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The Custom of the Country

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The Custom of the Country

By: Edith Wharton
Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
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About this listen

The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature, Edith Wharton stands among the finest writers of early 20th-century America. In The Custom of the Country, Wharton’s scathing social commentary is on full display through the beautiful and manipulative Undine Spragg. When Undine convinces her nouveau riche parents to move to New York, she quickly injects herself into high society. But even a well-to-do husband isn’t enough for Undine, whose overwhelming lust for wealth proves to be her undoing.

Public Domain (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC Classics
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This is not a book with a heroine. I’m sure it reflects the time in history but it’s a tale about greed and selfishness that causes great hurt and suffering. Fantastic read.

Recommend listening

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I was looking for another Edith Wharton and listened to all the 'samples' of 'The Custom of the Country' and thought that this one sounded like the best narration.

I often find the scruples of Wharton's characters rather difficult to sympathize with- so it was something of a relief to come across Undine Spragg- who has no scruples at all- she's just a naive, selfish monster battling (rather pathetically) towards a happiness that always lies just beyond her. Certainly she's repulsive but it makes for an interesting character. - and there is plenty of gorgeous period detail along the way.

Thick and absorbing

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I enjoyed the book after a slowish start. Not my usual genre, I listened to it as on the literature syllabus for my degree. It was worth the time, and more enjoyable than I expected.

Insightful

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Couldn't fault the narrators performance, but I found the book a struggle to finish. Overall not bad.

Excellent performance by narrator

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An exquisite portrait of an American woman whose beauty is outmatched by her avarice, selfishness, vanity and social climbing ambition. How “falling in love” with her beauty blinds her besotted suitors to her failings.

Dagger sharp prose painting the follies of discontent

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