Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s, during the so-called Gilded Age. The novel, which takes its title from artist Joshua Reynolds’ 1785 painting of a little girl, focuses on impending marriage of an upper-class couple: Newland Archer, a distinguished lawyer, and the shy, but lovely May Welland. Enter the bride's cousin, Ellen Olenska, plagued by a scandalous separation from her European husband, a Polish count. The presence of Ellen, a classic femme fatale, threatens the happiness of Newland and May. However, May’s determination must not be undermined as she proceeds to use everything in her power to ensure her marriage to Newland. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of the Gilded Age, it never explicitly condemns the era. …And perhaps it should have. The Age of Innocence won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to win the prize; however, upon being awarded the honor, the novel was praised as “best present[ing] the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood.” Many claimed that even Wharton was taken aback when reviewers failed to see the irony of the title and her social criticism of 1870s New York society. Of the many film, television, and theatrical adaptations of The Age of Innocence, perhaps most notable is the 1993 film of the same name, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Countess Ellen Olenska, Daniel Day-Lewis as Newland Archer, and Winona Ryder as May Welland Archer. The film won an Oscar for costume design and Ryder was not only nominated for an Oscar, but won a Golden Globe Award for her portrayal of May Welland Archer. The Age of Innocence is ranked 58th on Modern Library’s “100 Best” English-language novels of the 20th century and 45th on The Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels.

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Bookseller: Browse Awhile Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 1140543
Title: The Age of Innocence
Author: Wharton, Edith
Format/Binding: Paperback
Book Condition: Used - Near Fine
Edition: 1st Printing
ISBN 10: 002026478X
ISBN 13: 9780020264781
Publisher: Collier Books
Place of Publication: Don Mills, Ontario, Canada
Date Published: 1993

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About Browse Awhile Books

We've provided used and out-of-print books to western Ohio readers and collectors since 1980 through our retail store. We have been an active online bookseller since 1997, when we were among the first generation of Bibliofind and ABE vendors. We work hard to offer a variety of interesting books, priced competitively, graded and described honestly, delivered promptly and pleasantly. Our 2,000+ square feet shop is located in the heart of the Old Tipp City Historic District, among more than 50 antique and arts shops. We're open 11AM-5PM Tuesday through Friday and 11AM-4PM Saturday. We're a two-minute drive from I-75, about 15 minutes north of Dayton, Ohio. Our current inventory consists of approximately 200,000 books, about 1/3 of which are in the online inventory. A word about descriptions...we attempt to grade and describe books as accurately as possible, so that you will know exactly what you are buying. We want our customers to order with confidence and to reorder with pleasure - if you receive anything other than what you expect, we prefer that it is because we've exceeded your expectations. Many of our books are described as being within Brodart covers or protective sleeves. These are the sort of clear covers that you find on library books, though (of course!) we do not affix them to the book in any way. Virtually all dust-jacketed books are within Brodart covers, whether so described or not.

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Mass Market: Mass market paperback books, or MMPBs, are printed for large audiences cheaply. This means that they are smaller, usually 4...
Movie tie-in: an edition of a book which is produced in conjunction with a movie which is usually based on the book, often with a cover image...
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