Edith Wharton: A Biography

R.W.B. Lewis

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1975

Book Brief

R.W.B. Lewis

Edith Wharton: A Biography

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1975

Book Details

Pages

592

Format

Biography • Nonfiction

Setting

USA • Early 20th Century

Publication Year

1975

Audience

Adult

Super Short Summary

Edith Wharton: A Biography by R.W.B. Lewis explores the life and career of the groundbreaking American novelist Edith Wharton, detailing her early writing attempts, a challenging marriage, a transformative affair, vast travels, and her noteworthy works like The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence, while also highlighting her contributions during World War I and her friendship with Henry James. The biography addresses themes of depression.

Informative

Contemplative

Melancholic

Nostalgic

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

R.W.B. Lewis’s Edith Wharton: A Biography is lauded for its comprehensive and well-researched portrayal of the author’s life. Readers appreciate the engaging narrative but note its occasionally dense prose. Some feel the analysis of Wharton’s works could be deeper. Overall, it’s a valuable resource for both scholars and enthusiasts of Wharton’s legacy.

Who Should Read Edith Wharton: A Biography?

Ideal for lovers of literary biographies and early 20th-century literature, readers of Edith Wharton: A Biography by R.W.B. Lewis may also be fans of Hermione Lee's Virginia Woolf and Richard Ellmann's James Joyce. Engaging with Wharton's life and work, this book appeals to those intrigued by the cultural milieu of the Gilded Age and modernism.

The Book Brief page features content created with AI tools guided by SuperSummary experts. Read our content pledge to explore how we innovate using AI combined with deep literary knowledge.