New Essays on The House of Mirth

Author: Es
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Cambridge Studies in American Fiction was initiated by Cambridge University Press in the mid-1980s and continues to publish new titles to this day. Currently, there are over fifty volumes, each focusing on a classic novel by a renowned American literary figure, with essays written by distinguished scholars of these authors. The opening essay is by an expert, discussing the creative process, publication history, contemporary reception, and critical and reading trends surrounding the work since its release. This is followed by four to five additional essays that analyze and interpret the work from different perspectives using various critical methodologies. These articles are not randomly selected but are specifically commissioned for the series, employing up-to-date theories and offering insightful, innovative perspectives. The book concludes with a bibliography of reference materials to aid further study and research. This volume is part of Cambridge Studies in American Fiction, titled The House of Mirth Reconsidered. Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth garnered widespread attention from American readers beginning in 1905, when it was published in a serial format by Lippincott Publishing and later released as a hardcover edition in October of the same year. Wharton's novel tells the story of Lily Bart, a "social parasite"—as Edmund Wilson described her, "on the verge of becoming very rich"—and spent four months at the top of the bestseller charts. This novel paved the way for her to become one of the leading English-language writers of her time. The four essays in this volume reinterpret the historical, critical, and theoretical significance of Wharton's creative work.