Mary C. M. Phillips

This past Monday, the Malverne Public Library hosted our tribute to Edith Wharton and I could not be happier!

It was a wonderful evening of lively discussion covering several of Edith Wharton’s books:  The Custom of the Country, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth. 

My co-host, John B. Tamburello, focused on the lovely and tragic Lily Bart while I ripped apart Custom’s Undine Spragg.

We’ve been asked to return next March (again for Women’s History Month) and intend on focusing on various other works by Wharton.

I’m feeling blessed all around having such a wellspring of creative work to dig into and share with other readers of classic literature.

While preparing for our Edith Wharton tribute at the Malverne Public Library, I decided to read Thackeray’s most celebrated novel, Vanity Fair.  

I admit the only reason I decided the open this book is that Undine Spragg (the heroine from Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country) is often compared to Thackeray’s heroine (or is it non-heroine?), Becky Sharp.

I’m only 125 pages into the book and must admit…I love Becky Sharp.

Uh oh.  Is that a bad thing?  I don’t know. I’ll have to read more to see if my opinion changes.  I know, I know, she’s a shameless social climber.  But I haven’t met any other characters in the book that deserve my respect…yet.

I certainly don’t admire any character traits in Undine Spragg, the heroine of  The Custom of the Country (and that’s an understatement).  Undine is everything I try NOT to be:  overly ambitious, materialistic, selfish, vain.  She has no scruples and her lack of maternal instinct is downright depressing.

Undine Spragg, Becky Sharp, Scarlett O’Hara.  These are the characters taking up the space in my brain these days.

Heroines.

With admiration or contempt, they are incredibly interesting and complicated heroines.

I’ve been spending much of my time getting my house in order… literally.

Ridding my humble abode of clutter — whether it be via donating clothes to Good Will, selling items on EBAY, or listing vintage items on Etsy — has truly been helpful for me in terms of gaining a better sense of inner peace.

Less clutter in the house, less clutter in my mind! 

It’s a win-win.

While organizing, selling, and purging, I’ve also been reading Edith Wharton’s first published book, The Decoration of Houses.

Although the book primarily deals with the history of interior design, it has some timeless truths on simplifying.  One could certainly say that she was ahead of her time in the minimalist design movement.

Here are some of her thoughts on interior design:

• One of the first obligations of art is to make all useful things beautiful: were this neglected principle applied to the manufacture of household accessories, the modern room would have no need of knick-knacks.  

• A well-designed bookcase with glass doors is a valuable factor in the training of children.  It teaches a respect for books by showing that they are thought worthy of care…

• When a room is to be furnished and decorated at the smallest possible cost, it must be remembered that the comfort of its occupants depends more on the nature of the furniture than the wall-decorations or carpet. 

Yes, to all of the above!

The book is a bit outdated (with references to ballrooms, boudoirs, and drawing rooms), but for me…it’s the perfect read during this particular phase of my life.