"It was the old New York way of taking a life 'without effusion of blood': the way of people who dreaded scandal more than disease, who placed decency above courage, and who considered that nothing was more ill-bred than 'scenes,' except the behavior of those who gave rise to them."
This pretty well sums up the underpinning of all that transpires in one of the all time prized novels, "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton.
The time is the mid-1800s and the cast of characters is from the social elite of a New York, which values that status beyond life itself.
The story is of love found, lost and never gained through a tumbling world of narcissism in the tribe of the elite. It is a tale filled with characters who you will recognize.
Wharton was born to this New York world, and many say the scenes and characters are at least in part from those growing-up days in the city.
You will be led through this life story by Newland Archer, who has it all and nothing. He is born a chess piece in this society, succeeds in making the society work for him and then ...
This work won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921. Wharton was the first woman to win the award.
Gore Vidal said of Wharton, "There are only three or four American novelists who can be thought of as 'major' - and Edith Wharton is one."
"It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone -- so far." ― Marilyn Monroe
Gary Thorne is the play-by-play voice of the Orioles on MASN, and the 2016 season is his 10th with the club and 31st covering Major League Baseball. His blog will appear regularly throughout the season. The Orioles and Sarasota County have partnered on the Big League Reader Program, which rewarded kids who read three books in February with tickets to a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in March.
* Hitting the Books with Gary Thorne. © Copyright 2016 Gary F. Thorne. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gary F. Thorne and MASNsports.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.