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Quote by Edith Wharton

Work

The letters of Edith Wharton

This volume gathers the written correspondence of Edith Wharton, one of the foremost American writers of the early twentieth century. The letters span her extensive network of relationships with family members, fellow authors, publishers, and friends, documenting her experiences across multiple countries and decades. They reveal her perspectives on the craft of fiction, her observations of European and American society, and her responses to the historical events she witnessed. The collection serves as a primary source for understanding Wharton's development as a writer, her editorial relationships, her architectural and gardening interests, and her commentary on the changing world around her. Scholars and general readers consult these letters to gain a more intimate understanding of the author behind such novels as The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. more

Author

Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton

American novelist known for her delicate psychological portrayals and profound social insights. Edith Wharton came from a wealthy New York family and her works mainly reflect the American society at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Her representative works include 'The Age of Innocence' and 'The House of Mirth' among others. more

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“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision. That new, that personal, vision is attained only by looking long enough at the object represented to make it the writer's own; and the mind which would bring this secret gem to fruition must be able to nourish it with an accumulated wealth of knowledge and experience.”

“There is indeed one element in human destiny that not blindness itself can controvert: whatever else we are intended to do, we are not intended to succeed; failure is the fate allotted. It is so in every art and study; it is so above all in the continent art of living well.”

“[T]he kingdom of heaven is of the childlike, of those who are easy to please, who love and who give pleasure. Mighty men of their hands, the smiters and the builders and the judges, have lived long and done sternly and yet preserved this lovely character; and among our carpet interests and twopenny concerns, the shame were indelible if we should lose it. Gentleness and cheerfulness, these come before all morality; they are the perfect duties.”