Saturday 31 May 2014

Roman Fever by Edith Wharton

Hosting The Wharton Review has been a lovely experience this month.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading reviews and opinions from other bloggers, but the best part has been immersing myself in Wharton's world once again...something I haven't done for over a decade.

Even though some of my experiences with Wharton have been a little hit and miss this month, there is no denying her pulling power & her way with words.

Getting to know her via her memoirs and bio has given me a richer understanding of her works and her times. It has been fascinating and rewarding.

This past week I've been enjoying some of her short stories in Roman Fever, including the title story.

Set in Rome, Mrs Slade and Mrs Ansley, two old friends sit side by side overlooking the Forum, watching the sunset.

There is a tension sitting between them too.

As the sun goes down, personal revelations begin to slip out. It becomes a dangerous game of one-up-manship. The reader is forewarned about the ultimate revelation & even though we can see it coming, it still provides a delicious little shock when it's delivered.

The Other Two describes the tightrope walked by a newly married couple, as they both come to terms (socially and emotionally) with her twice divorced status.

The story is told from the third husband's point of view about how he manages to accommodate the two ex-husband's into their life. However, at the end, you are left feeling the wife's awkwardness as she once again tries to live her life by another man's rules.

Thank you to everyone who popped by to say hello and a special big thank you to all those who read and reviewed Edith Wharton books this month. I would like to give one more plug to Miss Bibliophile's link of The Mount - her photographic journey through Edith Wharton's home.

The link on the masterpost will be live for two more days to give you a chance to finish off final posts.

I hope to see you all again next May for The Wharton Review 2015.


4 comments:

  1. I love Roman Fever -- how cruel our sex can be... ;-)

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  2. I did not realize how much Wharton you were going to cover in one month. Impressive. Thanks for hosting. I have Xingu on my wish list, so if I do not get to it within the next 11 months, I'll definitely join you in 2015 and read it then.

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  3. Yay, that you're going to do it again in 2015! I'll put it on my calendar and be sure to participate. I was sad to miss it this time around but I've really enjoyed all your posts and am excited to read some Wharton works!

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  4. Thanks for the plug! I've really enjoyed following along with your Wharton Review. Although I didn't read any of her works myself this month, you've left me itching to pick one up soon.

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