The Touchstone

"The Touchstone" by Edith Wharton is a novel written in the late 19th century. The narrative centers around Glennard, a man grappling with personal aspirations and the burdens of his past relationships, particularly that of Margaret Aubyn, a renowned writer. As Glennard navigates his regrets and affection for two significant women—Margaret, whom he failed to love despite her profound attachment to him, and Alexa Trent, a woman he desires but feels unworthy of—he faces a moral crisis when he contemplates publishing Margaret's private letters after her death. The opening of the novel establishes Glennard's internal struggles as he reflects on his life while engaging in mundane activities at a club. He recalls his complex relationship with Margaret, whose letters he possesses but is uncertain about using publicly. The emotional weight of their past, coupled with his current feelings for Alexa, sets a profound backdrop as Glennard wrestles with guilt and the societal pressures of success. Various interactions introduce us to the world Glennard inhabits, filled with superficial camaraderie among men and women who navigate love and ambition within societal expectations. This initial portion effectively foreshadows Glennard's moral dilemmas, illuminating themes of ambition, regret, and the delicate nature of human relationships. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Edith Newbold Wharton was an American writer and designer. Wharton drew upon her insider's knowledge of the upper-class New York "aristocracy" to portray, realistically, the lives and morals of the Gilded Age. In 1921, she became the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, for her novel, The Age of Innocence. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame, in 1996. Her other well-known works are The House of Mirth, the novella Ethan Frome, and several notable ghost stories.