Book Club Report

Although I didn't get to attend this month's discussion, it is worth reporting on my Book Club and our selection of "House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton. The title comes from Ecclesiastes 7:4 "The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth." Actually, it was a good book to read during Lent. Poor Lily is the fool, whose calculations with other people is quite unsuccessful. She refuses to open up her true self to anybody--even Sheldon who has the "power" to make her artifices fade somewhat. A telling bit from the first chapter: "She always paid for her rare indiscretions by a violent reaction of prudence." Ha! Sounds similar to the characters in "The Great Gatsby."