When people think about best selling authoresses, they most likely think either of JK Rowling earnestly writing away or Barbara Cartland lazing in a pink dress on a pink sofa with a pink spaniel on her pink lap. Pish, I say. If I am ever fortunate enough to become rich beyond my wildest dreams as a result of my writing (I know, unlikely – my wildest writing dreams involve earning enough to go on a nice spending spree in All Saints and maybe have a jolly good lunch somewhere) then it’s upper crust Edith Wharton that I’ll be modelling myself on.
Seriously, she lived in a gorgeous mansion with beautiful gardens, was supremely elegant and spent a large part of every year travelling around Europe. What’s not to love about that? She basically lived the lifestyle of her own characters, which just makes me love her books even more because when she writes about an awkward meeting at a ball, a flirtation in the English countryside or a tense aristocratic dinner then you know that she’s actually been there too.
Plus the fact she was basically a really fabulous writer with amazing descriptive powers, a charming lightness of touch and also a real feel for a great story. Her books often seem like light hearted comedies of manners but there’s a real grit beneath them that is reminiscent of Austen. I don’t know that much about Wharton’s own life (I really should rectify that and find a good biography) but it makes me think that maybe it wasn’t as perfect as seems to an onlooker so perhaps we shouldn’t envy her too much.
I can still remember the first time that I read one of her books – it was The Custom of the Country, which was one of my grandmother’s favourite novels, and I adored it. The heroine, Undine Spragg is undoubtedly an unpleasant and self serving piece of work but I loved her anyway as she bounced from husband to husband.
Her other books followed and I adore them all. I am a bit of a snob anyway so Wharton’s heady combination of high society, the clash of old and new money and personal drama is enticing stuff. I expect you’ve all read her books too but if you haven’t then I suppose you could say that they are like a collision between Henry James and Nancy Mitford with Cholderlos de Laclos as a gloating bystander.
People often compare Henry James and Edith Wharton and I have to say that I absolutely prefer the latter. I often feel like James is a bit snide and cold about his characters whereas Wharton is massively fond of them, warts and all and that’s what makes them so compelling.
My favourite of her books though is The Buccaneers, which is why I am currently working on a re-interpretation set in eighteenth century London and Paris. I’d like to think that Edith Wharton, grande dame and Francophile wouldn’t have minded too much even if she didn’t absolutely approve.
So Edith Wharton, on this the day of your birth, I salute you for showing us how it should be done.
I took a literature class on Edith Wharton and Henry James just last semester. We talked a little about their personal lives and Edith Wharton’s was really interesting (and you were right–fairly unhappy). She was born to a wealthy New York family, which is why she was able to live the posh life she did. But she married very young, and her marriage was not a happy one. In her 40s she had an affair with a younger man who turned out to be kind of a jerk. The only book I had read prior to the class was, “The Age of Innocence,” but in class we read, “The House of Mirth,” which became my favorite book of all time. When I reached the end of that book I wanted to turn back to the first page and immediately begin rereading it. I am slowly working my way through the rest of her books now.
If you get a chance, my professor recommended the book, “A Backward Glance: The Autobiography of Edith Wharton.” We read some excerpts out of it, and it seemed wonderful. It’s also on my TBR list.
Great blog post, thank you. And happy birthday, Edith Wharton!
Ah, that is the sort of thing that I suspected. How very sad for her. :(
That’s gab – thanks! I’ll add that to my wish list!
And thank you! I love how re-readable her books are. x
She was a very interesting and complex character, and such a brilliant writer. She has been overlooked, really, hasn’t she? I feel a Whartonfest coming on.
She has a bit; it’s really sad. I want to reread some of her books but all of mine are in storage and I’m avoiding The Buccaneers until I’ve finished my version. ;)
Edith Wharton is a fascinating character and a wonderful writer – her maiden name was Jones, and her family was so rich that they became the inspiration for the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses”! Her parents were cold, and her marriage was a disaster. I think it was never consummated.
Wharton was also was a pioneer in the field of interior design – she wrote a book called “The Decoration of Houses” with Ogden Codman. The most well known biography of her is by R. W.B. Lewis, and there are others, too.
Heh, my maiden name was double barrelled with ‘Jones’ at the end, and I always used to wonder about the ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ thing. :)
It sounds like she had a miserable life really, oh no. Her novels do have this sort of brittle facade don’t they though, of things *looking* gorgeous but secretly everything being complicated and even horrible behind the scenes.
She does seem to have had the most exquisite taste.
Just found your unusual blog on the Tots 100. I write too but very differently to you!How llovely. I have a degree In Us Lit and the House of Mirth was one of most enjoyable books to study. Fabulous feisty rich characters. You have made me nostalgic for days where I would lose myself in other worlds. Anne Boleyn too was always a dfascination I stufdired the t\udors at A level and made a trip to hever castle which is so dinky and divinge. I would LOVE that to be my castle.
Hello! Thanks so much for the lovely comment! I feel a bit out of place on the Tots 100 to be honest, but it’s nice to be there amongst so many great bloggers that I really admire! :)
I am a terrible day dreamer – I used to be so passionate about all of this stuff in my youth but then had a long period in my twenties when I just let it all slide and stopped being so interested, until I realised that I missed it all so badly and it was making me miserable.
Isn’t Edith Wharton just wonderful? I could re-read her books over and over again. They never ever seem to get dull.
Hever is so beautiful. I’d love to go back someday. I remember going as a little girl and spending the whole day floating around, pretending to be Anne Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days. :)
I have always been a big fan of Edith Wharton. As a lifelong New Yorker her descriptions of “old” New York with its mix of old and new money, gossip and manners are amazing (frankly, it hasn’t changed much). Her characters always feel very real to me with their good and bad qualities.
Oh how amazing – I’ve never been to New York and so don’t know what it’s like now so it’s fascinating to hear that it’s much the same in terms of hierarchy? Her characters are very real aren’t they? They all have their flaws and that’s what makes them so compelling. :)