The Age of InnocenceThe Age of Innocence
Score Classic
What it's about
New York, the 1870s. Newland Archer, a young lawyer from one of the city's old families, is engaged to the sweet, proper May Welland. Then May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, comes home after leaving a bad marriage in Europe, scandalizing society. Newland is asked to help the family manage her, and he falls in love with her instead.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize, the first awarded to a woman for fiction, and is on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It's a quietly devastating story of desire and the rules that crush it.
You'll love it if you liked
The Great Gatsby
Pride and Prejudice
Anna KareninaGood to know
It's subtle and slow-burning; much of the drama happens in glances. The final chapter is one of the best endings in American fiction. Scorsese's 1993 film is a faithful adaptation.
By the numbers
- Readers41 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics93 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller58 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving
More by Edith Wharton
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Quick answers
Is The Age of Innocence worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize, the first awarded to a woman for fiction, and is on the Modern Library list of the best novels. It ranks #439 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Age of Innocence about?
New York, the 1870s. Newland Archer, a young lawyer from one of the city's old families, is engaged to the sweet, proper May Welland. Then May's cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, comes home after leaving a bad marriage in Europe, scandalizing society. Newland is asked to help the family manage her, and he falls in love with her instead.
How long does it take to read The Age of Innocence?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Age of Innocence won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (1921).
What should I read after The Age of Innocence?
If you liked it, try The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.