The Age of Innocence

A note by Dr. Larry Allums

At our next in-person BOOK CLUB we will discuss Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. 

Published in 1921, it was the first novel by a woman to win the Pulitzer Prize. The story features a New York lawyer, Newland Archer, suspended between two women: his “innocent” fiancé May Welland and the “un-innocent” Countess Ellen Olenska, returned from a scandalous marriage in Europe. The triangle reveals the pretenses of a hollow social order and explores the stifling expectations of their high society world. The final scene, and Newland’s words about his love affair, are well worth reading the novel for.

Wharton’s attention to detail, the descriptions of characters, the social tragedy of the plot, and above all, the compelling language make this a "classic." 

The novel has also been adapted to film, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder.

Please purchase The Age of Innocence (Penguin Edition) at Bird’s Books – Preston Royal Shopping Center