Classics Challenge - The Glimpses of the Moon

This was another new author for me - Edith Wharton. I keep picking new authors to stretch myself, but then I never seem to select their most popular novel. Probably because if I had felt a desire to read their most popular novel, I would have by now. I'm not sure if this is an atypical Edith Wharton book or if I have had a misconception of what her writing was like - or both.

This was such a pleasant book! (I think that's what surprised me the most. Are Edith Wharton's book supposed to be pleasant? I had thought not). Craig and I had just watched Breakfast at Tiffany's when I started this and they kinda reminded me of each other. Two faux socialites trying to make their way in the world and all that. That actually worried me because I'm still not quite sure I liked Breakfast at Tiffany's. I didn't dislike but....it was odd.

But back to this book, The Glimpses of the Moon; the first part was amusing but I kinda thought I knew where it was going. Our couple decides to take the unconventional step of entering a contract marriage for the purposes of helping them hang on in society. Of course, things don't quite work out the way they planned. Hmm, sounds like a k-drama.

Then I reached part two and I was more intrigued.  While the ethical situations our couple faces as they learn there is no such thing as a free lunch aren't any I am likely to come across, I think anyone who has been married will be able to recognize the emotions and thoughts (but hopefully not actions!) of our two main characters as they struggle to understand not just each other but what marriage is and how it has/is changing them. The misunderstandings are both so ridiculous you want to shake them - but when I look back at the first six months or so of my marriage, also very real. We had already covered a lot of the ground I was expecting. But what would happen next? By the end of Part 2, I was having to force myself to savor it and not speed through. And Part 3 is just great.

The moral of the story isn't subtle. You don't have to strain your brain looking for hidden motifs but that doesn't mean it isn't deep. It's just is a perfectly charming and romantic novel about marriage and love. This is a very readable book. And yes, I do think it would make an excellent k-drama.

The Glimpses of the Moon was my Classic by a Woman Author in the Back to the Classics Challenge. Be sure to visit Books and Chocolate for more classic book reviews.