Erin Reads – Page 18 – Notes on Books & Life

Reading Buddies Discussion: “The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton

Welcome, Reading Buddies! Just a reminder: the June poll is up. Make sure you vote for your pick! Also, as announced last week, in May we’ll be reading Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf.

The House of Mirth is the third novel by Edith Wharton that I’ve read, and I think so far I’m enjoying it most. I’m listening to the audiobook version read by Anna Fields, and while I do think I’m missing the subtler points of writing and character development and such that I’d catch in print, overall the audio is working out just fine. At this point, I’m about halfway through.

My version includes an intro that I found rather fascinating. Wharton, it turns out, was a pretty interesting person. Did you know she was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature, which she received in 1921 for The Age of Innocence? Or that she was a friend of Henry James, who urged her to turn her literary talents toward New York?

Some other interesting facts, from the intro to my edition and from Wikipedia:

Wharton was born in 1862 in New York City and died in 1937 of a stroke.
Some say the expression “keeping up with the Joneses” referred to her father’s family.
She ended up divorcing her husband, Edward Robbins Wharton, after 23 years of marriage. After the divorce she moved permanently to France.
In addition to being an author, Wharton was a garden and interior designer.
Published in 1905, The House of Mirth was Wharton’s first novel to focus on old New York.
The original title for The House of Mirth was A Moment’s Ornament (taken from one of Wordsworth’s poems), and Wharton’s working title was The Year of the Rose. The House of Mirth refers to Ecclesiastes 7:4: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.”

Lily Bart, the novel’s central character, is one of the few people in the novel I find I really like. Actually, my feelings toward her are rather complicated: I like her spunk, am annoyed by her helplessness, and feel uncomfortable for her as she tries to work out the best path through the society of the wealthy. I admire that she tries to fend for herself, since she does not have a mother, for instance, to arrange a marriage for her, but I get frustrated when social norms and her own instilled beliefs get in her way. She can be so coy and flighty that I feel like I should be fed up with her, yet compared to the women around her — meek and resentful, cold and calculating, uptight and scandalized — she is rather endearing. She is like a single bright spot, floundering helplessly in a sea of uncaring and superficial souls.

The other character I find myself drawn to, of course, is Lawrence Selden. Like Lily with her female compatriots, Selden stands out in sharp relief to the timid Gryce, the overbearing Trenor, and the stuffy, annoying Dorset. I don’t know where the story is going, exactly, but I have a feeling Lily and Selden will be forever missing one another.

I think it’s apparent in Wharton’s writing that she both knows the ins and outs of New York high society intimately and that she does not look upon that society favorably. The things with which Lily feels compelled to occupy her time, the problems with which she concerns herself, the tug-of-war between what she subconsciously wants and what she must outwardly appear to desire create an inner turmoil within Lily that does not reflect well on the society that creates it. There is, for instance, the day Selden turns up at Bellomont: by interrupting Selden and Bertha and then spending the day with the former instead of meeting Percy Gryce, Lily has managed to undo the future she’d been (admittedly half-heartedly) working toward. The consequences are irrevocably fixed before Lily even discovers what she’s done.

Finally, there is the matter of Gus Trenor. I feel so bad for Lily, who is clearly in over her naive little head when it comes to him. I’ve only just gotten to the altercation in the Trenor home between Gus and Lily, so I don’t know how that will play out. He strikes me as the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing, circling round and round and slowly closing in on his young prey. And yet at the same time, he’s sort of just a big dumb lout. I marvel at Wharton’s ability to craft these impossibly complex characters.

That’s all for me for today. Over to you: how are you liking The House of Mirth so far?

Reading Buddies: May Pick

Okay, Reading Buddies. That was our closest poll to date! We ended up with two books tied for first and the third just a vote behind. I flipped a coin. But before I announce the winner, I’d just like to remind you that our April book, to be discussed on April 13 and 27, is The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton!

And now, without further ado…our May read will be…

Reading Buddies badge and Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf (cover)

Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf! I’ve meant to read this one for such a long time. I think it’s a perfect book to tackle as a group, since Virginia Woolf can seem a little intimidating, especially if you’ve never read her before. I’ll be posting about May’s book on May 18 and June 1. I’m looking forward to reading Moments of Being with whoever wants to join me!

To tempt you, here’s what Wikipedia has to say about the title, Moments of Being:

“The title for the collection was chosen by its original editor, Jeanne Schulkind, based on a passage from ‘Sketch of the Past’ [one of the essays]. As described by Woolf, ‘moments of being’ are moments in which an individual experiences a sense of reality, in contrast to the states of ‘non-being’ that dominate most of an individual’s conscious life, in which they are separated from reality by a protective covering. Moments of being could be a result of instances of shock, discovery or revelation.”

I know I’m intrigued…and a little nervous!

The other two books — Possession by A.S. Byatt and Tess of the D’urbervilles by Thomas Hardy — will definitely be making another appearance at a later date. So if one of those was your choice, never fear. We’ll get to them!

For June’s choices, I’m bringing back some of the second place finishers from earlier polls. The choices? Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino, and Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. Which one will get your vote?

