Review Detail

Reader reviewed by Dede

This is a beautifully written story that drags you into the storyline. It takes place in "old-time New York" and focuses alot on what is acceptable and unacceptable in society. Newland Archer is a rather spoiled well to do man who is getting ready to marry the May Welland, who is pure, sweet and who he fell in love with. However, things get complicated when May's cousin, Ellen Olenski, returns from a foreign country after running away from her rich husband. The book at times takes notice of the fact that Ellen's husband did bad things to her, but you are never let in on what they were. It's up to your imagination I suppose. It is also alluded to that when Ellen ran away from her husband she ran away with another man who helped her get away. Newland wonders about just what her relationship with this man was, but we are never given a satisfactory answer to that question either. At first Newland is off-put by Ellen, but rather quickly (too quickly in my opinion and with not much reason behind it) he falls in love with her. He still marries May. Before their marriage, she gives him an out of the marriage if he wants it but he doesn't take it. After they marry, he comes into contact with her irregularly. When he doesn't see her, she is like a vague idea in his head, but when they are around eachother again, he is seized by his feelings for her. She falls for him also. They try to stay away from eachother, but their feelings still existed. This book had a surprising twist for me. I felt that May was the heroine in this story for me, even though it is clearly suppose to be Newland and Ellen. In the end it all comes full circle and the ending felt right even if I felt a little cheated by it.
Throughout the story, main focus is on Ellen Olensky's rather unconventional behaviors, and the gossip that surrounds it. I also wondered whether Ellen was being totally truthful with Newland, but couldn't quite figure it out. This book is worth the read as a way to see "how it used to be" and for the wonderful style of writing.