This book is a classic that I read while in college, which was quite a while ago. When I received a Kindle for Christmas, I discovered this book was free. Since I enjoyed it so much when I was younger, I decided to read it again.

It is a sad tale of high society in New York at the turn of the 20th century. A young woman in that society is not of that society in the sense that she has beauty and wit, but no fortune. She should be a cinch to catch a rich hubby, but she cannot bring herself to make the marriage plunge for moola. So, she lets her heart lead her and her honorable and truthful nature guide her, which is a big mistake in this snake pit.

The so-called high society group is a bunch of degenerate liars who feed on the souls of innocent people like the main character, Lily Bart. Lily is not completely innocent - she knows enough to feel ashamed of being used by a wife to hide her affair from her husband.

This book will break your heart if you care for Lily. It broke my heart both times I read it.

anyone who enjoys a well written tale with a lot of commentary about behavior.

Gerty Farrish. She is Lily's cousin and a generous soul if there ever was one.

the love of Gerty and Lily's lives, Selden. I think he is a weak natured jackass.

cry and I did.

is a great writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for another book called, The Age of Innocence.

it is a timeless story about phonies at the highest level of society.

My only hesitation with this book is that I so wished at the end we could see what a sad ending's effect was on the evil characters who turned on Lily. I really wanted to read about Bertha Dorset's reaction. Selden's regret was predictable, but the rest of those jerks had a day of reckoning coming and I would have liked to read about it.

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Created Jan 13, 2014 at 2:23pm • Submit your own review...