The Age of Innocence: Chapters 2-5

"Why shouldn't she be conspicuous if she chooses?"

Welcome to Week 2! This week, we’re getting properly into the novel with a set of four chapters that establish the plot, introduce our central characters, and get us even more steeped in this rich, Old New York social world.

I also put out an audio summary of this week’s chapters, should you want to listen to me ramble about everything I noticed as I read.

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If you’re on the fence about joining an(other!) online book club, a new reader here, Petya, who writes the spectacular Substack, “a reading life” shared this comment in her latest post about why “slow read” book groups on Substack feel different from traditional book clubs:

“Reading just the first chapter deeply broke my mind a little bit. Because once you are reading beyond just following broad characterization and plot lines, it just felt so rich - the textures of the dresses…