Books2Movies Club discussion

Interesting how The House of Mirth is Edith Wharton's only second published novel, long before The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome, her other most famous works, and yet, as some of our members can vouch, it is deemed even better than those mentioned.

I haven't read it yet, and I hope it will exceed my expectations!

There are two adaptations to see for us - some say the latest one made in 2000 is excellent. The cast was splendid - Gillian Anderson, Dan Aycroyd, Laura Linney, Eric Stoltz and Anthony LaPaglia, to mention only the few. I wouldn't underestimate also the TV adaptation made in 1981, with Geraldine Chaplin in the main role. I don't know if it's available to watch though. Please tell us if you know where it can be seen!

Freely share below your thoughts and impressions both of the book and the movies :)

The cast of the 2000 "The House of Mirth" was really well chosen - I don't think many of the actors would have occurred to me, but they turned out to be great picks. I thought it was a much better adaptation of a Wharton work than Scorsese's "The Age of Innocence."

I started reading this a few days ago. I am now on the chapter in which Lilly indebted herself to Trenor... I can so feel this won't end well for her. The book so far is intriguing, but I hate that feeling of doom already on my mind.

I finally finished the book. I was listening to an audiobook (excellent version narrated by Anna Fields!) and as I wasn't commuting for a while, the book was on hold until last week.

In short, it was amazing listen, but Lily was so difficult to love. It may be due to the fact all things she loved so much were so superficial and irrelevant in my eyes, however, she came to realize that herself albeit too late. She was still a decent human being, with high moral principles despite so many disastrous decision-making flaws. It was only for that I couldn't give the book the highest commendation. It was too painful to invest so much heart into the person so deliberately intent to destroying herself, that I am certain I won't ever read this book again.

I like how Edith Wharton profiles so many different walks of life in a single book - showing us how the social class in which Lily was born wasn't the only path to go through. Carry Fisher was a divorcee of ambiguous reputation, yet managing perfectly fine her life between many social circles. Gerty Farish was poor yet her life was fulfilled in other ways, if Lily only was able to accept that being poor doesn't mean to debase oneself.

I'll gladly watch the movie, when my impressions subside a bit :)

P.S. For a book in which the main character infuriated me so, it managed to disturb me that much I couldn't sleep that night! I was angry with her because she was a product and a prisoner of her social class and conduct, that much she literally didn't know how to get out of that vicious circle. She was essentially a good person but totally incapable of having her own opinions and choices that weren't influenced by her mother's teachings and/or by the fashion of the time. At times I wasn't sure if that was a sheer stupidity on her side, or a blind naivete, or simple sadistic inclination to self-destruct. She seemed incapable of making friends out of her own social circle, and doing anything on her own.

What do you think of the ending? I wonder if Wharton was pressed on changing it to a happier note. Personally, I would have been pleased if Lily at last had found her happiness with Selden, but it was on the whole better this way. The ending served as a warning and it was more realistic. Or not? Was her doom too exaggerated? Considering how people at that time had much worse lives in comparison with her pampered one, was her downfall a bit over the top?