Ever heard the term 'keeping up with the Jones's'? It is said that this expression refers to the family of Edith Wharton (American writer, née Newbold Jones), American-Dutch landholders. The expression refers to social status. If you keep up with the Jones's you aim to maintain the same (usually high) level of lifestyle as your neighbours. Strangely Edith can be considered as a critic of this practise. I must admit I did not know Edith Wharton but I like her already, because like me she loved learning European languages and Paris and enjoyed the good things in life like art and travelling. She was also a femminist at a drammatic time for women. She has a great smile, don't you think? From a noble family, Edith was well-travelled and educated and spoke many European languages. Despite not being allowed to read novels herself, perhaps for the risk of corrupting her society education and what was considered right for a young lady, she published her first novel under a false name at the age of 15. There was a conflict between how she should be and what she did. She was a strong woman, her first marriage was ruined by her husband's depression and she divorced in 1918 which was very difficult at that time. In France, she campaigned for women's rights and opened a fcatory for unemployed women in Paris. During the First World War she helped Belgian refugees and was one of the first foreigners in France allowed to travel to the front lines, an experience she described in a series of articles. In 1916 she was awarded the Chavalier of the Legion of Honour. Her art and poetry collection 'The Book of the Homeless' included an introduction by Theodore Roosevelt. She loved France and kept a house in the countryside near Paris all her life. She was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1921 for the novel 'The Age of Innocence'. I am excited to learn more about this interesting, strong woman. Join me in my Facebook group in April to learn more about this fascinating woman and her work.
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What is this?When I started lostinclassics I looked for language lessons in the books I was reading, such as for example the use of phrasal verbs or inversion in conditionals and I explained them through examples found in the text. I also did reviews of the books I read and tried to give some advice on how to read classics using the various resources I know of. Then I switched to just reviews and lately I have been doing a bit of creative writing inspired by my reading. Who knows what I will come up with next! Archives
September 2020
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