“I despair of the Republic! Such dreariness, such whining sallow women, such utter absence of the amenities, such crass food, crass manners, crass landscape!! What a horror it is for a whole nation to be developing without the sense of beauty, and eating bananas for breakfast.”
Quote by Edith Wharton
Work
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
