Wharton Wednesday: Book 2, Ch 1, 2 & 3

Week 7: Welcome to Book 2

Welcome to Week 7

Today, we’re working through Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of Book 2 of The House of Mirth.

• Get full read-a-long details here.

• View all previous chapter summaries and the reading schedule.

• For next week, start Book 2. Read chapters 4-6.

What happens in Book 2, chapters 1-3

Here is our usual plot summary of what happens in each chapter. The characters we meet this week are in bold.

In B2.Chapter 1:

• We’re back in Selden’s point of view, in Monte Carlo

  • This opening is such a stunning parallel to Book 1, Chapter 1!

• Lily is sailing with the Dorsets and Bertha’s latest boy-toy

• Bertha has invited Lily to sail with them to keep her husband occupied — and their entire group of Fishers and Stepneys and Brys know it

• Lily has only gotten more beautiful in the Mediterranean sun — and all the European duchesses and princesses love her (and dislike Bertha)

• Jealousies are brewing and despite his best pretense, Selden has to admit he’s hurt and confused about the night he saw Lily at Gus Trenor’s

• People…