Age of Innocence

<b>Edith Wharton's acclaimed novel of love duty and half-known truths in Gilded Age New York society with a foreword by bestselling author Elif Batuman. <p/>A Penguin Vitae Edition</b> <p/>Dutiful Newland Archer an eligible young man from New York high society is about to announce his engagement to May Welland a suitable match from a good family when May's cousin the beautiful and exotic Countess Ellen Olenska is introduced into their circle. The Countess brings with her an aura of European sophistication and a hint of perceived scandal having left her husband and claimed her independence. Her worldliness disregard for society's rules and air of unapproachability attract the sensitive Newland despite his enthusiasm about a marriage to May and the societal advantages it would bring. Almost against their will Newland and Ellen develop a passionate bond and a classic love triangle takes shape as the three young people find themselves drawn into a poignant and bitter conflict between love and duty. Written in 1920 Edith Wharton's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a time and place long gone by--1870s New York City--beautifully captures the complexities of passion independence and fulfillment and how painfully hard it can be for individuals to truly see one another and their place in the world. <p/>Penguin Classics presents Penguin Vitae loosely translated as Penguin of one's life a deluxe hardcover series featuring a dynamic landscape of classic fiction and nonfiction that has shaped the course of our readers' lives. Penguin Vitae invites readers to find themselves in a diverse world of storytellers with beautifully designed classic editions of personal inspiration intellectual engagement and creative originality.