Audiobook from classics collection / best-sellers.
"The Age of Innocence" is a novel written by American author Edith Wharton, first published in 1920. The story is set in the high society of New York City during the Gilded Age, in the 1870s and 1880s, and it provides a vivid depiction of the social norms, values, and constraints of the time.
The novel follows the life of Newland Archer, a young and affluent lawyer from one of New York's most prominent families. Newland is engaged to May Welland, a beautiful and proper young woman from a similarly respected family. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns to New York after separating from her abusive European husband.
Ellen Olenska is a striking and unconventional figure who stands in sharp contrast to the stifling conventions of New York society. She quickly becomes a subject of fascination and controversy among the city's elite. Newland finds himself drawn to Ellen's independent spirit and her refusal to conform to the strict societal rules that govern their world.
As the story unfolds, Newland is torn between his duty to May, whom he is expected to marry, and his growing infatuation with Ellen. The novel explores themes of love, desire, societal expectations, and the struggle between personal freedom and societal conformity. It also delves into the complexities of the human heart and the price individuals pay for breaking from tradition.
The narrative is framed by Newland Archer's retrospective perspective, looking back on these events many years later, which adds an additional layer of reflection and insight into the characters and their choices. Edith Wharton's writing is renowned for its sharp social commentary and keen observations of the upper echelons of New York society during this period.
"The Age of Innocence" ultimately serves as a critique of the rigid social codes and values that confined individuals of that era, and it reflects on the sacrifices people make in the name of tradition and respectability. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921 and remains a classic work of American literature, celebrated for its exploration of love, longing, and the limitations of societal expectations.
Book I 00:00:00
Book II 04:53:46
More: The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton, classic literature
audiobook, full length, novel
historical fiction, social commentary, love story
New York City, 19th century, aristocracy
tradition, conformity, individuality
self-discovery, forbidden love, social class
gender roles, American literature, Pulitzer Prize
Best American Novel
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