I give it a four because it's for novellas in one book but New Year's Day might be the best thing I've ever read by her

Four novellas, or long short stories, by Edith Wharton are part of a larger work, Old New York. Each is set in New York in four decades: False Dawn (The 'Forties); The Old Maid (The 'Fifties); The Spark (The 'Sixties); and New Year's Day (The 'Seventies). A Goodreads recommendation had pointed me to The Old Maid, but all four are a fine way to spend a few hours. Edith Wharton

I am so glad I read this book of novellas by Wharton. I loved two of the novellas (Old Maid and New Year’s Day), liked one of them (False Down) and disliked one (The Spark).

Vintage Wharton! With a few strokes of her pen, she transforms her quick wit into timeless portraits, revealing all the pettiness and cruelty of New York society. Simultaneously masterful and entertaining - highly recommended!

Delicious! The New York aristocracy or elite social class conformed to a tight set of acceptable behaviors and routines. The four novellas in the Wharton book "Old New York" present character sketches of both men and women who failed to live up to the expectations of the rich and powerful in a still young but thriving 19th century New York City. Appearances mattered as did opinions and snubs "cut the herd." Edith Wharton's precise descriptions call out the inner thoughts of its characters and the implications of rising and falling down the social ladder. In one novella, an unexpected pregnancy remained hidden as the child is adopted by a friend who hires the birth mother to care for the daughter, thus compromising three lives. Another woman who takes up with a wealthy bachelor in order to spare her dying husband the knowledge of their penury accepts the consequences of being socially out cast. Edith Wharton's measured prose reveals the complexities of living in a culture of privilege, in which she lived and thrived.

Old New York is my first experience reading Edith Wharton but it won’t be my last. These four short novellas are set in New York society, each giving the reader a glimpse of the conventions and conduct of “polite society” during the last half of the 19th century (not always polite and frequently unkind). Even in these relatively short works, Whaton’s characters are people we come to know and understand and the writing is nuanced. Each story comes to a very satisfying conclusion. I’m putting Wharton’s House of Mirth and Ethan Frome on my “must read” list.

This is an outstanding book of short stories. There are four and they begin in the 1840's and end in the 1870's. Each story takes place in one of those decades.

My two favorites were "The Old Maid" and "The New Year."

I didn't realize that one of my favorite old movies ("The Old Maid" starring Bette Davis was based on the short story by Edith Wharton by the same title!

Edith Wharton brings New York of the 19th century to life in these four novellas. Each one is beautifully told.

Wharton inspires my own eloquence: Wharton is #goals.

I am fascinated by post Civil War affluent American society, and she takes a magnifying glass to it, like you're watching people through a one-way mirror, often with deserving deprecation of the characters. (Social customs back then were ridiculous to the point of hilarity...) She deserved to be the first woman to win the Pulitzer.

Ugh. Like I said. #GOALS

Besides their elegant style and their insider's sharp gaze into uppercrust American society during the 1800s, these stories are, simply, ripping yarns. The characters strongly drawn: some extremely sympathetic, some unpleasant by our lights (and by Wharton's.) The plots that bring them together are as gripping and fascinating as a bit of juicy society gossip. Who could turn away after reading the beginning sentences of"New Year's Day"?--

"'She was BAD, always. They used to meet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,'said my mother, as if the scene of the offense added to the guilt of the couple whose past she was revealing. Her spectacles slanted on her knitting, she dropped the words in a hiss that might have singed the snowy baby-blanket which engaged her indefatigable fingers. (It was typical of my mother to be always employed in benevolent actions while she uttered uncharitable words.)"

More of a 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up because Queen Edith has murdered me yet again.

This woman. I just want to read everything she's written. Her stories set in Old New York are also deeply human with a healthy dose of wry humor and satire, usually poking fun at the nonsense of that rich New York society. These stories were excellent, each of the four set in the 1840s, '50s, 60's, and 70's, and they were riveting.

False Dawn , set in the 1840s, took me a minute to get into, but I feel like by the end of each story, including this one, Edith blew my mind and made me ruefully shake me head. A young man is about to embark on his yearlong European excursion, and his domineering father tasks him with bringing home high-quality art pieces. He ends up going a different route, and the aftermath is honestly quite sad, and then the story ends in an ironic way that made me feel melancholy!  The man's father disowns him, he married and makes an art gallery with these new pieces on the first floor. He is ridiculed and eventually sells the paintings, which of course in the end, long after his death, become highly sought after.

The Old Maid , in the 1850s, was probably my favorite of the bunch. I couldn't look away. The very likable Delia Rolston receives a visit from her soon-to-be-wed cousin, Charlotte. Charlotte, in lots of distress, admits that she can't marry for a very spicy reason.  Charlotte watches over a bunch of orphans and her husband wants her to give that up, but she won't because on of the children is her very own! Delia takes in young Tina and eventually, her husband dies and she takes in Charlotte as well. The three live in harmony with Delia's daughter, but Tina views Delia as her mother and Charlotte as her old maid aunt.  We follow Delia and Charlotte into their old age, and in the final chapters,  Tina is getting married and Charlotte finally releases her frustrations over Tina not knowing who her real mother is and looking to Delia as a mother figure.  The thing is, not much can be done about it due to propriety and social pressures, so the story sort of fades away sadly, with  Delia asking Tina to promise to give her last kiss, before setting off on her honeymoon, to Charlotte.  I loved this whole story, and Delia's compassion, a whole lot.

The Spark , set in the 1860s, was my least favorite of the bunch but still highly readable, and the 1870s New Year's Day was written so attractively, I couldn't stop looking. This, too, ended in a bittersweet way, as is Wharton's specialty. I just loved this collection and I'm very glad I own it.

After reading this book I feel like I've been in the drawing rooms of the wealthy and elite of NY in a golden age.