The Age of Innocence

Publisher Marketing: The Age of Innocence centers on an upper-class couple's impending marriage, and the introduction of a woman plagued by scandal whose presence threatens their happiness. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of 1870's New York society, it never devolves into an outright condemnation of the institution. In fact, Wharton considered this novel an "apology" for her earlier novel, The House of Mirth, which was more brutal and critical. Not to be overlooked is Wharton's attention to detail regarding the charms and customs of the upper caste. The novel is lauded for its accurate portrayal of how the 19th-century East Coast American upper class lived, and this, combined with the social tragedy, earned Wharton a Pulitzer Prize-the first Pulitzer awarded to a woman. Edith Wharton was 58 years old at publication; she had lived in that world and had seen it change dramatically by the end of World War I. The title is an ironic comment on the polished outward manners of New York society when compared to its inward machinations. It is believed to have been drawn from the popular 1785 painting A Little Girl by Sir Joshua Reynolds that later became known as The Age of Innocence and which was widely reproduced as the commercial face of childhood in the later half of the eighteenth century. Review Citations: Library Journal 04/01/2008 pg. 123 (EAN 9780307268204, Hardcover) Criticas 06/19/2006 (EAN 9788472232136, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/1992 pg. 729 (EAN 9780891905080, Hardcover) Entertainment Weekly 07/05/2013 pg. 99 (EAN 9780140189704, Paperback) School Library Journal 08/01/1998 (EAN 9781556855337, Analog Audio Cassette) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/1992 pg. 729 (EAN 9780684719252, Paperback) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/1992 pg. 729 (EAN 9780684146591, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/1997 pg. 673 (EAN 9780684146591, Hardcover) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/1995 pg. 691 (EAN 9780684146591, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2002 pg. 647 (EAN 9780375753206, Paperback) Wilson Fiction Catalog 01/01/2010 pg. 983 (EAN 9780486298030, Paperback) Contributor Bio:  Wharton, Edith Edith Wharton was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, known for such classics as The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. A member of the New York elite, Wharton drew on her experiences as part of society to critique its inner workings and the conflict between personal desires and societal norms. Wharton died in 1937, leaving behind a rich literary legacy.