Edith Wharton: An Extraordinary Life: An Illustrated Biography [Paperback]

Eleanor Dwight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

In this first fully illustrated biography of American writer Edith Wharton, the author combines insightful personal history with comparisons of how elements of Wharton's life and milieu were reflected in her writing. The more than 300 illustrations include numerous personal photos--some taken by Wharton herself.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This profusely illustrated biography of Wharton (1862-1937) concentrates on the American writer as a continental traveler whose aesthetic appreciation of architecture and interior design found expression in the homes she maintained. Although she was best known for novels portraying upper-class society ( House of Mirth , 1905), Wharton also wrote about home decoration ( Italian Villas and Their Gardens , 1904). Dwight, a freelance writer and lecturer, skillfully details, with accompanying illustrations, Wharton's acute visual sense with which she designed the rooms and gardens of her homes in the U.S. and Europe. In this adequate account of Wharton's life, the author covers her divorce and her love affair with Morton Fullerton, as well as her friendships with writer Henry James and art critic Bernard Berenson. Also documented is the well-organized war relief for WW I refugees that Wharton established in Paris. Photos. Reader's Subscription Book Service alternate.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Unlike other recent biographies that focus either on the literature (Shari Benstock, No Gifts from Chance, LJ 6/15/94) or on Wharton's social contexts (Susan Goodman, Edith Wharton's Inner Circle, LJ 5/15/94), Dwight's work demonstrates the centrality of architecture, travel, and gardening to Wharton's life and work. The chapters are organized around Wharton's many travels and explore the development of Wharton's aestheticism as she encounters a variety of artistic styles and theories. The greatest strength of the book is the lavish illustrations, which show clearly that Wharton was an architect of space as much as an architect of character. Indeed, after Dwight's biography one can never again read The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth without inhabiting the grand spaces that Wharton describes. A fine complement to the works of Benstock and Goodman. Highly recommended.
Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Westerville P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810927950
• ISBN-13: 978-0810927957
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,505,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aptly Titled Extraordinary!!!, September 18, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edith Wharton: An Extraordinary Life: An Illustrated Biography (Paperback)

This beautifully illustrated book is of the "coffeetable" variety but that moniker fails to do justice for this incredible look into the life of the brillant novelist. Scores of rare photos and documents illustrate the best text I have ever read on the private life of Ms. Wharton. This is definately not the "ice queen" of other biographers; reproduced postcards and quoted letters give graphic proof of her warm and witty personality . She was clearly blessed with a remarkable capacity for friendship and unending thirst for knowledge and experiences. This is truly the finest biography ever written on the legendary lady of letters. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is to own this volume, it proudly sits on my shelf alongside Ms. Wharton's own works. An absolute must for any reference library on Wharton!!!

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST HAVE!!!, September 16, 2003

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edith Wharton: An Extraordinary Life: An Illustrated Biography (Paperback)

A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY WHARTON SCOLAR, ENTHUSIAST OR SIMPLE READER. A UNIQUE WAY OF REVEALING THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS LADY'S CHARISMA AND CONSTANT PASION FOR LIFE AND CREATION. A BOOK PORTRAYING THE MERE FACT THAT EDITH WHARTON DOES NOT CONSTITUTE "A PRISON-HOUSE" FOR LITERATURE BUT RATHER AN ECOSYSTEM OF IDEAS AND EMOTIONS. SUPERB!!!