The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

Featured

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

(4 User reviews) 1101

By Charles Murphy Posted on Jan 12, 2026

In Category - Well-Being Science

Authors: Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937 Published By : Wharton, Edith, 1862-1937

Book Language: English

Imagine living in a world where every rule is unwritten, every glance is judged, and your entire future depends on following a script you never agreed to. That's 1870s New York high society in 'The Age of Innocence.' We follow Newland Archer, a man who has the perfect life mapped out: a respectable career and a marriage to the lovely May Welland. Then Countess Ellen Olenska arrives—May's cousin, fresh from a scandalous European divorce. She’s everything their world isn't: free, honest, and utterly captivating. This book asks: what happens when you finally see the cage you’ve been living in, and the key is held by the one person you can never have? It’s a love story, but not a simple one. It’s about the quiet, devastating cost of choosing duty over desire.

Read "The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton" Online

This book is available in the public domain. Start reading the digital edition below.

START READING FULL BOOK

Instant Access Mobile Friendly

Book Preview

A short preview of the book’s content is shown below to give you an idea of its style and themes.

linked index of the detailed chapters for any of the listed ebooks. Click on the title to open the entire on-line ebook. ## ANN VERONICA ## TONO-BUNGAY ## WHEN THE SLEEPER WAKES ## THE WAR IN THE AIR. ## GOD THE INVISIBLE KING. ## THE NEW MACHIAVELLI. ## THE WORLD SET FREE. ## THE RESEARCH MAGNIFICENT. ## THE WHEELS OF CHANCE. ## THE SOUL OF A BISHOP. ## THE SECRET PLACES OF THE HEART. ## TWELVE STORIES AND A DREAM. ## WAR AND THE FUTURE. ## FIRST AND LAST THINGS. ## MANKIND IN THE MAKING. THE RED ROOM. ## THE TIME MACHINE ## THE WAR OF THE WORLDS ## THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU ## DOOR IN THE WALL AND OTHER STORIES ## THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON ## FLOOR GAMES ## LITTLE WARS ## IN THE DAYS OF THE COMET ## THE INVISIBLE MAN MODERN UTOPIA ## THE HISTORY OF MR. POLLY ## IN THE FOURTH YEAR ## WHAT IS COMING ## ENGLISHMAN ## LOVE ## THE FOOD GOD ## THE COUNTRY BLIND ## THE SLEEPER AWAKES ## THE STOLEN BACILLUS ## MR. BRITLING SEES IT THROUGH ## NOCTURNE ## CERTAIN PERSONAL MATTERS ## ANTICIPATIONS ## BIOLOGY, PART 1 VERTEBRATA ## TALES OF SPACE AND TIME ## SELECT CONVERSATIONS WITH AN UNCLE ## PASSIONATE FRIENDS ## NEW WORLDS FOR OLD ## THE WIFE OF SIR ISAAC HARMAN ## UNDERGROUND MAN ## THE SALVAGING OF CIVILISATION ## WONDERFUL VISIT ## THE MIND OF THE RACE MARRIAGE ## HISTORY OF THE WORLD ## SEA LADY ## KIPPS ## THE PLATTNER STORY AND OTHERS THE DISCOVERY OF THE FUTURE ## THE OUTLINE OF HISTORY ## THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON THIS MISERY OF BOOTS ## THE FUTURE IN AMERICA ## THE WAR THAT WILL END WAR TABLES OF CONTENTS OF VOLUMES ANN VERONICA A MODERN LOVE STORY By H. G. Wells “The art of ignoring is one of the accomplishments of every well-bred girl, so carefully instilled that at last she can even ignore her own thoughts and her own knowledge.” CONTENTS ANN VERONICA CHAPTER THE FIRST CHAPTER THE SECOND CHAPTER THE THIRD CHAPTER THE FOURTH CHAPTER THE FIFTH CHAPTER THE SIXTH CHAPTER THE SEVENTH CHAPTER THE EIGHTH CHAPTER THE NINTH CHAPTER THE TENTH CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER THE TWELFTH CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH TONO-BUNGAY by H.G Wells CONTENTS BOOK THE FIRST CHAPTER THE FIRST CHAPTER THE SECOND CHAPTER THE THIRD BOOK THE SECOND CHAPTER THE FIRST CHAPTER THE SECOND CHAPTER THE THIRD CHAPTER THE FOURTH BOOK THE THIRD CHAPTER THE FIRST CHAPTER THE SECOND CHAPTER THE THIRD CHAPTER THE FOURTH BOOK THE FOURTH CHAPTER THE FIRST CHAPTER THE SECOND CHAPTER THE THIRD WHEN THE SLEEPER WAKES By H. G. Wells CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INSOMNIA CHAPTER II. THE TRANCE CHAPTER III. THE AWAKENING CHAPTER IV. THE SOUND OF A TUMULT CHAPTER V. THE MOVING WAYS CHAPTER VI. THE HALL OF THE ATLAS CHAPTER VII. IN THE SILENT ROOMS CHAPTER VIII. THE ROOF SPACES CHAPTER IX. THE PEOPLE MARCH CHAPTER X. THE BATTLE OF THE DARKNESS CHAPTER XI. THE OLD MAN WHO KNEW EVERYTHING CHAPTER XII. OSTROG CHAPTER XIII. THE END OF THE OLD ORDER CHAPTER XIV. FROM THE CROW’S NEST CHAPTER XV. PROMINENT PEOPLE CHAPTER XVI. THE AEROPHILE CHAPTER XVII. THREE DAYS CHAPTER XVIII. GRAHAM REMEMBERS CHAPTER XIX. OSTROG’S POINT OF VIEW CHAPTER XX. IN THE CITY WAYS CHAPTER XXI. THE UNDER SIDE CHAPTER XXII. THE STRUGGLE IN THE COUNCIL HOUSE CHAPTER XXIII. WHILE THE AEROPLANES WERE COMING CHAPTER XXIV. THE COMING OF THE AEROPLANES THE WAR IN THE...

