THE AGE OF INNOCENCE by Wharton, Edith - 1920

New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1920. First edition. Very good. First printing of Wharton's magnum opus, a tragedy of decadent society that secured her lasting reputation, and for which she won the Pulitzer Prize - becoming the first woman to do so. A reminiscence of the upper-class Gilded-Age New York setting in which Wharton grew up, AGE OF INNOCENCE is at once ironic and nostalgic. Radiant with detail, infallibly crafted dialogue, and complex characters, it shows off Wharton's reputation as one of the best American writers in the realist tradition, while bringing the reader just a hint of fantasy through the glittering world she depicts. An American classic, belonging in any high spot collection. 7.5'' x 5''. Original red cloth, front board and spine lettered in black. Page 365 with "(1)". [6], 365, [1] pages. Bookseller ticket and owner bookplate on front pastedown, offsetting to endpapers. Book with some toning to spine, faint wear to boards.