Book Review: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Title: The Age of Innocence Author: Edith Wharton Published: 1920 by D. Appleton & Company (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.” This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will either courageously define his life—or mercilessly destroy it

I try to read a classic a month, there are just so many that I hadn't read. The Age of Innocence has been on my list for quite awhile. It's a classic that seems like one I would really enjoy. I was not disappointed in the history, the characters, and Edith Whatron's writing.

What was so interesting for me about this book is the historical context. It was written in the 1920's but it takes place in the 1870's (which is why I am reading it as part of my historical fiction month) so it can't be viewed entirely through either construct. Interestingly they are not very different periods in American history. The 1920's was a period of change and modernization. Frivolity and excess was celebrated and there was this general idea of people doing as they pleased (think The Great Gatsby). Where in the 1870's it was about excess and showing off but that was because it was what society deemed, it was all about convention and expectation. So Edith Wharton is writing through this lens as much as one fixed on the 1920's. And that to me is what made the book so interesting. The two ideas are at such odds throughout the novel. And it's a social commentary about not only the fact that you shouldn't look to society to dictate your actions but you also should do whatever you want because there will be consequences. The historical context made for some really interesting themes in The Age of Innocence.

And that idea of what society wants being at odds with what you want was embodied in the characters. First I want to say that I found it so interesting here that the book had a male protagonist. There sort of novels, especially classics, that focus on romance and modernizing despite societies conventions tend to focus on women whose role in society was at the heart of the change. But here we have Newland Archer as our protagonist. He's in a bit of a love triangle with his fiance, the demure society darling May Welland, and her cousin the modern and reckless Countess Olenska. All the characters were complex and interesting, I particularly enjoyed their development throughout the book. But I think what I really liked was the dynamic between them. Both romantic and non.-romantic. I love a good tortured romance in my classics and here we have a great one. Like most people I tend to get very tired of love triangles but here it really did work. It fit the characters, it fit the themes of the book, and it added drama instead of taking away from the plot.

In fact the plot really centered around the romance and that was perfectly fine with me. I really enjoyed seeing these characters interact.  There was this realistic subtle to them. They talked and they gossiped. They were on their best behavior because that's what society expected of them but in private they were who they wanted to be. They were constantly changing and evolving just as society was modernizing around them. It was almost a coming-of-age story with the character development. Edith Wharton wrote a beautiful character-driven novel about the entangled loves of the elites during the Gilded Age.

And what made the book so engaging was the writing. I tend to have this tortured relationship with a lot of classics because they are good but they're long with moments that just seem wordy and not very important to the general plot. And yes, it does have it's moments, but modern classics like this really improve on that a lot. We are still able to be immersed in the world but it's not all about explaining the setting. Edith Wharton makes New York in the 1890's come alive with the glamour and the parties but be don't get bogged down in the details. Her writing is lyrical and deep while still being readable. It's no wonder The Age of Innocence is a Pulitzer Winner. It's just an all-around well-written novel.

I give The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton a 9 out of 10

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow A definite read for fans of romantic classics in the the vein of Jane Austen but especially for fans of the Bronte sisters. I loved the characters and the historical context. If you are a fan of books set during this period like I am then check this book out.

Have you read The Age of Innocence? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

Book Review: This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

Title: This is How You Lose Her Author: Junot Diaz Published: Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: On a beach in the Dominican Republic, a doomed relationship flounders. In the heat of a hospital laundry room in New Jersey, a woman does her lover’s washing and thinks about his wife. In Boston, a man buys his love child, his only son, a first baseball bat and glove. At the heart of these stories is the irrepressible, irresistible Yunior, a young hardhead whose longing for love is equaled only by his recklessness--and by the extraordinary women he loves and loses: artistic Alma; the aging Miss Lora; Magdalena, who thinks all Dominican men are cheaters; and the love of his life, whose heartbreak ultimately becomes his own. In prose that is endlessly energetic, inventive, tender, and funny, the stories in This Is How You Lose Her lay bare the infinite longing and inevitable weakness of the human heart. They remind us that passion always triumphs over experience, and that “the half-life of love is forever.

This book is probably the most perfect anti-love book that I read this month. The title says it all, it is a book about lost love. This is How You Lose Her is a series of short stories that revolve around Yunior, a young Dominican living in New Jersey who, despite his best efforts, cannot stay in a committed relationship for very long. He is not a particularly likeable protagonist. He is constantly committing the same mistake when it comes to relationships despite his claims of love. As the book goes on and you learn more about Yunior's past and you start to learn why he is the way he is, you end up unexpectedly sympathizing with him. 

I don't usually like short stories, especially a collection of short stories, because I find it hard to connect with characters that only exist for a short period, but this wasn't the case with This is How You Lose Her. Maybe because the stories were either about or involving a single character with many characters repeating throughout many stories including Yunior's family and girlfriends.  Or maybe it was because even though the stories moved around in space and time they held together as one cohesive story with a specific theme. Or maybe it was because of the writing style.

