The Custom of the Country Audiobook By Edith Wharton cover art

The Custom of the Country

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The Custom of the Country

By: Edith Wharton
Narrated by: Barbara Caruso
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The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature, Edith Wharton stands among the finest writers of early 20th-century America. In The Custom of the Country, Wharton’s scathing social commentary is on full display through the beautiful and manipulative Undine Spragg. When Undine convinces her nouveau riche parents to move to New York, she quickly injects herself into high society. But even a well-to-do husband isn’t enough for Undine, whose overwhelming lust for wealth proves to be her undoing.

Public Domain (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC Classics
Masterful Storytelling • Magnificent Writing • Distinct Character Voices • Engrossing Plot • Relevant Themes
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I read that Sofia Coppola will be making this book into a movie. I can't wait for its release!

Fascinating story

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A fascinating and interesting description of a particular time before the Great War. The narrator was excellent.

wonderful

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I have never read a main character as distasteful and narcissistic then this one. I was glad when she was down on her luck . And thought other characters ignorant to have anything to do with her. I walked away feeling sorry for Paul. And my distaste for his mother increased.

Narcissistic

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A friend recommended this to me after seeing how much I adore F. Scott Fitzgerald. Of course, her writing is different, but it is similarly delightful!! I enjoyed this to the fullest!!

Delightful!!

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Enjoyed listening to this novel very much. The story is so well written and in the hands of such a wonderful narrator it was really brought to life.

Great Narration

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Scarlett O’Hara at least loved Tara and Ashley Wilkes. But Undine Spragg has no redeeming qualities! That said, I listened to all 15+ hours because Edith Wharton is a master story teller whose insights and observations of social behaviors is unmatched.

Is there a more unlikable character in literature?

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I’d read Custom of the Country before — the first novel about divorce— and found it fascinating and engaging. Thank God for a narrator who does it justice. Barbara Caruso is a wonderful actress who does all the accents and voices to perfection — no mean feat. She is also pitch perfect when reading the narrative, somehow letting the listener grasp the nuances just as Edith Wharton intended. Going to seek out more Barbara Caruso narrations right now!

Superb Narration of a Thoroughly Modern Novel

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This Wharton narrative grabs you and takes you into a plot that moves like a speeding train. An unparalleled heroine- if not empathic- takes on the world with her unending ambition. The reader is magnificent! Highly recommended!

Riding a speeding train

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The writing blew me away - Wharton captures people and their motivations brilliantly. I couldn’t put it down. And the narrator was wonderful.

Fantastic Story and Narration

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Language usage was quite different inthat era. differences and confusions among cultures and claasses clear in the ways the primary character broke them.
not as good as House of Mirth.

The limits and roles

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