Reading Buddies Wrap-Up: “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith

Howdy Reading Buddies! How did you like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith? I must admit, I’ve only been reading it at bedtime and am still 50 pages from the end. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish tonight. Feel free to discuss the end, though, if you’d like!

Overall, I’ve enjoyed this reread. As I mentioned in our discussion, I hardly remembered anything from my first time through A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as a young teen, but the general sense I got from the book both times felt the same. I mentioned in my earlier post that at the novel’s start, instead of being closer to Francie’s age I was now closer to Katie’s. It’s funny, but as Francie started to grow up, went out into the so-called real world and started to act less like a kid, I found myself again identifying with her more than with Katie, despite our age gap.

I think one of my favorite parts about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is how well Smith captured the relationships between the Nolan parents and their children. I think it’s very perceptive of Francie to have figured out that she and Katie are too similar, that Katie loves Neeley differently and perhaps more, for example. These dynamics, along with the inner monologues Smith occasionally provided for her characters (Katie in at the ice cream shop graduation party comes to mind), gave a depth to the Nolans and did much to really bring them to life.

I also enjoyed the series of vignettes that makes up the novel. Instead of following a smooth, linear path, reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is like dropping in on a succession of short scenes separated by temporal jumps of varying lengths. Despite all the hopping, though, I didn’t feel like the narrative was choppy — a feat I found impressive on the part of the author.

I can see why some feel Smith can get a little preachy. In this particular novel, that style didn’t get to me, as it seemed somehow to meld with the characters and their situations. But, I can imagine where it could get out of hand in a different narrative setting. I have Joy in the Morning on my shelf and plan to give it a try at some point.

What were your thoughts on A Tree Grows in Brooklyn? Do tell! If you posted about the book on your own blog, please leave a link in the comments so I can check it out. Oh — and be sure to vote for May’s book if you haven’t done so! It’s our closest poll to date!

Reading Buddies Discussion: “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” by Betty Smith

Welcome, Reading Buddies! Before we get into A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, please take a moment to vote for your May pick over in the sidebar. The numbers are neck and neck (and neck), so if you haven’t voted, definitely chime in!

It’s been slow going for me this month, not because of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn itself but because of limited reading time. I tried listening to the recording my library had, but the narration was so wooden and clashed so badly with the feel of the novel that I had to stop! I’ve just reached Chapter XIX. Feel free to discuss any part of the book, though.

Let’s start off with a bit about Betty Smith (I typed “Betty White” first…I must be tired!) from lovely Wikipedia. She was born toward the end of 1896 and spent her childhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is where her inspiration for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn arose. Published in 1943, our current Reading Buddies pick was Smith’s first novel; she went on to publish three more. She married, had two daughters, divorced, and remarried, living to be 75.

Fun fact: did you know A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was adapted to be a musical??? That’s news to me! In fact, Smith had dramatic training and co-authored the book to the 1951 musical adaptation.

When I first started (re)reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn earlier this month, I had a “whoa!” moment. When I read the book the first time as a young teen, I was closer to Francie’s age. This time around, I’m basically Katie’s. I hardly remember a thing about my initial reading, but I’m 100% sure I saw the book differently then than I do now!

I vaguely remember being very wrapped up in Francie during my first reading, probably because she was the character whose time in life most closely matched my own. I find myself savoring the tiny tender and bittersweet moments this time through I’m sure I missed the first time: the way Katie reads the two pages to her kids every day because her mother told her she must, how she cannot bring herself to accompany Francie and Neely to receive their vaccinations, how Johnny cares for Francie’s infected arm. Smith has a glorious knack for infusing humanity into the most basic level of her story.

I really enjoyed the first part of the book, which basically follows Francie through a Saturday’s worth of activities. I loved all the details, from how much each item cost and what each meal involved to the unspoken rules and routines. And when Francie takes up her perch “in” the tree to read — I found myself dreaming I had my own such spot!

I can’t quite put into words Smith’s writing style. It strikes me as straightforward, immediate, and no-nonsense, and yet through it she expresses so much. It took me a few chapters to settle into it, but I think it matches the story and its characters beautifully. I’ve not read anything else by Smith, but I’m curious whether it really is her writing style or just the tone she chose for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

So, how are you enjoying A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith?

Reading Buddies: April Pick

The votes are in, and the Reading Buddies book for April will be…The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton! You guys have seriously been on a classics kick lately, and I’m loving it. It’s been years since I read my most recent Wharton novel (Age of Innocence) and I’ve been meaning to read another. I’ll be posting about The House of Mirth on April 13 and 27. Will you be reading along?

Also, a reminder that we’re currently reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. It’s not to late to jump in! Since March has five Fridays, I’ll post about A Tree Grows in Brooklyn on March 16 and 30, which gives us a whole extra week to get through this one.

And finally, it’s voting time! Be sure to pick the book you’d most like to see Reading Buddies tackle in May in the poll on the right. Your choices are (links go to Goodreads summaries): Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf, Possession by A.S. Byatt, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. Now go! Vote! I’m looking forward to seeing what you pick!