I secured my copy a couple days ago...and it appears to have "books." Yay! SS has been finicky the past couple days: no ability to like a post while using the app and can't click on poll above (A: Yes, In in!).
I'm so glad to hear that someone else is having trouble with the app! All of my "engagement" options (like, comment, restack) disappeared, and because they still show up on the web, Substack support insists that it is a problem with my particular phone (the same phone I've been using successfully with the app for years).
I read "The Custom of the Country" earlier this year as part of Alyssa's "My Year with Edith Wharton" and had my own experience with the value of close reading. Alyssa left a link to a video in which a literary critic spoke about Wharton's novel. In the course of her comments, the critic referred to Undine Sprague as being born in Apex, Iowa. "That's not right," I thought, "Undine was born in Kansas." I then started paging through the opening chapters of the book, looking for confirmation of Undine's place of birth, because I was certain it was Kansas. But I couldn't find any mention of Kansas or Iowa or any other mid-western state. I then checked online and discovered that Edith Wharton doesn't say anything more than that Undine's hometown is Apex--no state is mentioned. Which made me wonder how I was so sure it was Kansas and why the critic thought it was Iowa.
Thanks for sharing this, Tom! My hunch would be that “Apex” meant something in that exact period of time to folks, that perhaps it was a booming midwestern spot that sparked many nouveau-riche families. Another thought is that you could read Wharton’s lack of state specificity as intentional—the word “Apex” is chock full of fantastic tangles and meanings, so she may be intentionally using it without dragging a specific state and rather to stir up myriad connotations of Undine’s “outsider-ness.”
By naming her fictional town Apex, I think Wharton was keeping in tune with the spirit of the times of which she was writing, the rambunctious era of Teddy Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet, of growing American prosperity, of the Wright brothers' first powered flight, and the sense of the USA being a home to superlatives and starting to flex its muscles on the world stage. In that sense, Apex might be said to represent the American state of mind at that time.
I also wonder if Wharton was implying that it would have been better for Undine if she'd remained in her hometown, and that it was all downhill for her--almost by definition--once she left Apex.
Really excited for my first Wharton! Also I *love* how you incorporated reading academic papers together into the schedule, after finishing Middlemarch I read some of the ones you recommended and it was such an enriching experience and I was also dying to discuss them, so this is great!!
I have 10 chapters of Middlemarch left! Very tempted to drift straight in to Wharton, I haven't read her before 😀 Don’t want Middlemarch to end though.
I’m tabbing my hard copy and it has 5 books (book 5 = ch 37-46) but the reading guide only goes to book 4…I guess my copy has a different book structure. Could you share the chapters included in your book schedule?
Very excited for more Wharton! I am also looking forward to the academic articles. It's funny, I am a postdoc in science so reading academic papers is my job, but I am also very intimidated by humanities/social science papers. I think this will be a good experience :)
Looking forward to next reading! And extra readings & discussion opportunities… I read a few of your recs after Middlemarch and missed reading comments & points by others. Good idea for expansion
Yay!
Yay seconded!
Am I reading this with you? Yes! Will my cat be helping? Also yes!
I’m in! I’ve done and enjoyed all of your close reads this year (and caught up on Age of Innocence) and I’m not stopping now!
You're on a winning streak, Whitney!! This is amazing.
I secured my copy a couple days ago...and it appears to have "books." Yay! SS has been finicky the past couple days: no ability to like a post while using the app and can't click on poll above (A: Yes, In in!).
I'm so glad to hear that someone else is having trouble with the app! All of my "engagement" options (like, comment, restack) disappeared, and because they still show up on the web, Substack support insists that it is a problem with my particular phone (the same phone I've been using successfully with the app for years).
I am still reading essays on Middlemarch but excited to read this one with you all again soon!
I’m so excited for this one! I might be finishing Middlemarch as we start this one, but I’m so ready for it!
I can’t wait to see how everyone likes this one!!! It’s such a fun read!
