This book I didn't know but sounds fascinating. Your introduction about tribes voting against their interests reminded me of a British or maybe Irish book I'm certain you know called The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist by Robert Tressel. Anyway, your superb review has encouraged me to see it out at my local library. I'm going through a phase of discovering and rediscovering old classics so this how grabbed my attention as we all have these tribal dilemmas thank you.
Thanks, Alex. This novel is so good, and Wharton's "House of Mirth" is even better, though more tragic.
The movie of the "Age of Innocence" doesn't quite get the job done for reasons Anthony Lane spelled out in his New Yorker review. Michelle Pfeiffer is great to look at but doesn't bring enough depth to the role of Countess Olenska.
Thank you for these recommendations, Jan. Both books are on Amazon UK for £0.43 each so I got them both. I guess they're out of copyright now but reading the Amazon previews, I know I'll love them.
Have you read Willa Cather's "Death Comes For the Archbishop"? That classic is my favorite of Cather's novels and the one I wouldn't miss if I lived in the Southwest.
This book I didn't know but sounds fascinating. Your introduction about tribes voting against their interests reminded me of a British or maybe Irish book I'm certain you know called The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist by Robert Tressel. Anyway, your superb review has encouraged me to see it out at my local library. I'm going through a phase of discovering and rediscovering old classics so this how grabbed my attention as we all have these tribal dilemmas thank you.
Thanks, Alex. This novel is so good, and Wharton's "House of Mirth" is even better, though more tragic.
The movie of the "Age of Innocence" doesn't quite get the job done for reasons Anthony Lane spelled out in his New Yorker review. Michelle Pfeiffer is great to look at but doesn't bring enough depth to the role of Countess Olenska.
Thank you for these recommendations, Jan. Both books are on Amazon UK for £0.43 each so I got them both. I guess they're out of copyright now but reading the Amazon previews, I know I'll love them.
Have you read Willa Cather's "Death Comes For the Archbishop"? That classic is my favorite of Cather's novels and the one I wouldn't miss if I lived in the Southwest.