Description
Edith Wharton. A rebel woman in the age of innocence
Book summary
This biographical essay offers a complete portrait of Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and one of the most lucid chroniclers of the turn of the century in the United States. Jorge Freire reconstructs the life and work of an author who challenged the conventions of her time, from her childhood in Europe to her work as a war reporter in World War I. An essential analysis to understand how Wharton used literature to question the role of women in a society in full transformation.
What is it about?
The book explores the figure of Edith Wharton (1862-1937) as a witness and critic of a dying world: the old New York of traditional hierarchies versus the rise of the new rich of industry and banking. Through her biography, Jorge Freire analyzes how the author entrusted her writing to questioning the role that Victorian society assigned to women. The work covers everything from her European childhood and her early discovery of literature, to her unhappy three-decade marriage and her courageous work as a correspondent in the trenches of the Great War, for which she received the French Legion of Honor. With an approach that integrates era, life, and work, the author presents for the first time in Spain a complete study of one of the best writers of the 20th century, author of forty-eight books and countless poems.
Main themes
- The social transformation of New York high society between the 19th and 20th centuries.
- The role of women in a prudish and restrictive society.
- Literature as a tool for criticism and emancipation.
- The intellectual biography of a pioneer of war journalism.
- The conflict between personal life and artistic vocation.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in biographies of writers and relevant female figures, as well as those who wish to understand the social and literary context of the American Gilded Age. It will also be of great value to students of literature, history, and gender studies, and to any reader who wants to discover the life of an author who defied the limits imposed on the women of her time.
What this book contributes
- A complete and documented portrait of Edith Wharton, integrating her personal life, her historical context, and her literary production.
- The first work in Spain that entirely addresses the era, life, and work of this author.
- Keys to understanding how Wharton used narrative to criticize the social structures of her time.
- A unique perspective on the role of women in 20th-century literature and journalism.
Technical specifications
- Author: Freire Gutiérrez, Jorge
- Publisher: Editorial Alrevés
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Biography and true stories, Biography: literary, Diaries, letters and logs, Biography collection, Memoirs, True stories, Literary essays, Literature: history and criticism
- Collection: NON-FICTION
- Binding: Paperback
- Edition date: February 2015
- Number of pages: 194
- Weight: 253 g
Editorial review
A necessary biography that places Edith Wharton in the place she deserves within the literary canon and the history of feminism. Jorge Freire achieves a balance between documentary rigor and narrative appeal, offering a work accessible to both specialists and general readers. Especially relevant for its integrative approach, which connects the author's personal life with her literary production and the social context of her time.