Summer (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics)
Worth buying if: You enjoy Edith Wharton's moral realism and crisp social observation.
Skip it if: You prefer plot-driven thrillers rather than quiet psychological novels.
Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140186796. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Set in turn-of-the-century New England, Wharton's novel follows young Charity Royall as she navigates desire, social limits, and a fraught relationship that exposes class and moral tensions in a sleepy town.
Why this book now
This Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics edition highlights Wharton's terse psychological insight and the novel's persistent relevance to discussions of class, gender, and rural con.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy Edith Wharton's moral realism and crisp social observation.
- You read character-driven New England fiction and coming-of-age tragedies.
- You prefer plot-driven thrillers rather than quiet psychological novels.
- You want upbeat resolutions instead of Wharton's morally ambiguous endings.
- You only want something with very current references and examples.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Paperback · ISBN-13 9780140186796
Worth buying if: You enjoy Edith Wharton's moral realism and crisp social observation.
Skip it if: You prefer plot-driven thrillers rather than quiet psychological novels.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Light Short sit-downs
At about 192 pages, this compact novel rewards a focused long afternoon or several evening sittings to absorb Wharton's dense character work.
What stands out here
This Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics paperbound edition emphasizes the original prose and period setting, making Wharton's language and social details the central attraction.
Best way to approach it
Read slowly and attend to Wharton's sentences and small gestures—this is a novel of subtext and social nuance rather than sweeping action.
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Paperback: ISBN-13 9780140186796
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.