The Gilded World of Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton the socialite was among the elite of New York at the turn of the twentieth century. Edith Wharton the writer cast a sharp and brilliant eye on this so-called “gilded society” in such major novels as The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. We will review Wharton’s colorful life and the major themes of her novels, including the atypical Ethan Frome, her short, tragic masterpiece of fated lives in the rural Berkshires. We will also touch briefly on the current HBO series, “The Gilded Age,” and its surprisingly accurate representation of a unique and fascinating period in American history. No registration required for this free event for adults.