The House of Mirth (1905) - Edith Wharton

Written by Edith Wharton
Read by Eleanor Bron
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 32 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
Release date: 08-05-08
Publisher: Audible Studios by Brilliance Audio

First published in 1905, THE HOUSE OF MIRTH shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities.

Lily Bart, beautiful, witty and sophisticated, is accepted by ‘old money’ and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears thirty, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing, and to maintain her in the luxury she has come to expect. Whilst many have sought her, something - fastidiousness or integrity- prevents her from making a ’suitable’ match.

Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York’s elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means. Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened.

A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton’s tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s. Taking us on a journey through lavish drawing rooms in grand country houses to cold and menacing boarding houses, Wharton addresses the consequences awaiting those who openly dared to challenge the status quo. Wharton’s already substantial rich, accustomed to living a life of privilege, was able to foster her creative talents from a young age.

Wharton’s story is as intriguing and daring as her heroine’s. Wedding and then divorcing Edward Wharton, her experience of marriage and consequent heartbreak is usually chronicled in her works.

Never the victim however, Wharton went on to receive multiple awards for her writing, as well as the bravery that she demonstrated during the First World War when she, along with Mary Roberts Rinehart, organised hostels for refugees, fund-raised for those in need and reported from battlefield frontlines.

Actress Eleanor Bron played Aunt Julia in the 2000 film adaptation of this Edith Wharton classic, which she brings to life in an enjoyable audio production. At the start, Bron’s tones are cool and measured in keeping with heroine Lily Bart’s calculated manipulations in arranging her marriage to a fantastically rich—if fantastically dull—bachelor. But Lily’s efforts meet with little success, and Bron ably captures the desperate heroine as her suitor rejects her, her debts mount, and her options narrow. As Lily finds herself alone in what used to seem like a glittering world, Bron’s rendition of the character’s exhausted disappointment is pitch-perfect. This is a compelling audiobook with a memorable performance from Bron.

Note – there is a very long pause between chapters.