The Custom Of The Country

The Custom of the Country is a novel written by Edith Wharton and published in 1913. The story centers around the character of Undine Spragg, a beautiful and ambitious young woman from the Midwest who moves to New York City with her parents in search of wealth and social status.Undine is determined to climb the social ladder and marry into a wealthy family, and she uses her beauty and charm to manipulate the men around her. She first marries Ralph Marvell, a member of an old New York family, but soon becomes bored with him and begins an affair with a French aristocrat named Raymond de Chelles.Undine's ambition and desire for social status lead her to Europe, where she becomes involved with a series of wealthy men, including a Russian prince and a wealthy American businessman. However, her ruthless pursuit of money and status ultimately leads to her downfall.The novel is a scathing critique of the society of the time, particularly its obsession with wealth and social status. Wharton portrays Undine as a character who is ultimately consumed by her own greed and ambition, and who is unable to find happiness or fulfillment in her life.Overall, The Custom of the Country is a powerful and insightful novel that offers a vivid portrayal of the society of the early 20th century, and the dangers of ambition and greed.In the quiet place with the green water-fall Ralph's vision might have kept faith with him; but how could he hope to surprise it in the midsummer crowds of St. Moritz? Undine, at any rate, had found there what she wanted; and when he was at her side, and her radiant smile included him, every other question was in abeyance. But there were hours of solitary striding over bare grassy slopes, face to face with the ironic interrogation of sky and mountains, when his anxieties came back, more persistent and importunate. Sometimes they took the form of merely material difficulties.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.