19th Century high society on display in The Age of Innocence

Whereas Ethan Frome is a quick read, The Age of Innocence is a full novel, and it won Edith Wharton a Pulitzer when it came out in 1920. It details the dying of America’s aristocracy in late 19th century America.

Newland Archer is a young man, born to a high society family in New York. He lives at a time when the family’s reputation is more important than anything, maybe even more than life or death. Early on he becomes engaged to the beautiful May Welland, also from one of the best families in the area, so it is a perfect match by everyone concerned. Archer’s life is thrown up in turmoil though when a childhood friend returns to the area. Ellen Olenska is May’s cousin, but Ellen is fleeing scandal in Europe. Her husband had been running around on her, and rather than sticking to his side as a good wife should, she had the gall to come back to America and seek a divorce. Archer is drawn to Ellen, but knows that it would bring ruin to his family if he ended his engagement to May, or even worse, was caught canoodling with Ellen. In the end, Archer puts family first (it is really more Ellen’s choice) and stays with May. The last chapter fast forwards a few decades where we learn that Archer and May had a good life together. He now lives at a time when people are more free to marry who they want (in fact, Archer’s son is getting ready to marry a girl born out of wedlock, and no one bats an eye).

Wharton paints a beautiful portrait of a time when your name was everything, and you cared more for what people thought than what they actually did. Very well written, and unlike some books from its era, not a challenging read.