Reviews

The Custom of the Country ~ Edith Wharton

The Custom of the Country is a satirical classic by Edith Wharton. Undine Spragg has recently moved to New York City and is determined to conquer high society. Undine uses her beauty her penchant for manipulation and her father’s money to make sure she is at the top of the social hierarchy. With her heart set on an advantageous marriage, Undine will use everything she can to complete her schemes in a world where values shift constantly.

I’m going to start this by saying that I read this for university and had to force myself to read it when I wasn’t in the right headspace and badly wanted to read something easy and lighthearted.

 I will be honest and say I didn’t really enjoy this book. I don’t enjoy this sort of narrative even if it is satire. There isn’t much I enjoy about characters that constantly manipulate and gaslight each other for personal gain. Undine Spragg is a character that I very quickly decided I didn’t like. The further through the book, the more I disliked her as her manipulation and desire to have more and more hurt more and more people around her. Not once do I think Undine felt much remorse for anything she caused. 

I did like the visuals that Wharton created, describing some of the fashion and the places. The theatre where Undine went to watch the opera was very vivid and easy to imagine and so was the Italian countryside. 

Overall, I had to force myself to finish this book and thus, rated it two and a quarter stars. 

C🌙