Edith wharton

[bookworm57]

Hi,
Does anyone have any opinions on Edith Wartons work? In particular "The Buccaneers" which was finished after ediths death in 1937 by Marion Mainwearing.
If so I would like to hear from you.
Regards- Bookworm57.

[Virgil]

I've only read Ethan Frome, and I thought it was a good but not great novel.

[Perri]

Hi,
Does anyone have any opinions on Edith Wartons work? In particular "The Buccaneers" which was finished after ediths death in 1937 by Marion Mainwearing.
If so I would like to hear from you.
Regards- Bookworm57.

Your message concerning The Bucanners by Edith Wharton isdated June 2007 so U may no longer be interested in what I have to say. According to some sources it is based on Consuela Vanderbilt Balsan. I have read Mrs. Balsan's autiobiography as well as a biography Consuela and Alva Vanderbilt. The only resemblance to Consuela and Annabell St. George is that they both married English dukes and later divorced them. Consuela was tall, 5 ft 8 inches, well educated and intelligent. Annabell St. George is always depicted as being "small, very young" etc. She is a childish dreamer who just followed in the wake of her older beautiful sister. She was also inordinately attached to her former governess long after she (Annabell) married and had been pregnant. She just seems to daydream her life away.

[Perri]

Re: Mrs. Wharton and the Buccaneers: I suggest U read her memoirs, A Backward Glance. She moved in the same social circles as the characters in the Buccaneers and her memoirs give a detailed account of this period in time. It is interesting that her memoirs do not mention Consuela Vanderbilt but Consuela's autiobiography mentions Mrs.Wharton as did the biography of Consuelo and her mother which is Consuela and Alva Vanderbilt by Amanda Mackenzie Stuart.

[Mr_Rayber]

Wow, I just noticed the date on the OP.. that's a long time. It is, however, interestingly relevant because I actually found this forum while doing some research on Wharton. In particular, I have been trying to find an explanation of why her novel, The Age of Innocence, won a Pulitzer. I read it some time ago and its really bugged me. I'm not trying to be overly critical of her writing in this novel, but usually when a novel is considered so far above its peers that it wins recognition like that, you can generally understand why.

Would someone like to enlighten me as to what it is about this novel that made it so special? I know this sounds cynical, but seriously, I would like to know,especially if I missed something while reading it. Thanks!