The House of Mirth

By: Edith Wharton

Narrated by: Lisa Lindsley

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton examines conflicts between rigid social expectation and personal desire. Lily Bart is adept at playing society's games, which expect her to achieve an advantageous marriage.

Torn between her desire for luxurious living and a relationship based on mutual respect and love, she manages to sabotage all her possible chances for a wealthy marriage. Beautiful and well-trained as to "proper" behavior, Lily has many opportunities to marry a wealthy man, but none of them ever seem to work out.

Public Domain (P)2010 Alpha DVD LLC

Uncountable Pronunciation Errors

I am stunned by the number of pronunciation errors in this reading. At first, it was a distraction, and I even had to consider what word had really been written. Ultimately, however, I was reminded of farcical theatrical presentations in which actors purposely mispronounce words. The story is interesting, and, other than this gross error, the recording is passable. I cannot fathom how the producers let all of these errors remain, however!

Great story, poor narrator with nice voice

Would you listen to The House of Mirth again? Why?

I've read the book a few times and love it.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoy Edith Wharton's exploration of human nature in her characters. She pulls no punches in showing the strengths and weaknesses in all of her characters and doesn't resort to stereotype.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The narrator mispronounced many words and I found that annoying. She has a very nice voice, though!

Any additional comments?

Read the book! It's my favorite by Wharton.