2) and (3), so I would happily have done away with the biographical bits, but those are worth it just to see Ogden Codman come off as truly one of the most insufferable men of all time. Incredible that some people actually live(d) like that.

[John Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edith Wharton (the novelist) had very decided views on architecture and interior decorating, and she threw herself into creating The Mount, her home in Lenox. She loved the house, though she lived there less than a decade. It fell into disrepair afterwards, but has now been reborn as a tourist attraction, and this is one of the books about the house. It's filled with stories and facts, and a great number of delightful photos, demonstrating just how fascinating the home turned out to be. Enjoyable and very readable.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received and read this book in 2017 after reading 'The Custom of the Country,' my first ever Edith Wharton novel. Last night I was flipping thru it again and realized I never reviewed it last year. It so deserves as many accolades as it can get (as does Mrs. Wharton) so I'm coming back around to it.

When you read about Edith Wharton's life, you cannot help but have the utmost respect for her. She was born into an affluent American family, having all the opportunities afforded wealthy families. Travel abroad, a comprehensive education, multiple homes, a pampered life, etc. She could very well have lived in luxury and never lifted a pen, a finger or anything else if she didn't desire it. That's what makes her so compelling. She had an inner drive to do SO much more. It convinces me that a person is born to greatness and maybe an inner obligation to follow thru with it?

I want to read more of her books, she was such a prolific writer and, let's not forget, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize (for 'The Age of Innocence') ~ if that's not impactful, what is?! This book grabbed me because she designed the house, 'The Mount' as it's called, AND the gardens. It's no secret I love a garden of any kind! It's a remarkable accomplishment and seems a bit of a shame that she only lived there less than a decade. I love, love, love the architectural style of the home (and of course) the gardens too. I could sit on her terrace and be quite in heaven every day for the rest of my life. When Edith Wharton divorced and left 'The Mount' she also left the country for France, where she died and was laid to rest. Thank goodness her home, another legacy besides her great body of written works, has been restored to it's glory and is now an American treasure, open for touring. I hope I can visit someday and do just that. Until such day, the pages herein provide a beautiful look inside her home, the gardens, the building process and her life in general.

What an extraordinary woman, I'm officially a most ardent admirer.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated and well researched, this is one of the only books that I've been able to find about "The Mount." That home was such a pivotal part of Wharton's life, though she did not occupy it for long, and few pictures remain from her time living in it. I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book through Earlham College's Interlibrary Loan.

[John Hellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning the history of Edith Wharton's The Mount . This past summer I visited this beautiful house in The Berkshires. I love the simplicity of the design of the house and the views of the garden.

[Ann Aldrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photographs of a property that has been from glorious to shambles and back again. The irony of the beauty that was the obsession Edith Wharton's life despite the unhappiness of her personal life is equally striking.