num_pages: 338
description: First published in 1905, The House of Mirth shocked the New York society it so deftly chronicles, portraying the moral, social and economic restraints on a woman who dared to claim the privileges of marriage without assuming the responsibilities.Lily Bart, beautiful, witty and sophisticated, is accepted by 'old money' and courted by the growing tribe of nouveaux riches. But as she nears thirty, her foothold becomes precarious; a poor girl with expensive tastes, she needs a husband to preserve her social standing, and to maintain her in the luxury she has come to expect. Whilst many have sought her, something - fastidiousness or integrity- prevents her from making a 'suitable' match.
language: English
title: The House of Mirth
titlecomplete: The House of Mirth
characters: Simon Rosedale, Lawrence Selden, Bertha Dorset, Lily Bart, Judy Trenor, Gus Trenor, George Dorset, Julia Peniston, Carry Fisher, Gerty Farish, Lily Bart, Lawrence Selden, Simon Rosedale, Judy Trenor, Gus Trenor, Percy Gryce, Bertha Dorset, George Dorset, Gerty Farish, Ju, Percy Gryce
genres: Fiction, New York, Historical Fiction, Classic Literature, Historical, Novels, Literature, American, Classics, 20th Century
ratings_count: 95538
places: New York City, New York, New York (State)
publisher: Penguin Books