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The Letters
UP the long hill from the station at St.-Cloud, Lizzie West climbed in the cold spring sunshine. As she breasted the incline, she noticed the first waves of wistaria over courtyard railings and the high lights of new foliage against the walls of ivy-matted gardens; and she thought again, as she had thought a hundred times before, that she had never seen so beautiful a spring.
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First published October 10, 1988
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About the author
Edith Wharton
1,462 books5,282 followersEdith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.
Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.
Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.
Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.
Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.
Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.
In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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June 16, 2024Edith Wharton dans toute la subtilité du coeur d'une femme amoureuse... Le fond et la forme m'ont beaucoup fait pensé à Zweig. Plus je lis Wharton et plus je me dis qu'elle est nettement sous-cotée !
November 12, 2022
4,5 ⭐️
Wharton es como si tuviera dos estilos de escritura, uno costumbrista, más denso y, el otro, ágil, misterioso y, para mi gusto, más ameno. Hay que tener en cuenta que donde desplegó su habilidad fue en los relatos. Según Henry James, su mentor, en ellos se distinguía su mejor prosa y, según Lawson, fue una de las más brillantes escritoras de cuentos de la literatura norteamericana. Tiene auténtica destreza en crear ambientes rígidos y monótonos de la alta burguesía de Nueva York. Hace una crítica mordaz a esa vieja sociedad neoyorquina a la que ella pertenecía, así que, no había nadie más apropiado para describirla, lo hace con ironía, porque no la soportaba. También describe personajes sensibles, encadenados a las convenciones sociales o a alguna relación destructiva, reflejo de su fallido matrimonio y una posterior relación ilícita clandestina.
Este libro contiene cinco relatos: El primero, “Las fiebres romanas”, fue absolutamente gráfico, sencillo y con un giro final fascinante, una historia sobre una antigua amistad rota por un pasado tumultuoso. Los siguientes, las opiniones han sido muy dispares, en el tercero, “El último recurso”, empecé a notar que la lectura se me estaba haciendo más pesada, pero al final mejoró bastante. A partir de ahí fueron “in crescendo”. “El grano de la granada”, el último y el mejor, es ágil, intrigante, con un suspense tremendo y un toque de misterio que no puedes ni levantar la vista. Aunque todas tienen como nexo común una carta, aquí la carta es la trama central, el misterio está en su remitente.
Wharton es como si tuviera dos estilos de escritura, uno costumbrista, más denso y, el otro, ágil, misterioso y, para mi gusto, más ameno. Hay que tener en cuenta que donde desplegó su habilidad fue en los relatos. Según Henry James, su mentor, en ellos se distinguía su mejor prosa y, según Lawson, fue una de las más brillantes escritoras de cuentos de la literatura norteamericana. Tiene auténtica destreza en crear ambientes rígidos y monótonos de la alta burguesía de Nueva York. Hace una crítica mordaz a esa vieja sociedad neoyorquina a la que ella pertenecía, así que, no había nadie más apropiado para describirla, lo hace con ironía, porque no la soportaba. También describe personajes sensibles, encadenados a las convenciones sociales o a alguna relación destructiva, reflejo de su fallido matrimonio y una posterior relación ilícita clandestina.
Este libro contiene cinco relatos: El primero, “Las fiebres romanas”, fue absolutamente gráfico, sencillo y con un giro final fascinante, una historia sobre una antigua amistad rota por un pasado tumultuoso. Los siguientes, las opiniones han sido muy dispares, en el tercero, “El último recurso”, empecé a notar que la lectura se me estaba haciendo más pesada, pero al final mejoró bastante. A partir de ahí fueron “in crescendo”. “El grano de la granada”, el último y el mejor, es ágil, intrigante, con un suspense tremendo y un toque de misterio que no puedes ni levantar la vista. Aunque todas tienen como nexo común una carta, aquí la carta es la trama central, el misterio está en su remitente.
November 12, 2018
So since last month I read an Edith Wharton's anthology and I loved it, I really wanted to read more of her work. Thankfully, my University's library has a big collection of her other books, but I choose another anthology since I'm not in the mood for anything too long.
Anyway the stories portrayed here are told in such a delicate way, since we get to learn a lot from the characters intentions in a really short time. Again, Wharton portrays stories were we analyze why people do the things they do and how they shape their personalities and the way they interact with others. We'll get to read about society's expectations of women, marriage and resentment and the way people manipulate others to achieve their own goals.
Anyway the stories portrayed here are told in such a delicate way, since we get to learn a lot from the characters intentions in a really short time. Again, Wharton portrays stories were we analyze why people do the things they do and how they shape their personalities and the way they interact with others. We'll get to read about society's expectations of women, marriage and resentment and the way people manipulate others to achieve their own goals.
August 15, 2025
Remplacez « lettres » par « DM » et vous obtenez un roman moderne. Force est de constater que les hommes étaient déjà franchement nuls y’a 150 ans. Les mêmes comportements d’incompétents et de menteurs…
September 29, 2025
j’ai un peu acheté le livre au hasard sans savoir à quoi m’attendre, j’ai vraiment apprécié la nouvelle qui m’a remise un peu dans la même ambiance qu’orgueil et prejugés même si les décors sont assez différents, je pense essayer de lire d’autres oeuvres de l’autrice
October 20, 2020
3.75*
April 6, 2021
Then the cycle starts all over again, but with Andora Macy.
August 15, 2022
It was a pretty simple story, and not quite up to the standards I've come to expect from other things I've read by her, but I enjoyed it all the same.
April 25, 2025
les hommes sont vraiment de grosses merdes
June 9, 2025
Somehow I enjoyed it 🤣it's good but I find so hard to comprehend liz's final decision, like what the hell?! How could she stay married to a liar?!
July 2, 2025
j'ai trop aimé je trouve ça genial pour decouvrir l'autrice, je vais continuer à la lire je pense..
February 10, 2025
Un livre très intense et très sympa !
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February 15, 2024Letta la versione in italiano: La collina di Saint-Cloud
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews