Edith Wharton

Are Novels Better With Large Casts or Small Casts?

Dave Astor | Posted 05.02.2012

Dave Astor

For a book with "Solitude" in its title, it sure has lots of characters! After recently reading One Hundred Years of Solitude, I've been thinking about whether novels are better with large casts or small casts.

How Will We Read? - Edith Wharton

C. M. Rubin | Posted 04.03.2012

C. M. Rubin

Anyone who has experienced the delight of reading the magnificent works of Pulitzer prize-winning author Edith Wharton might enjoy the opportunity to learn more about her life and her books.

A Look at Unhappy Literary Characters

Dave Astor | Posted 04.24.2012

Dave Astor

I recently read Freedom, and one thing that struck me was how unhappy the Patty Berglund character was for much of that excellent novel. And one couldn't always figure out why Patty was so glum.

Life Spans of Literary Giants

Dave Astor | Posted 04.09.2012

Dave Astor

Charles Dickens' 200th birthday and Edith Wharton's 150th birthday got me thinking about how old famous novelists were when they died. How does the longevity of notable authors compare to the longevity of adults in general?

It Ain't Heavy, It's a Book Break!

Dave Astor | Posted 04.03.2012

Dave Astor

People who love novels almost never stop reading them. But some of us need to occasionally take a brief break from "heavier" novels, including cherished classics and the best of modern literature.

Happy 150th, Edith Wharton!

Meg Waite Clayton | Posted 03.25.2012

Meg Waite Clayton

Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature, was born on January 24, 1862, 150 years ago today.

Happy 150th Birthday, Edith Wharton!

Lev Raphael | Posted 03.23.2012

Lev Raphael

January 24 is her 150th birthday, and I don't know how Wharton would have felt about my novel, but for me, it's been one of the most exhilarating collaborations of my career.

When a Novel's Main Character Is Unlikable

Dave Astor | Posted 02.28.2012

Dave Astor

With all the bad people in real-life politics and big business, do we really want to read about bad people in novels?

Thank You, Jane Austen

Lev Raphael | Posted 02.05.2012

Lev Raphael

I fell in love repeatedly in college. With authors. I was an English major and reeled from one new passion to another. Some of them feel like youthf...

A Dearth of Mirth at the End of Many Great Novels

Dave Astor | Posted 12.11.2011

Dave Astor

After just finishing The House of Mirth, I'm reminded once again that many great novels don't have happy endings.

In Praise of the Novella

Dave Astor | Posted 11.01.2011

Dave Astor

A novella can be read in only a few hours, yet the best ones pack almost the same punch as much longer works of fiction.

Have You Read a Book a Day for a Week? Try Doing It for a Year

Steve Kettmann | Posted 10.12.2011

Steve Kettmann

Nina Sankovitch funneled her grief into a daffy, crazy notion, namely, that every day for a year she would read a book and post an online review of that book all in real time. Plenty of people have had such notions. Sankovitch really did it.

Readers Answer: Who's Your Favorite Female Author?

Posted 10.09.2011

Happy Women's Day! In honor of the special day, Random House asked on Twitter:" Who is your favorite female author and why?" Readers used the hashtag ...

The Pitfalls And Pleasures Of The Current Realist Novel

nytimes.com | DANIEL HANDLER | Posted 10.01.2011

Lately the realist novel’s been getting realistic. Originally developed in response to a highfalutin form gone stale, realism has a long and gloriou...

Yuppie Lit: Books About The Filthy Rich

flavorwire.com | Posted 10.01.2011

Macy Halford recently wrote in the New Yorker‘s Book Bench that she happened upon the “hipster lit” section of Bookhampton while browsing in its...

What Work Could Gilded Age Women Do?

Lev Raphael | Posted 08.14.2011

Lev Raphael

Remember Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth? Remember how faded socialite Lily Bart drops down the social ladder, from unpaid secretary for her wealt...

Rebuilding Edith Wharton's House of Mirth

Lev Raphael | Posted 08.02.2011

Lev Raphael

Certain books change your life, and Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth changed mine. The novel's brilliance blew me away in college, deepening my desi...

Dinner & A Movie: A Menu For Scorsese's Age of Innocence

Food52 | Posted 07.12.2011

Food52

Our videographer at food52, Elena Parker (a serious food and film buff), is really good at throwing movie-themed dinner parties. Below is her classy 1...

PHOTOS: HuffPost Editors' Picks, Books We're Loving Right Now

Posted 06.30.2011

The reporters and editors on the Huffington Post staff are serious book lovers and we wanted to know what they're reading and loving now, hoping that ...

For Your Viewing And Listening Pleasure: 10 Inspired Book And Album Pairings

flavorwire.com | Posted 06.01.2011

Combining your appreciation of different media can be tricky: You probably shouldn’t be watching a movie on your iPhone as you stroll through an art...

New York, I Love You: 10 Favorite Books About The Big Apple

Rob Silverman | Posted 05.25.2011

Rob Silverman

I first moved to New York City in 1996, and I have no need or desire to live anywhere else in the world. After living in New York City for over half o...

Your Favorite Star-Crossed Lovers In Literature: Expect The Unexpected, Not Romeo And Juliet (PHOTOS)

The Huffington Post | Zoe Triska | Posted 05.25.2011

Though Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are the classic star-crossed lovers in books, and the play from which the phrase originates, we decided to add s...

The Beauty We Fear Part 4: From Mark Twain to Malcom X (Slideshow)

G. Roger Denson | Posted 05.25.2011

G. Roger Denson

Even when Americans began to travel to Muslim lands, from the start they displayed a more diverse response to Islam and its mosques, which over the course of a century graduated from the crude to the reverent.

Top 10 Ghost Stories

guardian.co.uk | Kate Mosse | Posted 05.25.2011

The celebrated author of novels such as "The House of Mirth", Wharton was also a terrific writer of ghostly tales. A blend of Poe, Hawthorne and Henry...

Edith Wharton, Tom Wolfe And More

flavorwire.com | Posted 05.25.2011

hen it comes to writers' fashion choices, most people know better than to judge a book by its cover. Although most authors are more closely associated...