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Sanctuary
As her marriage to an eminent and wealthy bachelor approaches, Kate Orme should feel nothing but bliss. But when she learns of Denis's guilty secret, she becomes painfully aware of her fiancé's flawed morality. Determined that no child of hers should inherit such character traits, she does everything in her power to instill in their son the highest moral code. Yet, when Dick is faced with a moral choice of his own, she can only watch to see if history will repeat itself. American novelist Edith Wharton (1862�1937) is celebrated for her finely crafted stories of New York mores, including The Age of Innocence.
124 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1922
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About the author
Edith Wharton
1,157books4,892followersEdith 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 2, 2021
Edith Wharton's novella about moral choice and temptation spreads itself over two generations and two men's moral dilemmas. The woman at the center of this story is first a girl on the edge of marriage, who discovers a dark secret regarding the man she is to marry, and a mother, whose son must make a similar choice. In this world, where money is king, I dare say most people would never resist the temptations presented to these men.
I read this at one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the story and waiting, like Kate, to see which would be chosen, the easy way or the moral one.
I read this at one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed the story and waiting, like Kate, to see which would be chosen, the easy way or the moral one.
December 17, 2012
For a modernist author, Edith Wharton is actually very traditional in Sanctuary, which is written almost like a classical work: with compositional equilibrium and morale and care for the metaphor. However, the novella isn’t pedantic (I don’t think there is a work of Edith Wharton that could be accused of this) and not even the theme � the power of education - would make you think so.
Shortly, this is the story of a young girl whose illusions about “happily ever after� are shattered just before her wedding, by learning that her fiancé not only did a blamable thing, but he is unable to see the evil in what he did, and neither does her father who seems to think too that such things are meant to be rather hidden and forgotten than assumed and dealt with. So Kate Orme makes a surprising decision: instead of cancelling the wedding she decides to go ahead with it in order to prevent Dennis to marry another woman and have children who will behave like him. In other words, she takes upon herself to save the world, to build a sanctuary that will protect the next generation against the evil the society not only accepts bur even encourages. And this sanctuary is the education she envisages for her children.
Part 2 shows a widowed Kate with a grown-up child. She succeeded in teaching her son to disregard material rewards but is aware of his incapacity of accepting failure. And here comes a turning point, when Dick is lured by another inheritance (there is a deliberate parallelism between him and his father here) to forget the values his mother tried to inoculate him, and he is conflicted because both his professional future and his future happiness depend on his decision.
But in the end, although he had tried to turn his back on his mother's teaching and see things from another perspective, all he had been taught takes over and wins the inner fight:
"His hands stole back into hers, and he leaned his head against her shoulder like a boy.
"I'm an abysmally weak fool, you know," he ended; "I'm not worth the fight you've put up for me. But I want you to know that it's your doing—that if you had let go an instant I should have gone under—and that if I'd gone under I should never have come up again alive.""
I know, it seems infinitely boring and irritatingly educational. Additionally, Kate is not a character easy to like - she seems lifeless like an annoying concept, rigid in her beliefs and incredibly egotistical and limited sometimes. But keep in mind this is Edith Wharton we are talking about � a younger one, true, but gifted nonetheless, so the story somehow sounds right and is worth reading since it announces her masterpieces.
Shortly, this is the story of a young girl whose illusions about “happily ever after� are shattered just before her wedding, by learning that her fiancé not only did a blamable thing, but he is unable to see the evil in what he did, and neither does her father who seems to think too that such things are meant to be rather hidden and forgotten than assumed and dealt with. So Kate Orme makes a surprising decision: instead of cancelling the wedding she decides to go ahead with it in order to prevent Dennis to marry another woman and have children who will behave like him. In other words, she takes upon herself to save the world, to build a sanctuary that will protect the next generation against the evil the society not only accepts bur even encourages. And this sanctuary is the education she envisages for her children.
Part 2 shows a widowed Kate with a grown-up child. She succeeded in teaching her son to disregard material rewards but is aware of his incapacity of accepting failure. And here comes a turning point, when Dick is lured by another inheritance (there is a deliberate parallelism between him and his father here) to forget the values his mother tried to inoculate him, and he is conflicted because both his professional future and his future happiness depend on his decision.
But in the end, although he had tried to turn his back on his mother's teaching and see things from another perspective, all he had been taught takes over and wins the inner fight:
"His hands stole back into hers, and he leaned his head against her shoulder like a boy.
"I'm an abysmally weak fool, you know," he ended; "I'm not worth the fight you've put up for me. But I want you to know that it's your doing—that if you had let go an instant I should have gone under—and that if I'd gone under I should never have come up again alive.""
I know, it seems infinitely boring and irritatingly educational. Additionally, Kate is not a character easy to like - she seems lifeless like an annoying concept, rigid in her beliefs and incredibly egotistical and limited sometimes. But keep in mind this is Edith Wharton we are talking about � a younger one, true, but gifted nonetheless, so the story somehow sounds right and is worth reading since it announces her masterpieces.
