The second of Edith Wharton's full-length masterpieces,

(1913), had a long and difficult gestation of several years and many interruptions between 1907 and 1913; but when at last the novel was in full swing, she described it as piling up of words, “as if publishers paid by the syllable.” The financial metaphor is significant:

falls within the tradition of the money-novel, the class of literature focused on men-on-the-make, on industrial and financial operations, and on every kind of fraud associated with such activities. Unlike her other more characteristic works, this tale of a young woman's adventures with money and position possesses an unusual, bristling energy, as if the subject of getting ahead affected Wharton's own style.

1716 words

Citation: Preston, Claire. "The Custom of the Country". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 17 June 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=1146, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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