Roman Fever (Virago Modern Classics)
Worth buying if: You enjoy Edith Wharton's social realism and bitterly observed female friendships.
Skip it if: You expect multi-decade family sagas rather than short, focused episodes.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780860683735. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
This Virago Modern Classics edition gathers Wharton's short novel and linked tales, centering on the title story where old friends Grace and Alida confront betrayal, secrets, and the consequences of choices amid Rome's ruins.
Why this book now
Wharton's sharp social psychology—shown in Roman Fever's spare, ironic climax—still reads as a corrective to social media-era performative intimacy.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You enjoy Edith Wharton's social realism and bitterly observed female friendships.
- You favor compact classics that unpack one moral twist, like the titular novella Roman Fever.
- You expect multi-decade family sagas rather than short, focused episodes.
- You want plot-driven thrillers instead of character-driven moral revelations.
- You are specifically hunting for the newest framing rather than a backlist perspective.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780860683735
Worth buying if: You enjoy Edith Wharton's social realism and bitterly observed female friendships.
Skip it if: You expect multi-decade family sagas rather than short, focused episodes.
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 238 pages, this Trafalgar Square Virago edition is a short, deliberate read—perfect for an evening or a weekend of slow rereading to savor Wharton's sentences.
What stands out here
This Virago Modern Classics paperback emphasizes textual clarity and Wharton's themes of marriage, rivalry, and reputation with an accessible introduction and reliable pagination.
Best way to approach it
Approach Roman Fever by reading the title novella slowly to catch Wharton's subtext, then move through the companion tales to trace recurring motifs of social constraint and regret.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780860683735
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.