| The Custom of the Country Contributor(s): Wharton, Edith (Author), Orgel, Stephen (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0199555125 ISBN-13: 9780199555123 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $11.66 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2009 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Fiction | Classics - Fiction | Literary |
| Dewey: FIC |
| LCCN: 2009290539 |
| Series: Oxford World's Classics (Paperback) |
| Physical Information: 0.8" H x 5" W x 7.6" (0.55 lbs) 416 pages |
| Themes: - Locality - New York, N.Y. - Geographic Orientation - New York - Cultural Region - Mid-Atlantic - Cultural Region - Northeast U.S. |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Edith Wharton's satiric anatomy of American society in the first decade of the twentieth century appeared in 1913; it both appalled and fascinated its first reviewers, and established her as a major novelist. The Saturday Review wrote that she had assembled as many detestable people as it is possible to pack between the covers of a six-hundred page novel, but concluded that the book was brilliantly written, and should be read as a parable. It follows the career of Undine Spragg, recently arrived in New York from the Midwest and determined to conquer high society. Glamorous, selfish, mercenary and manipulative, her principal assets are her striking beauty, her tenacity, and her father's money. With her sights set on an advantageous marriage, Undine pursues her schemes in a world of shifting values, where triumph is swiftly followed by disillusion. Wharton was recreating an environment she knew intimately, and Undine's education for social success is chronicled in meticulous detail. The novel superbly captures the world of post-Civil War America, as ruthless in its social ambitions as in its business and politics. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. |