If you are unfamiliar with Yunot Diaz and his writing style, it is unlike anything I have ever read before and since. His writing is so honest and realistic. The characters being Dominican-American and speaking Spanish he uses a lot of slang and Spanish words and phrases that help the reader be immersed in the real lives of these characters. Even though I don't speak Spanish and often didn't understand what was being communicated the book was made better with these inclusions. I also experienced the audiobook of This is How You Lose Her which was narrated by the author himself. If you notice, I do that a lot. I think it really gives you a pure representation of the book and what the author intended to communicate. Plus, I liked that between each of the short stories there was Spanish music which was another great way to feel connected with the world being created.

That being said I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I expected. Despite the fact that it is probably the shortest book I read this month it felt long. I think that maybe I didn't connect enough with the plot and the story. I didn't feel much of an emotional connection until it was basically over. Or maybe I just unfairly compared it to the first Diaz book I read, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao which I loved. Despite no real reasons to point to I feel like this just wasn't the book for me. It wasn't bad I just didn't love it.

I give This is How You Lose Her 6 out of 10

If you are looking for an interesting contemporary novel that isn't sweet and about love then check this book out. I also recommend this book if you are into short stories or novels where a series of seemingly unrelated stories end up connecting in the end. Have you read This is How You Lose Her? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and of course HAPPY READING!

February Wrap Up: Anti-Love

February has come to a close and it was a very interesting reading month for me. I learned a lot about the relationship between reading and blogging. I had my faith in love shattered, then I had it restored. I didn't expect to finish all the books I had planned but I surprised myself and read a few extras. When the dust settled I finished a total of nine books including one series and two standalones for my challenges. I also took part in the Book Blogger Love-a-Thon and met some great new blogger and deepened relationships with some others.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 1
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: An exciting and really creative Sci Fi take on the Cinderella fairy tale. The characters are interesting, the world is exciting, the plot was thrilling and mysterious. It did suffer from a bit of First Book Syndrome but it was still a great read.

Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler
Rating: 5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This was such an exciting concept and the writing was beautiful and poetic, but I couldn't connect with the characters and there was almost no plot. A book cannot be enjoyed on world-building alone. I should have DNFed this book and read something I enjoyed but I was stubborn. Never again!




Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 2
Rating: 9 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: Even better than the first book. There was more action and excitement, more humor and romance, more witty play on classic fairy tale tropes, and more SciFi world-building. This book made me fall in love with this series!




The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Rating: 8 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This book destroyed my view of romance and made all those classic novels I love seem like a superficial joke! I mean this in the best possible way. This book was definitely anti-love and was incredibly enjoyable with interesting characters, beautiful writing, and a unique style.

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: This was a great piece of historical fiction that takes you into the Edwardian Era and the suffrage movement in England. It had a Titanic vibe and I loved the characters and the relationships. This book restored my faith in romance (that didn't last long!).





The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
Rating: 8 out of 10 
Full Review

My Thoughts: A quick and fun beach read with interesting characters and tons of action. It had just enough humor and romance to keep me interested. I was expecting a little more mystery but the heist plot was fantastic!




Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick
Rating: 8 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts:  A good historical fantasy that focused more on the historic aspect of the story than the fantasy. I enjoyed the characters and a world of grey where everyone wanted power and felt like they knew what is best for the country. The plot and pacing was great as the book built to a thrilling conclusion.




This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
Rating 7 out of 10
Full Review

My Thoughts: An interesting collection of short stories about failed love. The main character is not very likeable but as the book goes on and you learn more why Yunior is the way he is you begin to sympathize with him. I loved that the audiobook narrated by the author.



Cress by Marissa Meyer
The Lunar Chronicles Book 3
Rating: 9 out of 10
Full Review to Come

My Thoughts: This series keeps getting better and better. More exciting action, more fun and unique characters, more romance, and more creative science fiction twist on classic fairy tales. This is my favorite book in the series yet!


What did you read this month? Leave me a comment and don't forget to check out the full reviews of these books for more of my thoughts and information. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Reviews: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

Title: The Portrait of a Lady Author: Henry James Published: 1880-81 in Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan Magazine Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: In this portrait of a "young woman affronting her destiny," Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a story of intense poignancy. When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the charming and cultivated Gilbert Osmond. Isabel, however, soon discovers the cruelty and stifling darkness beneath Gilbert's civilized veneer.

If you are looking for a classic romance in the vein of Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Bronte, and George Eliot you have come to the wrong place. Be warned, there are no happy couples here. This book is for the cold-hearted cynic inside of you. Henry James is not a romantic and The Portrait of a Lady is more of a Victorian satire, a romantic parody, if you will.

