well written, but also tedious description of moneyed people in the early 20's. very few likable characters. even though i was very familiar with ethan frome for many years, this book held surprises for me. i certainly learned more history than i needed to learn. ( )

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton should be subtitled “The Social Climbing Adventures of Undine Spragg�. (Yup, that is the name of the main character; her parents’ pet name for her is, I kid you not, “Undie".) Her birthplace is the small Midwestern city of Apex where her businessman father is doing fairly well. Somewhat mysterious circumstances involving Undine bring the family to New York City. They live in a semi-upscale hotel and this provides a sufficient launching pad for Undine to propel herself into the upper echelons of New York Society, and beyond. She is aided in this endeavor by her stunning good looks and the advice of Mrs. Heeney, a masseuse/manicurist who services the Spragg women, and who acts as a kind of Gilded Age social media watcher. Naturally, Undine intends to reach her goals via marriage, and off she goes. Unlike other literary social climbers, e.g. Becky Sharpe or Lucy Steele, Undine possesses no sympathetic qualities whatsoever. Having been spoiled rotten by her parents, she is a bottomless pit of selfishness, egomania, and greed. Much of the psychological profile Wharton paints of her is shocking, and the tolerance for and indulgence of her monstrous behavior borders on the unbelievable. She also causes (and cares not one bit about) a lot of pain and suffering to others. On the other hand, look at the era we live in today. She would probably get elected to public office. This novel is a masterful character study and critique of American values. ( )

This was a tough one. Wharton is such a skilled writer with a keen observant eye for her social milieu, but I really think she missed her mark with Custom. I've had an ongoing argument with my partner about whether this could be considered a feminist work; I think it is one of her few novels that is pointedly anti-feminist, and more socially conservative. By creating the monstrous character of Undine Spragg, who is horrible in such an over-the-top way, Wharton seems to be satirizing the social climbers who are willing to trample on relations and customs in order to achieve material success. The older more established New York families seem to be the only ones who see Undine for what she is, and Ralph Marvell is the only truly good person, a tragic hero whose old ideas of marriage are not able to cope with Undine's need for riches and glory.

Some critics have called the novel a satire on marriage and divorce. Undine is a satirical character in that she is a pure consumption machine who has no character arc - she represents the voracious capitalism of the era that corrupts everyone who touches it. Elmer Moffat is the male counterpart, the crude business genius who confidently knows what he wants, which is more stuff. Everyone else resists Undine's corruption, although it is hinted that her neglected son Paul will eventually succumb to the amoral pursuits of his putative parents. ( )

Ghastly though our anti-heroine is, I found it difficult to put down. The end is a one-page triumph for the authot.
In this edition the editor's asterisks are somewhat irritating, leading to endnotes listed by page number, explaining such things as Pegasus was "the winged horse of the muses", which isn't quite the case! ( )

Edith Wharton was did not like the "new rich" who were taking over New York around the turn of the century, and in "The Custom of the Country" she makes it very clear why. The heroine, Undine Spagg, a midwestern beauty who comes to New York in search of the social advancement she has always craved, is not likeable, but she is VERY compelling. The story traces the ups and downs of her quest for the level of social advancement that will finally make her happy. Along the way, the novel pillories the new rich, and holds the old rich up to a regretful examination. The book is a great read -- you may not like Undine, but you do want to find out what she does next -- and extremely witty. Wharton's ability to turn a phrase was unparalleled. I wish someone would -- could -- write a book like this about today's 1%. ( )