Historical fiction book · Curated
The Age of Innocence
Edith Wharton · historical fiction
In 1870s Gilded Age New York, lawyer Newland Archer is days from marrying flawless May Welland when her cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns from a ruined European marriage and makes the tribe’s rules visible. Wharton’s Pulitzer novel is historical fiction of old New York: opera boxes, Newport summers, and a love affair society will not permit.
Why read it: The head-term Gilded Age novel—literary historical fiction of 1870s New York, and an American counterpart to Victorian society stories already on the British shelf.
About this historical novel
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton is historical fiction set around 1870s in the Victorian / Gilded Age period with key settings including New York City, Gilded Age, Newport. In 1870s Gilded Age New York, lawyer Newland Archer is days from marrying flawless May Welland when her cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns from a ruined European marriage and makes the tribe’s rules visible. Wharton’s Pulitzer novel is historical fiction of old New York: opera boxes, Newport summers, and a love affair society will not permit.
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction and 2. Historical romance so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include society, duty, desire, marriage, and class. The head-term Gilded Age novel—literary historical fiction of 1870s New York, and an American counterpart to Victorian society stories already on the British shelf.
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Plot summary
In 1870s Gilded Age New York, lawyer Newland Archer is days from marrying flawless May Welland when her cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, returns from a ruined European marriage and makes the tribe’s rules visible. Wharton’s Pulitzer novel is historical fiction of old New York: opera boxes, Newport summers, and a love affair society will not permit. The head-term Gilded Age novel—literary historical fiction of 1870s New York, and an American counterpart to Victorian society stories already on the British shelf.
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
North America
New York City · Gilded Age · Newport
Themes
- society
- duty
- desire
- marriage
- class
Tags
classic · literary · pulitzer · award-winner