I'm afraid to say that this book was rather boring to me. Most of the beginning of the book talks about New York society, something that doesn't really interest me. I felt I was waiting for something to happen that would make me care about the main character, ol' whatsisname. I basically knew the way the story was going to go so I was just kind of waiting for it to happen, especially when he started to visit his fiancé's cousin a lot and was excited by how different she was and how she didn't care what others thought of her. He was tired of the routine of daily life and of expecting what was to come. I was glad but unsure when he married his fiancé. I felt he was being honorable but at the same time kind of stupid, because I knew that he had feelings for Ellen (the cousin).
Ellen had something going on with her ex-husband who she wanted to divorce, though her family was against it. This kept them from getting married and sent him to marry his fiancé. The best part of the book was the end when he was about to drop the bomb to his wife that he was going to run off to Japan or somewhere far away with Ellen, but when his wife dropped a bomb first that she was pregnant he really did the honorable thing and stayed and they had three children. His wife died after the third was born, but he stayed and raised them. At the very end he is with his oldest son who is about to be married and they are traveling to France and he has the opportunity to see Ellen. Does he take it or not? I will leave that question unanswered (if you really want to know tell me and I'll post it, but if you want to read the book this is the only part that is a surprise so I don't want to ruin it for anyone).
Stay tuned for Wednesday and I'll post the review for Alice Adams by Booth Tarkington.
This is one of the few Pulitzers I've read, and I actually loved it! I think Edith Wharton is such a beautiful and insightful writer--it really made me think about what kinds of restrictions we put on our lives just because of the society we belong to, and how easy it is to blindside ourselves. But you're right that Newland Archer isn't exactly a likeable character.
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I kind of like books where you can judge the characters. . . the books that show the authors judgement through the hero/heroine are just not the same. I want to know what happens! I guess I'll have to read it.
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