The House of Mirth
byEdith Wharton
CompletedDramaPublic domain
Public-domain text, with thanks to Standard Ebooks and other free-text projects.
The House of Mirth is Edith Wharton’s biting critique of New York’s upper classes around the end of the 19th century. The novel follows socialite Lily Bart as she struggles to maintain a precarious position among her wealthy friends in the face of her own diminished finances and fading youth. Lily has resolved to gain social and financial security by marrying into wealth, but callous rivals and her own second thoughts undermine Lily’s plans.
