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I liked the book a lot but the final chapters really dragged, to the point where I wondered if she got paid by the word. ( )

Wharton, a product of the New York society she so ruthlessly satirizes, takes a few left turns in this novel, none of them really unexpected. Her strength lies in dissecting the social mores of the fin de siecle 1%; the subtleties of the intrigue and the perils to a young single lady like Lily Bart (whose status is dependent on the good will of others) reveal a gilded jungle where only the enormously wealthy are safe.

Unfortunately, as Lily's fortunes decline, "The House of Mirth" descends into melodrama. The introduction by Cynthia Wolff makes clear the poignancy of Wharton's dilemma, for which Lily Bart is a cipher. What use does a beautiful young woman serve, other than decorative? Wharton escapes this trap through her writing; Lily has no such option, mainly because her perspective is so limited. This is the tragedy of the pre-feminist era. ( )

Beautiful, but too many dry spots to say it was page turner. Biggest plus is Lily's character arc, though it seemed to all happen in the last 4 chapters and her unwillingness to part with any information was insufferable. I've never been one for stories theme-ing on fate, but I still found this story tragically enthralling and has a good execution to meditate (or brood) on. Makes you realize we all need someone or something to keep us grounded. ( )

Huérfana a los diecinueve años, Lily Bart es acogida por una tía en el seno de uno de los más antiguos clanes de la sociedad neoyorquina. Diez años después, aún no se ha casado y ni su exigua renta personal ni la generosidad condicional de su protectora han hecho nada para favorecer su independencia. Lily, hermosa, inteligente, con clase, educada para ser un adorno y empujada al mercado del matrimonio, irá poco a poco extraviándose y descendiendo en un mundo de feroces convenciones secretamente regido por la manipulación, el desafecto, el engaño y el chantaje.