First we have our main character Isabel Archer, a young woman from Albany, New York who moves in with her expatriate relatives living in England. Her male relatives take an instant liking to her, both of them being ill, and when her uncle dies he leaves the bulk of his fortune to Isabel because of her cousin Ralph’s urging. She is beautiful, charming, and now wealthy; everything a girl of the time would want to be. She has a trail of suitors all of whom she rejects believing she wants to see the world and maintain her independence. Then a friend of the family, Madame Merle, introduces her to the charming but poor Gilbert Osmond and his adorable daughter Pansy. She falls head-over-heels and agrees to marry him. But unlike most women in these classic romances things take a turn for the worse as soon as she gets married.

One thing you have to know about this book is that the writing style that Henry James uses to craft this story is incredibly unique. It is told in third-person omniscient and many times this narrator chooses to speak directly to the reader, informing them of what the characters are doing and why they are doing them. And we not only learn of Isabel and her goings on but also Osmond, Madame Merle, and many other characters. Because of this extra knowledge we get a lot of dramatic irony and our opinions of many characters are different than those of Isabel based on our privileged information. It adds a completely new dimension to the story and we spend a lot of the book seeing Isabel work out the information we learned 300 pages previously. And like most classics, James writing is incredibly poetic and his prose is incredible.

The book is very character-driven as much of the plot is devoted to the seemingly mundane social visits that the characters make to one another. Many moments that you would think are important to the story are glossed over, or not mentioned at all. For example we never see Isabel’s wedding. She accepts Osmond’s proposal and then we skip ahead a year. But the complicatedness of the characters and their lives makes the book interesting. There is a lot of scheming and plotting, and I was incredibly surprised by a crazy plot twist at the end of the book.

James seems to be making a social commentary in this book. First, money doesn’t bring you happiness and neither can marriage. For Isabel when she inherits a small fortune it creates problems for her that she never expected, and when she finally accepts a marriage proposal things turn really bad. She is married for love, wealthy, and now miserable. Finally, and most importantly, James is making a statement about love. In most of these classic novels there is the idea of marry for love, maybe you’ll be poor but at least you’ll be happy. This is really not the case in The Portrait of a Lady. To me James seems to be saying, you don’t really know what love and you’re confusing lust for love. Isabel thinks she wants to marry for love and wants to be treated as an equal but she turns down more than one perfectly good proposal out of pure stubbornness. She is very stubborn character on the whole: stubborn, headstrong, and reckless. She doesn’t think about what is best for herself before making a decision, she just makes it. But I do give her a lot of respect for sticking with her decisions despite the fact that she knows they were the wrong thing to do when she looks back on them.

I give The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James an 8 out of 10 

Now don’t get me wrong. I love classic romances where love overcomes all obstacles. I’m not saying those are bad novels in any but The Portrait of a Lady was incredibly refreshing. This book was a tremendous social commentary and really enjoyable. It completely changed the way I view literary couples and I will never look at classics the same way. It was the perfect anti-love story for February. If you are looking for a new spin on classics or a cynical take on romance then I definitely recommend this book.

If you’ve read it and have thoughts leave me a comment and of course HAPPY READING!

February TBR - Anti-Love Stories

February is the month of Valentine's Day where we celebrate love and romance. Because of this fact our stores are inundated with flowers, hearts, and chocolate. Television is full of sappy movies and shows about love. And everyone is thinking about romance. Now don't get me wrong, I love romance as much as the next person, but I also believe in the natural balance of the universe so I'm working to achieve dharma by reading books with complicated love stories. Maybe they have to fight against all odds to be with their love, maybe love makes their life more difficult, maybe they end up married to the person they don't love, or maybe they realize love isn't all it's cracked up to be. Is it weird that I'm excited about how depressing these books are going to be?

The Classic

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

How it Fits the Theme: The main character is expected to marry quickly but she wants to marry for love. Too bad the man she loves is cruel and dubious at best. I started this book years ago and then life (college) got in the way. I'm taking the opportunity to dust it off and finish it this month

  The Recent Adult Novel

This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz

How it Fits the Theme: The title says it all.  This is a book that interweaves a bunch of anti-love stories together and is the best example of what I'm trying to read this month. I read The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao a long time ago and I love Junot Diaz's writing style so I'm excited to read another of his books.

 

 

The Standalones

Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick

How it Fits the Theme: After reading the description and with my knowledge of the history of this time period I can predict the ending and it fits, which is perfect because I got an ARC from Netgalley and it comes out at the end of the month. This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and it's going to take a lot of self-control not to start it immediately.

A Mad Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

How it Fits the Theme: So maybe it doesn't. The reviews I've seen lead me to believe it's of a more traditional romance. I just really want to read it. I've heard great things from people who aren't even fans of historical fiction (which I am) so I am very much expecting to enjoy this book. 

 

The Series

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

How it Fits the Theme: I know there are some spectacularly enjoyable ships in this series but there are also a lot of we can't be together because we're too different kind of scenarios. Basically I'm making it work because I want to read this series. It comes very highly recommended and Cress comes out in just a few days!

What are you planning on reading in February? Have you read any of these books? Do they fit my theme of complicated love stories for the month? Leave me a comment with your thoughts and stay tuned for the reviews and HAPPY READING!