A Novel of the Gilded Age

 After having watched the HBO TV series "The Gilded Age", I thought that it would be appropriate to read a classic novel set in that era, Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning book, "The Age of Innocence".

"The Age of Innocence", just like "The Gilded Age", takes place in New York City in the late 19th century and portrays with the rigid societal norms of the upper class.  The author was a child of that era, the daughter of a wealthy New York family.  Wharton was expected to be a society matron, but she flouted conventions.  She established herself as a successful writer, moved to Europe, took a lover, and divorced her husband.

As I began the novel, I could not help but compare it to the HBO series.  The opening chapter takes place at an opera performance at the Academy of Music.  The small opera house had a limited number of boxes, which meant that the "nouveau riche" families were shut out.  There is mention of plans to build a larger opera house (what would become the Metropolitan) which did not please the "old money" families.  The so-called "opera war" was one of the themes of the TV series.

The protagonist of the novel is Newland Archer, who comes from a proper "old money" family.  He is engaged to marry May Welland, who is also from a suitable family.  It is at the opera that he is introduced to May's cousin, Ellen Olenska.  Ellen has escaped an abusive marriage to a Polish nobleman and has returned to her family in New York.  In spite of the scandalous situation, her New York relatives manage to have her accepted in "society", although eventually they urge her to return to her husband.  Newland marries May, but he has fallen in love with the enigmatic Countess Olenska.  Does he repress his desire for Ellen and live according to societal standards, or does he run away with her?

This is a quiet novel that is certainly not for someone who craves suspenseful or action-packed books.  However, it does give us an excellent portrayal of life among the upper class of that period.

Now, perhaps taking a cue from the popularity of HBO's "The Gilded Age", Netflix is making an adaptation of "The Age of Innocence".  "The Gilded Age" returns for its fourth season this fall, so I will be looking forward to a double dose of life in old New York.