The Age of Innocence
Set against the opulent yet suffocating backdrop of 1870s New York high society, an elite lawyer finds his carefully constructed future completely unraveled by a forbidden attraction. Newland Archer is comfortably betrothed to the beautiful, thoroughly conventional May Welland, seemingly securing his position in the city's rigid hierarchy. However, the unexpected arrival of May's cousin, the fiercely independent and scandal-plagued Countess Ellen Olenska, shatters his complacency. Captivated by Ellen's European sophistication and nonconformist spirit, Newland is forced to choose between the secure comfort of his expected social duty and the terrifying allure of genuine passion.Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece remains a devastatingly sharp critique of the Gilded Age's superficiality and institutional cruelty. Written with an exquisite, ironic prose style, the narrative brilliantly balances systemic social observation with heartbreaking psychological depth. This elegant hardcover edition from the Cranford Collection pays tribute to Wharton's enduring legacy, exploring the timeless conflict between personal fulfillment and the unyielding weight of tribal propriety.
Author: Edith Wharton
Format: Hardback
Published: 2022, Cranford Collection
Genre: Classic fiction
Set against the opulent yet suffocating backdrop of 1870s New York high society, an elite lawyer finds his carefully constructed future completely unraveled by a forbidden attraction. Newland Archer is comfortably betrothed to the beautiful, thoroughly conventional May Welland, seemingly securing his position in the city's rigid hierarchy. However, the unexpected arrival of May's cousin, the fiercely independent and scandal-plagued Countess Ellen Olenska, shatters his complacency. Captivated by Ellen's European sophistication and nonconformist spirit, Newland is forced to choose between the secure comfort of his expected social duty and the terrifying allure of genuine passion.Edith Wharton’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece remains a devastatingly sharp critique of the Gilded Age's superficiality and institutional cruelty. Written with an exquisite, ironic prose style, the narrative brilliantly balances systemic social observation with heartbreaking psychological depth. This elegant hardcover edition from the Cranford Collection pays tribute to Wharton's enduring legacy, exploring the timeless conflict between personal fulfillment and the unyielding weight of tribal propriety.