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The House of Mirth

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The House of Mirth

De: Edith Wharton
Narrado por: Eleanor Bron
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Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York's elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means.

Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened.

A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton's tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s. Taking us on a journey through lavish drawing rooms in grand country houses to cold and menacing boarding houses, Wharton addresses the consequences awaiting those who openly dared to challenge the status quo.

First published in serial form, The House of Mirth contributed significantly to Edith Wharton's already substantial riches. Accustomed to living a life of privilege, Wharton was able to foster her creative talents from a young age.

Working as a published author from the age of 18, Wharton's story is as intriguing and daring as her heroine's. Wedding and then divorcing Edward Wharton, her experience of marriage and consequent heartbreak is usually chronicled in her works.

Never the victim however, Wharton went on to receive multiple awards for her writing, as well as the bravery that she demonstrated during the First World War when she organised hostels for refugees, fund-raised for those in need and reported from battlefield frontlines.

Usually seen in the company of other great authors including Jack London, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jean Cocteau, Wharton became a literary master whose skill and wit is perfectly captured in this enthralling audiobook.

Narrator Biography

Celebrated author and stage, film and television actress, Eleanor Bron, lends her iconic voice to the narration of The House of Mirth.

Best known for her roles in films such as A Little Princess, Bedazzled, Women in Love, Black Beauty and Alfie, Eleanor's career is as varied as it has been successful.

Also not a stranger to the theatre, Bron thrived in classical and modern productions of plays including The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, The Merchant of Venice, Private Lives, All About My Mother and Hedda Gabler.

A celebrated writer, Eleanor has published various titles, including Life and Other Punctures, Double Take and The Pillow Book of Eleanor Bron.

Further audiobook contributions include A Little Princess by Frances Burnett, The Aeneid by Virgil, The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier and Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Clásicos Ficción Ficción Histórica Sincero Apasionante emocionalmente
Beautiful Writing • Timeless Relevance • Captivating Performance • Complex Characters • Social Commentary
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I’ve read HOUSE OF MIRTH at least twice before. But Eleanor Bron’s sensitive, insightful reading brought out so many nuances I never noticed before. Her reading of the ending was transcendent. One of my best audiobook experiences.

Superb Narrator for Wharton’s Best

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The House of Mirth is my favorite Edith Wharton novel. I read and was enraptured by the book years ago, and I later became a fan of the 2000 film version. I don't see the point of retelling the plot in this kind of review. For those who are interested, I recommend reading (and especially listening to) the book before seeing the movie. I believe the film is generally successful with wonderful visuals, an inspired choice of casting and overall tone that captures the spirit and sensibilities of the novel. But listening to The House of Mirth was a much finer and fulfilling experience. This is a masterful performance by a narrator whose voice is modulate and appropriately cultured to convey the charms and treacheries of high society life in turn-of-the-century New York. Of course, it is a beautifully written book, with elegantly composed passages that stir and swell the story. I was absorbed in the curious turns and vanities of the heroine, Lily Bart, and while I never "like" her, I could not help but worry and wish for a better outcome for her. A great part of my enjoyment of this and other Wharton novels is the era of splendor that shape the stories. I have a fascination for 19th and early 20th century life in America, and I read a lot of non-fiction and historical works about the Gilded Age. Tycoons, industrialists, suffragettes, heiresses, artists, writers, presidents, dynastic families, immigrants, movers and shakers - they are captivating characters who made the era a conglomeration of progress and intended and unintended debasements. The House of Mirth is an exquisite sampling of upper crust society told through the fictional travails of a woman trying to hold her place among the haughty. It is a harrowing quest for a woman with no husband and no money of her own. Ms. Wharton is unsparing in her depiction of Miss Bart as a futilely aimed person. She reigns and falls in a web of characters who do not seek or have redeeming qualities. There are no great heroes, but they are great fun.

A hauntingly beautiful story ....

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Transcends the novel-of-manners about aristocrats genre....a study of human relationships and pride. Won't forget for a long time. Narrator does a great job differentiating among characters without falling into caricature.

Great narration, gripping story

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This is one of the best novels of its day.
The reader is outstanding.
A beautiful refined woman without means is trapped into maintaining her status in shallow New York society, staves off male predators, and waffles on marriage prospects for financial rescue rather than happiness. The influence of friend Seldon helps her maintain the honor which only she knows has been kept up to the very end.
The characters of men, women and both classes are complex and beautifully drawn, there is no typecasting here, nor shallowness. It's loaded with ironies.
It takes a brilliant writer like Wharton to convey the details of her story within late 19th century New York life in such a compelling way.
Hard to stop listening,

Brilliantly written tragedy

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Where does The House of Mirth rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was my first listen and I enjoyed it very much!

What did you like best about this story?

The voice of the narrator and how she changed her voice from character to character.

Which character – as performed by Eleanor Bron – was your favorite?

Mr. Rosdale

Very enjoyable listening!!

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I enjoyed this book. It has a certain "Austenesque" charm to it. I didn't like many of the characters but they were all so well drawn I felt as if I knew them. The world that Edith Wharton wrote about was a world that is a horrible one too and I found myself being quite angry about, because I know that it still exists.
Ultimately quite sad, but a good book.

I was surprised

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What a classic! Edith Wharton’s writing is concise and penetrating. Her themes are timeless and thought provoking. Highly recommended.

Still exceptional

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The most upsetting thing about this story are the lingering parallels to women's role in our own time. Despite feminist advances in the workplace, a woman who lacks marriage still lacks a certain amount of position and security in today's society. Argue if you will, but statistics demonstrate that women who have divorced are in a decidedly disadvantaged state economically compared to married women and men who have divorced.

A second upsetting aspect of the story related to the immense amount of judgment society doles out. Some are on top, some are on the bottom, and wherever you are, you look down your nose at those who are under you. Lily Bart was both scorner and scornee.

Finally, I was taken aback by the anti-semitism displayed by society as written by this author against Simon Rosedale, a Jewish man whom she characterizes by every stereotypical, anti-semitic trope available to her, both physical and personality. Strangely, Rosedale's experiences at the hands of a very anti-Semitic Upper Crust New York prepare him to be the only person who understands what has happened to our heroine, Lily Bart. I wanted to believe that the evolution of this unsavory character into a sympathetic one was the author's attempt to object to anti-semitism, but in the end result I could not because even as she redraws him as sympathetic, she keeps Rosedale's personality locked into Jewish stereotypes about money and shrewd business practice. I am Jewish and I wanted to smack Edith Wharton.

For all my distress with the book's themes, I didn't quit the book. I wanted to find out what happened to Lily Bart. But it was a lot of personal cognitive dissonance.

SAD

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Beautiful and sad in the best possible way. We all come across glamorous, bright people and always wonder how they turned out in the end. This book will answer that question for you. Not in the way you hoped, but in the way you realize it always had to be.

A walk through a different time

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Timelessly relevant and insightful story, and exquisitely written. Eleanor Bron’s performance is incredible and near-hypnotizing. I could hardly bare to turn it off. So good!

Equally beautiful story and performance

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