The Age Of Innocence

Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics

Hardcover

1st

Third Person

Fiction

364

2018-06-26 17:56:18

Your copy of The Age of Innocence is not a first edition, but it remains a historically important work. Its value depends on condition and market demand, typically ranging from $25 to $150 for Grosset & Dunlap reprints.

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📘 Overview of The Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence (1920) is a landmark novel in American literature. Set in 1870s New York high society, it explores themes of social convention, personal freedom, and emotional restraint through the story of Newland Archer, who is torn between duty and desire. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1921, making Wharton the first woman to receive the award. It remains a cornerstone of literary realism and a critical lens on Gilded Age morality.

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🏛️ Historical Importance

• Pulitzer Prize Winner (1921): First awarded to a woman, marking a major milestone in literary history.
• Cultural Reflection: Offers a nuanced critique of upper-class New York society, making it a valuable resource for historians and literary scholars.
• Enduring Legacy: Adapted into multiple stage and screen versions, including Martin Scorsese’s 1993 film.


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📇 Edition Identification

Based on your images:

• The publisher is Grosset & Dunlap, not D. Appleton & Company, which issued the true first edition in 1920.
• Grosset & Dunlap editions are reprints, often issued as part of popular or budget series.
• The copyright page references D. Appleton and The Pictorial Review Company, indicating this is a later printing, likely from the early 1920s.


Key traits of the true first edition:

Feature First Edition (D. Appleton) Your Copy (Grosset & Dunlap)
Publisher D. Appleton & Company Grosset & Dunlap
Year 1920 Post-1920
Binding Gray cloth with gilt lettering Red cloth with black lettering
Title Page No mention of other works Lists other Wharton titles
Value $1,000–$6,000+ (depending on condition and provenance) $25–$150 (typical range)


Sources: WorthPoint +3

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💰 Valuation Notes

Your copy, while not a first edition, still holds collector interest:

• Condition matters: Bright cloth, intact spine, and clean pages increase value.
• Association copies or inscriptions: If signed or linked to notable figures, value may rise.
• Market trends: Grosset & Dunlap reprints of literary classics are modestly collectible, especially in good condition.


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Would you like help drafting a catalog entry or comparing it to auction listings for similar reprint editions?


(© 1920)
The ‘Pulitzer-Prize’ winning novel of passion and desire in Old New York.

When the Countess Ellen Olenska returns from Europe, fleeing her brutish husband, her rebellious independence and passionate awareness of life stir the educated sensitivity of Newland Archer, already engaged to be married to her cousin May Welland, “that terrifying product of the social system he belonged to and believed in, the young girl who knew nothing and expected everything.” As the consequent drama unfolds, Edith Wharton’s sharp ironic wit and Jamesian mastery of form create a disturbingly accurate picture of men and women caught in a society that denies humanity while desperately defending “civilization”.

“Edith Wharton is a writer who brings glory on the name of America, and this is her best book. It is one of the best novels of the twentieth century... a permanent addition to literature.” —The New York Times

Based on the images provided, here is an overview of the book:
Book Title: The Age of Innocence
Author: Edith Wharton
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap, Publishers, New York
Copyright Dates: 1920 (by D. Appleton and Company) and 1920 (by The Pictorial Review Company)
Overview
The Age of Innocence is a novel by Edith Wharton, first published in 1920. It is a penetrating look at the restrictive and hypocritical social norms of late 19th-century New York high society. The story follows Newland Archer as he navigates a love triangle between his fiancée, the socially acceptable May Welland, and her unconventional cousin, the Countess Ellen Olenska. The book won the 1921 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, making Wharton the first woman to receive the award. .
Historical Importance
This book is highly important historically and culturally. It is a quintessential work of American literature, lauded for its intricate social commentary and psychological depth. Wharton’s sharp observations of the Gilded Age elite cemented her reputation as a master of the novel of manners. The book’s themes of social conformity versus individual desire resonate powerfully and have made it a staple of literary studies. It provides a valuable historical document of a bygone era.
First Edition
This book is not a first edition. A key detail is the publisher. The original publisher of the first edition was D. Appleton and Company in 1920. The title page of the book shown lists the publisher as Grosset & Dunlap. Grosset & Dunlap was a well-known reprint publisher that would purchase the plates from the original publisher to print cheaper, mass-market editions of popular books. The copyright page correctly lists the original copyright holders (D. Appleton and The Pictorial Review Company) but the presence of the Grosset & Dunlap name on the title page confirms this is a later reprint.
Value
As this is a reprint edition, its value is significantly lower than a true first edition. A first edition of The Age of Innocence by D. Appleton and Company, especially with its dust jacket, can be quite valuable. However, a Grosset & Dunlap reprint, regardless of its age, has little to no value to a collector of first editions. Its value is primarily sentimental or as a reading copy, likely in the range of $5 to $20, depending on its physical condition.

Grosett & Dunlap

9780760700150

United States

The United States Of America

1920-01-01

1920

1

English

New York NY

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