The Age of Innocence (Cambridge Literature)
Worth buying if: you enjoy Edith Wharton’s social realism.
Skip it if: you prefer plot-driven thrillers over social nuance.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780521485494. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
Set in 1870s New York high society, Wharton’s novel follows Newland Archer as his engagement to May Welland is disrupted by the arrival of Countess Olenska, forcing him to weigh passion against social obligation in a precise, ironical narrative from Cambridge’s edition.
Why this book now
Cambridge’s scholarly edition restores Wharton’s razor-sharp observations about privilege, gender roles, and social performance that still shape conversations about status and marr.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- you enjoy Edith Wharton’s social realism.
- you’re drawn to Newland Archer’s moral dilemma.
- you prefer plot-driven thrillers over social nuance.
- you dislike slow-burn character studies of New York society.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780521485494
Worth buying if: you enjoy Edith Wharton’s social realism.
Skip it if: you prefer plot-driven thrillers over social nuance.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Balanced Moderate time
At roughly 320 pages, this measured Cambridge edition rewards steady, attentive reading—about 6–10 hours depending on close reading of social detail and notes.
What stands out here
Cambridge University Press presents text and scholarly apparatus that emphasize Wharton’s language, historical context, and critical footnotes for classroom or careful personal study.
Best way to approach it
Read slowly, pausing on Wharton’s dialogues and social descriptions; consult the edition’s notes when references to Gilded Age customs or character histories appear.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780521485494
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.