Edith Wharton's acclaimed novel of love, duty, and half-known truths
in Gilded Age New York society, with a foreword by bestselling author
Elif Batuman.
A Penguin Vitae Edition
Dutiful Newland Archer, an eligible young man from New York high
society, is about to announce his engagement to May Welland, a suitable
match from a good family, when May's cousin, the beautiful and exotic
Countess Ellen Olenska, is introduced into their circle. The Countess
brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of
perceived scandal, having left her husband and claimed her independence.
Her worldliness, disregard for society's rules, and air of
unapproachability attract the sensitive Newland, despite his enthusiasm
about a marriage to May and the societal advantages it would bring.
Almost against their will, Newland and Ellen develop a passionate bond,
and a classic love triangle takes shape as the three young people find
themselves drawn into a poignant and bitter conflict between love and
duty. Written in 1920, Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel
about a time and place long gone by--1870s New York City--beautifully
captures the complexities of passion, independence, and fulfillment, and
how painfully hard it can be for individuals to truly see one another
and their place in the world.
Penguin Classics presents Penguin Vitae, loosely translated as "Penguin
of one's life," a deluxe hardcover series featuring a dynamic landscape
of classic fiction and nonfiction that has shaped the course of our
readers' lives. Penguin Vitae invites readers to find themselves in a
diverse world of storytellers, with beautifully designed classic
editions of personal inspiration, intellectual engagement, and creative
originality.
