Classicly New York

When I was in London, playing "abroad" yet again, I had a lot of free, alone time, something a post-college grad is not used to. However, my love of literature and my lack of education (yes, I missed class), brought me into the North Kensington Library one stormy day. Somewhere along the way from my flat to the library, I realized what I needed in my life was romance. I wanted to be swept away into the romantic classics that scholars quote and students begrudge. My take out that day consisted of 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Lady Chatterley's Lover', both of which I devoured. Thus began my journey into the classic novel.


My literary appetite has not subsided since moving to the Big Apple, but I did want a sense of old New York to be played out in a novel. And so, I picked up 'The Age of Innocence' by Edith Wharton. Archer, Madame Ellen Olenska, May Welland - I fell head over heels into their world of stifled desires, muted agonies, and fear of making a scene in New York Society. This gilded age of New York City society filled my imagination as I walked fifth avenue in present day, picturing the characters in their overcoats and dresses, making their way to the theater or to a dinner invite. The power of status, of family name, was so strong it killed any chance for excitement and drama. Yet, below the surface, we see our main character, Archer, flaring with emotion and fantasy, clenching his teeth as his mind whirls into romance and freedom.

I read this book feverishly; Edith Wharton paints a beautiful scene of these societal woman and their unspoken thoughts, their stubborn refusal to face harsh realities, and their absurd fear for causing any sort of scenes within this tightly knit play on life. As the last sentences left me in Paris, I drifted into a nostalgia reminiscent of this life.