Packing packing...

[osprey_archer]

Packing up my apartment. Also cleaning it. My winter of dedicated tea-drinking has left an apparently indelible ring around the drain of the sink. >.<

Also listening to Edith Wharton The Age of Innocence. (I've just discovered the joy of listening to audio books while I drive. Why didn't I realize this earlier? Think of all the books I could have ingested during my commute!) Has anyone else read this? Did you feel a deep and compelling urge to throttle Newland Archer?

He gets engaged to May, who seems like a perfectly charming person, only to immediately fall in love with her beautiful and exotic cousin Madame Olenska - but despite realizing that his feelings for Madame Olenska will poison his marriage with May, he goes ahead with his engagement anyway even though May offers to release him. Because...because...it's never explained exactly why it would be too much effort to extract himself from a marriage that's preordained to be unhappy, but clearly it is.

This preordination, let me add, is entirely of Newland's making: he could be happy with Mary if he was willing to try, but no. Newland Archer would much rather wallow in his adoration of Madame Olenska (and assume that she's fated to be with him, no matter how clearly she says WE CAN NEVER BE TOGETHER), sneer at May for being shallow and insufficiently artistic (never mind Newland also lacks depth, compassion, and artistic talent himself), and luxuriate in his own exquisite misery than make an effort to be a good husband and a good man.

...I hope the books ends with May and Madame Olenska running away to Monte Carlo together. They both deserve someone so much better than Newland Archer.

Comments

[entwashian.livejournal.com]

I wonder what indelible sink tea rings indicate to a tea leaf reader?

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

Something about longevity, perhaps?

[freelancerrh.livejournal.com]

See, it's been years since I read this book, but I remember loving it a lot. Like enough that I tracked down so many of Edith Wharton's novels.

I don't remember having any strong hatred of Archer, nor any love for him. Mostly what I remember is loving the picture Wharton painted of New York high society at the turn of the century, how much wit and humor and lovely little detail she added to what was a (to me) devastating story.

Now, Ethan Frome I *definitely* remember hating.

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I do like the book as a whole - as you say, its picture of New York high society is fascinating - it's just Archer I don't like.

We had to read Ethan Frome in American Lit when I was in high school. The class nearly revolted. It's so endlessly depressing! And then they try to commit suicide by sled!

[freelancerrh.livejournal.com]

See, I was home-schooled during high school, and I had a long list of books I was allowed to choose to read, and both The Age of Innocence and Ethan Frome were on it. I read The Age of Innocence, and really enjoyed it.

My little brother went to public high school and came home ranting and raving about how this Edith Wharton was the worst author ever, and he hated Ethan Frome. I didn't get it. So I read Ethan Frome. And then I did. Worst. Book. Ever.

And it really makes me sad that the school system inflicts that on American teenagers, unjustly making them hate Edith Wharton. I've read a little over half a dozen of her novels, and what I've found are the ones set in Old New York are charming and lovely, no matter what awful things happen, while the ones that go outside it are bleak and morbid, beginning to end.

It's like having people come to their opinions of George Eliot by reading The Mill on the Floss. Just no!

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I think they must use Ethan Frome because it's so short - that's the only thing it has to recommend it.

But it's not like her other novels are the size of War and Peace, so you'd think the school system could find time to squeeze in one of the less soul-destroying ones.

I haven't read Mill on the Floss. We did read Adam Bede at school, though, and I quite liked that. We made a song about it to the tune of A Whole New World...sadly I can't remember any of the words now.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

I read Age of Innocence, but it was in high school, so my memory of it is nonexistent. My memory of the movie is slightly more detailed: I remember there was a white peacock (I had not known they existed prior to seeing the movie). :-P

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

It's funny how the most unimportant details of things sometimes are the ones that stick. (Then again, I'm sure the white peacocks think they're the most important part of any scene they're in.)

On a completely unrelated note, would you have time to beta-read my Sutcliff-swap story? It shouldn't be too long - I'm hoping to get it done within the next week.

Also, I finished Blood and Sand, and OMG I need to write a post about it so much as soon as my brain has recovered from its current mush-like state.

[carmarthen.livejournal.com]

Well, I was a pretty little kid when I saw it, so all the social commentary went whooshing past.

Yes, sure. Send me a PM or comment when you send it--I don't check my fannish email every day.

Looking forward to your Blood and Sand post!