The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Set in the 1870s, the novel revolves around Newland Archer, a young lawyer from New York's high society, who is engaged to the beautiful and conventional May Welland. His life takes a turn when he meets May's cousin, the Countess Ellen Olenska, who has returned from Europe after leaving her scandalous husband. Torn between his duty and passion, Archer struggles with the constraints of the society he is a part of. The book offers a vivid portrayal of the struggle between individual desires and societal expectations in the upper-class New York society of the late 19th century.
The 87th greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1920
- Nationality
- American
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 300-400
- Words
- 101,572
- Original Language
- English
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 9th on The Celebrity Reading List (Gardiner Public Library)
- 15th on The 100 Favorite Novels of Librarians (Bookman.com)
- 17th on D. G. Myers’ 50 Greatest English Language Novels (D. G. Myers)
- 35th on Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century (themodernnovel.com)
- 40th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 42nd on Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels (Radcliffe Publishing Course)
- 45th on 100 Best Books to Read by Women Authors (Good Housekeeping)
- 46th on Entertainment Weekly's Top 100 Novels (Entertainment Weekly)
- 55th on The Greatest Books of All Time (Reader's Digest)
- 58th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 89th on Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books (Harvard Book Store)
- 104th on The Novel 100: A Ranking of the Greatest Novels of All Time (The Novel 100)
- 111th on The Complete 500: OCLC (OCLC)
- 87 Books Written by Women That Are So Good, You Won't Be Able to Put Them Down (Pop Sugar)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 200 Books That Shaped 200 Years of Literature (The Center for Fiction)
- Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (Pulitzer Prize)
- 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime (Amazon.com (USA))
- The New Lifetime Reading Plan (The New Lifetime Reading Plan)
- From Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books (Jeff O'Neal at Bookriot.com)
- The Graphic Canon (Book)
- 100 Best Novels Written in English (The Guardian)
- The Best Classics (The Times)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- The New York Public Library's Books of the Century (New York Public Library)
- 222 Best Books of All Time That Deserve a Spot on Your Bookshelf, With Picks from Bestselling Authors and Indie Booksellers (Parade)
- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition (New York Times)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)