This is a limited preview. Download the book to read the full content.

Continue Reading Full Book

Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a masterclass in social observation. Set in the rigid, glittering world of 1870s New York, it follows Newland Archer, a young lawyer engaged to the impeccably conventional May Welland. His life is a series of predictable, approved steps. Everything changes with the arrival of May's cousin, Ellen Olenska. Ellen is seeking a divorce from her cruel European husband, and her independent spirit and disregard for social niceties make her an object of fascination and scandal.

The Story

Newland, initially appointed by his family to guide Ellen back into society's good graces, finds himself drawn to her honesty and worldliness—qualities utterly absent from his own life. As he falls deeply in love with her, he is forced to confront the suffocating expectations of his world. The central drama isn't about grand elopements, but about the intense, silent pressure of what is 'done.' Every conversation is a negotiation, every gesture is coded. Will Newland break free for a chance at real passion, or will he fulfill his duty to May and the only world he's ever known?

Why You Should Read It

This book floored me with its quiet power. Wharton doesn't shout; she lets you feel the weight of a glance across a crowded opera box. Newland’s internal struggle is so real—that agony of wanting something you know will ruin the life everyone expects you to have. Ellen isn't just a 'manic pixie dream girl'; she's a fully realized woman trapped in a different way, fighting for her own autonomy. And May... well, you might be surprised by her depth. It’s a brilliant, heartbreaking look at how love and obligation crash into each other.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves character-driven stories where the biggest battles happen in drawing rooms. If you enjoyed the restrained tension of 'Pride and Prejudice' or the social critiques of Jane Austen, but wanted it with sharper edges and a more bittersweet heart, this is your next great read. It’s a timeless story about the price of belonging and the dreams we sacrifice to keep the peace.

🔓 Copyright Status

This book is widely considered to be in the public domain. Distribute this work to help spread literacy.