Edith Wharton

"The return of the beautiful Countess Olenska into the rigidly conventional society of New York sends reverberations throughout the upper reaches of society. Newland Archer, an eligible young man of the establishment is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a pretty ingénue, when May's cousin, Countess Olenska, is introduced into their circle. The Countess brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of scandal, having...

This tragic love story reveals the destructive effects of wealth and social hypocrisy on Lily Bart, a ravishing beauty. Impoverished but well-born, Lily realizes a secure future depends on her acquiring a wealthy husband. Her downfall begins with a romantic indiscretion, intensifies with an accumulation of gambling debts, and climaxes in a maelstrom of social disasters.

The extended family of Mrs. Manford is determined to escape the pain, boredom and emptiness of life through whatever form of "twilight sleep" they can devise or procure.

Showcasing a true-to-life and compelling menagerie of characters, Edith Wharton's 'Tales of Men and Ghosts' is an assortment of ten different uncanny, paranormal and tragic stories. While depicting vivid and fascinating characters, 'Tales of Men and Ghosts' also studies the social attitudes of 20th century society. Repressed sexuality, strained relationships and class distinctions are among the issues explored by Wharton. A bare bones exhibition of...

Wealthy young American girls visit England and lay siege to the hearts of members of the nobility.

"No history of the American uncanny tale would be complete without mention of Edith Wharton, yet many of Wharton's most dedicated admirers are unaware that she was a master of the form. In fact, one of Wharton's final literary acts was assembling Ghosts, a personal selection of her own most chilling stories, written between 1902 and 1937. In 'The Lady's Maid's Bell,' the earliest tale included here, a servant's dedication to her mistress continues...

Edith Wharton was an American novelist, poet and short story writer whose works display her mastery over the realistic fiction genre. Although she grew up in a world of refined manners and fashionable people, she was also aware of its superficiality, a theme that frequently appeared in her works. Her stories range widely from powerful social commentary to titillating ghost stories that made Wharton extremely popular beyond her living years. This collection...

Xingu is a short story about a woman's luncheon club devised as a means of keeping its members up to date with the latest goings on in the world. After the glamorous novelist Osric Dane stuns the other women with her bored disposition and blunt questions, the conversation is left stale – that is, until the previously quiet Mrs. Roby mentions the topic of Xingu. Thought mad by the rest of her peers, Mrs. Roby is suddenly engaged by a nowinquisitive...