In case you didn’t know, today’s Edith Wharton’s birthday. Were she still alive, she’d be 158, probably enjoying a nice cup of tea in Paris. Maybe she’d have a Kindle in front of her and would be interested in checking out some novels inspired by her legendary body of work. And so, on this very special day, let’s run through a few of the best books to read if you’re a Wharton fan.
- Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick (Amistad) by Zora Neale Hurston
This new collection features the never-before-published Harlem stories by Zora Neale Hurston, including “The Back Room” which transports House of Mirth to the Harlem Renaissance. Lilya, Hurston’s version of Lily Bart, is a very different character from Wharton’s original, but she faces the same challenges as a young, “marriageable” woman looking for love before it’s too late. All these stories are great, but “The Back Room” in particular makes a familiar story feel fresh again.
- Gossip Girl (Poppy) by Cecily von Ziegesar
If you’ve seen the TV version of this insane guilty pleasure soap opera, you’re already familiar with the basics: rich kids in NYC plot social climbing schemes. For those reasons alone, it’s pretty Whartonian, but the central love triangle in this YA novel is lifted directly from Age of Innocence: the young man (Nate Archibald, Newland Archer) must decide between his safe, longtime girlfriend and the exciting new woman who’s entered his life. This novel is some goofy, low-brow fun. Give it a shot.
- Gilded Age (Simon & Schuster) by Claire McMillan
It’s kinda House of Mirth modernized, but also the lead character has a similar background to Ellen Olenska from Age of Innocence, who never really got a chance to tell her own story. Also, it’s set in Cleveland high society which I guess is a thing. If all of that interests you, pick up Gilded Age.
- The Innocents (Hachette) by Francesca Segal
We’ve established that all Newland Archer-types must have some combination of “NA or AN” initials and the same holds true for Adam Newman, a nice Jewish boy living in London. Obviously he ends up in a love triangle, but the setting of Temple Fortune, a small Jewish community, sets this one apart from the other takes on Wharton that move the story to a different NYC neighborhood. Or to Cleveland.
I’m going to spoil Gone Girl so if you haven’t read Gone Girl stop reading this list and read Gone Girl instead. When I reached the end of that thriller that everybody’s still trying to top, I was floored by the ending… which felt strangely familiar. Then it occurred to me: Amy… May… Gillian Flynn hid Amy’s scheming in plain sight. Wharton readers should’ve known something was off from the start. Next time you revisit this one, consider that Newland got off easy compared to Nick.
- Scribner’s 2020 editions of The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth
At the end of the day, why read imitators when you can have the real thing? Scribner’s just released two gorgeous new editions of Wharton’s two most beloved novels, just in time for the hundredth anniversary of Age of Innocence. Take them to the Mount, take them to Europe, read them in bed like Edith would have wanted. Just be sure to read these novels, because they’ve influenced so many works in the last century and they’ll always be compelling, timeless stories in their own right.
