It's a shame that US high school students must read The Great Gatsby but not The Age of Innocence. The books are similar in topic of the high society of NYC (and abroad) and their trials and tribulations, which I cannot eyeroll hard enough 100 years later about, However, The Age of Innocence came first, and Edith Wharton should be honored with school reading in the same way, if for no reason than being the first woman to win the Pulitzer.

For me, this is only a 3-star book. I see the connections to books I have enjoyed, such as C.L. Polk's The Midnight Bargain and Witchmark. It's very well-written - obviousy having won a Pulitzer. The writing and story is partially relevant today. But my above comment about eyerolls around the trials and tribulations of NYC society means that I'm just never going to be an audience that is receptive to it.

As has happened with some other books I procurred five years ago, if I read this five years ago when many of my friends were so strongly suggesting it and the intervening five years of *gestures at everything* hadn't happened, I might be more sympathetic to it. It moved so slowly for me. In the meantime, I had about 3 years of a reading slump and only in the last seven months have I been able to venture into my pile of books that weren't matching my mood.

While there are going to be readers who love this - even if forced to read it for school - for people who take my reviews as recommendations, I can only recommend this in some specific wants. Read this if you are looking for a beautifully written, character-driven, 1920s NYC society story. If that sounds up your alley, please take a look at this.

Nicely updated edition of a classic. This isn't my favorite Edith Wharton novel, but it was interesting to read it again after many years. Elif Batuman has written a brilliant foreword that manages not to be stuffy or superfluous. This is a great edition of the book to assign to students, pick for a book club, or finally get around to reading for yourself.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Started slow, got interesting, really appreciated how Wharton ended it, but the whole time i wished she'd written the book with Ellen Olenska as the POV character instead of Newland Archer. This is one i've heard about my whole life so i'm glad i finally read it.