{"product_id":"the-age-of-innocence","title":"The Age of Innocence","description":"\u003cp\u003eHave you ever wondered why the most dangerous decisions are made not with action, but with silence? In The Age of Innocence: A Lyrical Examination of Love, Duty, and Social Expectation, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton delivers a haunting and beautifully rendered novel about the inner life of a man caught between two worlds—the world he was born into, and the world he secretly desires. Set against the backdrop of Old New York's elite society in the 1870s, the story follows Newland Archer, a principled young gentleman engaged to the lovely but conventional May Welland. Everything seems in place for a respectable, predictable life—until the arrival of May’s cousin, Countess Ellen Olenska, a bold and enigmatic woman recently returned from Europe under a cloud of scandal. What follows is a restrained yet deeply stirring exploration of moral conflict, emotional entrapment, and the price of forsaking one’s heart for the sake of appearances. Wharton’s prose is elegant and piercing, exposing the hypocrisies of high society and the human cost of unquestioned tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat you'll discover in this modern edition\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ein This Enduring Masterpiece:\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Timeless Love Triangle with Moral Depth Explore the complex relationships between Newland, May, and Ellen, and the choices that define their lives.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Rigidity of Gilded Age Society Gain insight into the social codes, gender expectations, and class divisions that governed upper-crust New York.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWharton’s Literary Brilliance Appreciate Wharton’s subtle irony, psychological acuity, and her unmatched ability to portray emotional nuance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Study in Restraint and Regret Witness how quiet conformity can be more tragic than open rebellion.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA Mirror of Contemporary Dilemmas Though set in the 19th century, its questions of authenticity vs. acceptance remain strikingly relevant today. Both a tender elegy and a searing critique, The Age of Innocence endures as\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA deeply human story of forbidden love and unspoken desire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe intricate customs of high society and the subtle rebellion they inspire\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"The Library of Alexandria","offers":[{"title":"eBook","offer_id":58289278517596,"sku":"LOA-C358-EB","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":58289278550364,"sku":"LOA-C358-AU","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":58289278583132,"sku":"LOA-C358-PB","price":10.61,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":58289278615900,"sku":"LOA-C358-HC","price":19.62,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1027\/9442\/8764\/files\/0358_The_Age_of_Innocence__standard__ebook__pages-310__trim-6x9in__1800x2700px.jpg?v=1784149514","url":"https:\/\/libraryofalexandria.com\/products\/the-age-of-innocence","provider":"The Library of Alexandria","version":"1.0","type":"link"}