The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

One of the most read and most critically read works from early 20th century, ‘The Age of Innocence’ by Edith Wharton was first published in the year 1920. It centers on an upper-class couple’s impending marriage, and the introduction of the bride’s cousin, plagued by scandal, whose presence threatens their happiness. Though the novel questions the assumptions and morals of 1870s New York society, it never develops into an outright condemnation of the institution.