1905: The House of Mirth
Author/Editor: Edith Wharton
Originally published as a serial run in Scribner’s Magazine from January through November 1905, The House of Mirth was published on October 14, 1905, by Charles Scribner’s Son’s. The novel follows Lily Bart, a beautiful young woman on the hunt for a rich husband, as she experiences the social scene and eventually suffers from its harshness. The book remained on the bestseller list for 1906 and sold over 140,000 copies. Critics applauded the book for providing insights into how even the privileged suffer in a male dominated society.
Wharton was the author of more than 40 volumes including novels, short stories, poetry and non-fiction. In 1923 she became the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate from Yale.
Learn more about her by visiting the Edith Wharton Society website maintained by Washington State University.
Picture courtesy of the Edith Wharton Society website.