It’s such a fun novel!! Can’t wait!
I read "The Custom of the Country" earlier this year as part of Alyssa's "My Year with Edith Wharton" and had my own experience with the value of close reading. Alyssa left a link to a video in which a literary critic spoke about Wharton's novel. In the course of her comments, the critic referred to Undine Sprague as being born in Apex, Iowa. "That's not right," I thought, "Undine was born in Kansas." I then started paging through the opening chapters of the book, looking for confirmation of Undine's place of birth, because I was certain it was Kansas. But I couldn't find any mention of Kansas or Iowa or any other mid-western state. I then checked online and discovered that Edith Wharton doesn't say anything more than that Undine's hometown is Apex--no state is mentioned. Which made me wonder how I was so sure it was Kansas and why the critic thought it was Iowa.
Thanks for sharing this, Tom! My hunch would be that “Apex” meant something in that exact period of time to folks, that perhaps it was a booming midwestern spot that sparked many nouveau-riche families. Another thought is that you could read Wharton’s lack of state specificity as intentional—the word “Apex” is chock full of fantastic tangles and meanings, so she may be intentionally using it without dragging a specific state and rather to stir up myriad connotations of Undine’s “outsider-ness.”
By naming her fictional town Apex, I think Wharton was keeping in tune with the spirit of the times of which she was writing, the rambunctious era of Teddy Roosevelt and the Great White Fleet, of growing American prosperity, of the Wright brothers' first powered flight, and the sense of the USA being a home to superlatives and starting to flex its muscles on the world stage. In that sense, Apex might be said to represent the American state of mind at that time.
I also wonder if Wharton was implying that it would have been better for Undine if she'd remained in her hometown, and that it was all downhill for her--almost by definition--once she left Apex.
Oh, I love Custom of the Country. May need to reread this with you all.
Please do!!
just got a Penguin Classics Deluxe copy! Excited!
Oh excellent!!
Really excited for my first Wharton! Also I *love* how you incorporated reading academic papers together into the schedule, after finishing Middlemarch I read some of the ones you recommended and it was such an enriching experience and I was also dying to discuss them, so this is great!!
Can't wait to start reading!
Yay! I'm so glad we'll have planned time to discuss the academic articles this time! :) Thanks for reading with me, Pia!
Yay!! 🙌 I’m in !! Buying the book today, while still nostalgic to let Middlemarch go (I’ve been writing in a notebook my favourites quotes).
I have 10 chapters of Middlemarch left! Very tempted to drift straight in to Wharton, I haven't read her before 😀 Don’t want Middlemarch to end though.
You're in for a treat with this as your first Wharton!!
I’m tabbing my hard copy and it has 5 books (book 5 = ch 37-46) but the reading guide only goes to book 4…I guess my copy has a different book structure. Could you share the chapters included in your book schedule?
Okay same! I came here to make sure I wasn’t just completely unable to understand roman numerals (you never know)
Post is updated!!
Alright: post is updated to include book 5!
Thank youuuuu!!
I've updated again to add the exact chapters in each book, as well! So feel free to cross-check those numbers :)
So excited! Where is Book 5 in the reading schedule?
I need to review my copy! Will follow-up & provide fixes soon! 🤣🫣
Ok! I mean, I do also love a cliffhanger 🤷🏾♀️ 🤣
Lol! No cliffhangers here (other than the ones Wharton intends...) the post is now updated to include book 5!
Very excited for more Wharton! I am also looking forward to the academic articles. It's funny, I am a postdoc in science so reading academic papers is my job, but I am also very intimidated by humanities/social science papers. I think this will be a good experience :)
Oh my gosh I’m *so* excited for you to experience some humanities publications!! Reading outside our specialities is such a trip.
Looking forward to next reading! And extra readings & discussion opportunities… I read a few of your recs after Middlemarch and missed reading comments & points by others. Good idea for expansion
I'm so glad to hear the extra readings will be fun -- I was craving more of that, too, especially after Middlemarch!