The Final Post! (for this book)

Huzzah!  I've finished Edith Wharton's tragic tale, The House of Mirth.   The end of the story was sad and somewhat unsatisfying, but I think I'm ultimately satisfied with the book.  I had to say that I saw the end coming.  I think Wharton led up to it and didn't try to conceal the tragic end in Lily's future.  It started with her social decline and became more clear when the chemist warned her of the dangers of overdosing her prescription.  Near the end, she made it dreadfully clear when she wrote  "If only life could end now"(p261) and "The little bottle was at her bed-side, waiting to lay its spell upon her"(p261).  At that point I knew she would overdose and die, but ultimately the end did satisfy her last desires.  She was able to pay off her debts to Trenor.  She and Selden were finally on the same page in terms of understanding and friendship.  And before she dies, she was able to find peace and rest in the medication.  I would have preferred a happy ending, but the ending Wharton chose drives in the lessons taught in the story and heeds a warning to anyone hoping to gain happiness from the excesses of wealth and societal gain.  It shows that living life to gain status and money cannot lead to happiness and can often lead to worse.  Even if the conclusion was not to my liking, I did enjoy the book from the climax on.  It became a bit of a page-turner.  Wharton showed potential in all of Lily's relationships while also showing the steady decline of her wealth, health, and happiness.  I was anxious to find out how things would end.  I hoped that things would end well, but I became gradually more sure that Lily's fate was sealed for an unhappy life.  Despite the slow beginning, the book did became pretty enjoyable.  All in all, The House of Mirth has held up over time.  It is still a good book with a valuable lesson, and ultimately, I did enjoy it