The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, Book 1, Chapter 3

In chapter 3, Lily recollects the events in her upbringing that led her to her current predicament.

The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, Book 1, Chapter 2

In Chapter 2, Lily takes a train ride to the house party at Bellomont and encounters two of her fellow guests.

The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, Book 1, Chapter 1



This is the first podcast in which I will be reading unabridged novels in the public domain. The first book I have chosen is The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. Published in 1905, it is her first important work. This story chronicles the social downfall of the glamorous Lily Bart, an American socialite unable to reconcile her need to marry well with her desire for real human relationships. In this chapter, Lily runs into an old friend at the train station and snatches a quiet moment away from the busy streets and parlors of New York.