# 43: Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence 
Before discussing the novel itself, I am compelled to discuss my favorite details from Wharton’s personal life. Some of these details include the fact that Wharton’s first published book, unlike the rest of her work that made her famous, was a book on home decorating. Ever heard of the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses?” Wharton was born Edith Newbold Jones and her family was the “Joneses.”
Wharton’s background, coupled with  her tremendous talent of prose, has yielded the many works that are impeccably composed. Arguably, the novels achieve more when taken in the context of preserving the social history of her time. Besides narrating about the love triangle between Newland Archer, May Welland, and Countess Ellen Olenska, The Age of Innocence  gives us a glimpse into the rules and codes of conduct, the exclusivity of which would have prevented many of Wharton’s contemporaries from gaining entrance. As such, The Age of Innocence goes beyond its role of narrating about the lives its protagonists, and serves as chronicler of history. 

# 43: Edith Wharton, The Age of Innocence 

Before discussing the novel itself, I am compelled to discuss my favorite details from Wharton’s personal life. Some of these details include the fact that Wharton’s first published book, unlike the rest of her work that made her famous, was a book on home decorating. Ever heard of the phrase “Keeping up with the Joneses?” Wharton was born Edith Newbold Jones and her family was the “Joneses.”

Wharton’s background, coupled with  her tremendous talent of prose, has yielded the many works that are impeccably composed. Arguably, the novels achieve more when taken in the context of preserving the social history of her time. Besides narrating about the love triangle between Newland Archer, May Welland, and Countess Ellen Olenska, The Age of Innocence  gives us a glimpse into the rules and codes of conduct, the exclusivity of which would have prevented many of Wharton’s contemporaries from gaining entrance. As such, The Age of Innocence goes beyond its role of narrating about the lives its protagonists, and serves as chronicler of history.