Edith Wharton 
The Age of Innocence 

Initially serialized in the Pictorial Review in 1920, The Age of Innocence is a stylistic and intimate portrayal of upper class life in New York City during the Gilded Age.



Lawyer and socialite
Newland Archer is about to enter a loveless marriage with a well-to-do bride, when her cousin, the exotic
Ellen Olenska , enters the picture. Olenska is stuck in a bad marriage with a Polish count, and Archer finds himself in the awkward position of persuading her to save her family’s reputation by staying with her husband, even though Archer himself has fallen in love with her.




Combining a romantic tragedy with artful descriptions of aristocratic life in New York City,
Edith Wharton’s twelfth novel is now available with a new introduction.



The Knickerbocker Classics bring together the essential works of classic authors from around the world in stunning editions to be collected and enjoyed.

About the author

Laura Ciolkowski is Associate Director of the Institute for Research on Women, Gender, and Sexuality, and Adjunct Associate Professor of English & Comparative Literature at Columbia University. Her work on Victorian literature and culture has been published in numerous academic journals, including Studies in the Novel,  Victorian Literature and Culture,  Genders and Novel: A Forum on Fiction.