num_pages: 303
description: Set in turn-of-the-century New York, Edith Wharton's classic novel The Age of Innocence reveals a society governed by the dictates of taste and form, manners and morals, and intricate social ceremonies. Newland Archer, soon to marry the lovely May Welland, is a man torn between his respect for tradition and family and his attraction to May's strongly independent cousin, the Countess Ellen Olenska. Plagued by the desire to live in a world where two people can love each other free from condemnation and judgment by the group, Newland views the artful delicacy of the world he lives in as a comforting security one moment, and at another, as an oppressive fiction masking true human nature. The Age of Innocence is at once a richly drawn portrait of the elegant lifestyles, luxurious brownstones, and fascinating culture of bygone New York society and a compelling look at the conflict between human passions and the social tribe that tries to control them.
language: English
title: The Age of Innocence
titlecomplete: The Age of Innocence
characters: Ellen Olenska, Newland Archer, Mrs. Augusta Welland, Mrs. Manson Mingott, May Welland
genres: Classics, American, New York, Historical, Novels, Romance, Historical Fiction, Literature, 20th Century, Fiction
ratings_count: 168113
places: The United States of America, New York City, New York, New York (State)
awards: awardedAt: -1546272000000
name: Pulitzer Prize
category: Novel
publisher: Virago UK