September 30, 2020
3.5 stars
Edith Wharton read #3
This novella, published in 1909, introduces us to Kate Orme, who arrives at the realization that her perfect fiancee doesn't have perfect morals. She marries him in an effort to ensure that his family line won't be spoiled. The couple's son soon takes all of Kate's focus, but when he becomes an eligible bachelor, she fears the temptations that are in front of him. Can Kate save her son? Or will he become like his father?
Love her or not, Wharton's Kate captured my attention from the very beginning and certainly offers a glimmer into the nature versus nurture debate of the 1900's.
ŷ review published 30/09/20
Edith Wharton read #3
This novella, published in 1909, introduces us to Kate Orme, who arrives at the realization that her perfect fiancee doesn't have perfect morals. She marries him in an effort to ensure that his family line won't be spoiled. The couple's son soon takes all of Kate's focus, but when he becomes an eligible bachelor, she fears the temptations that are in front of him. Can Kate save her son? Or will he become like his father?
Love her or not, Wharton's Kate captured my attention from the very beginning and certainly offers a glimmer into the nature versus nurture debate of the 1900's.
ŷ review published 30/09/20
October 9, 2021
46. Sanctuary by Edith Wharton
published: 1902
format: 52-page kindle ebook (typically ~ 100 pages)
acquired: September 7
read: Sep 27
time reading: 2:46, 3.2 mpp
rating: 4
locations: California?, New York City
about the author: 1862-1937. Born Edith Newbold Jones on West 23rd Street, New York City. Spent most of her writing life in France.
Wharton‘s 3rd work of fiction, a novella from 1902, consists of two connected parts around Kate Peyton, née Orme. First a naïve Kate discovers her fiancé has conned an inheritance, and she still marries him. In part 2 her son has a moral quandary. Kate is passionately well-meaning, morality driven and likable, but strained by circumstance, and ultimately humanly flawed. She has to discover for herself her charmed “life was honeycombed by a vast system of moral sewage.� And, she struggles herself to understand her relationship with her son, whose life she is maybe over-involved in. ("As she sat there in the radius of lamplight which, for so many evenings, had held Dick and herself in a charmed circle of tenderness, she saw that her love for her boy had come to be merely a kind of extended egotism.") She never does seem to realize how awkward is what she is doing. I think it's fair to say a lot is going here that she doesn't really understand.
I enjoyed this and reading with a Wharton group on Litsy. It gave me a lot to think about. Our next book with be
published: 1902
format: 52-page kindle ebook (typically ~ 100 pages)
acquired: September 7
read: Sep 27
time reading: 2:46, 3.2 mpp
rating: 4
locations: California?, New York City
about the author: 1862-1937. Born Edith Newbold Jones on West 23rd Street, New York City. Spent most of her writing life in France.
Wharton‘s 3rd work of fiction, a novella from 1902, consists of two connected parts around Kate Peyton, née Orme. First a naïve Kate discovers her fiancé has conned an inheritance, and she still marries him. In part 2 her son has a moral quandary. Kate is passionately well-meaning, morality driven and likable, but strained by circumstance, and ultimately humanly flawed. She has to discover for herself her charmed “life was honeycombed by a vast system of moral sewage.� And, she struggles herself to understand her relationship with her son, whose life she is maybe over-involved in. ("As she sat there in the radius of lamplight which, for so many evenings, had held Dick and herself in a charmed circle of tenderness, she saw that her love for her boy had come to be merely a kind of extended egotism.") She never does seem to realize how awkward is what she is doing. I think it's fair to say a lot is going here that she doesn't really understand.
I enjoyed this and reading with a Wharton group on Litsy. It gave me a lot to think about. Our next book with be
May 2, 2020
Nature versus nurture underlies the plot of this novella. Kate is about to be married to a wealthy, charming man. However, his morality is weak and he indirectly causes the death of a woman and her son. Kate finds this out and instead of the rose tinted glass future she see’s the reality of her marriage to this man. Instead of running a mile she goes through with the wedding. In our time unthinkable but this is the 1900s.
In part 2 of the book it is 25 years later and her son faces his own moral dilemma. Kate would have to be the classic interfering mother except she does not. She believes she has brought up Dick correctly and awaits his final decision on tenterhooks. Dick has to make a decision on using someone else’s work to win a competition and also his fiancée who will only marry him if he is successful. I will not give way the outcome but this is a good solid novella with glimpses of the authors brilliance in future novels shining through.
In part 2 of the book it is 25 years later and her son faces his own moral dilemma. Kate would have to be the classic interfering mother except she does not. She believes she has brought up Dick correctly and awaits his final decision on tenterhooks. Dick has to make a decision on using someone else’s work to win a competition and also his fiancée who will only marry him if he is successful. I will not give way the outcome but this is a good solid novella with glimpses of the authors brilliance in future novels shining through.
September 25, 2020
A woman marries a man she doesn’t love in order to protect a child, not yet conceived, from some future moral lapse. Her reasoning is that if she dumps her fiancé due to his unethical behavior he’d just marry someone else and have a child who he would raise badly. This motivation was too far fetched to convince me.
January 27, 2018
Hepi topu 90 sayfalık kolay okunan sıradan bir uzun öykü. Aşk, ihtiras, hırs üçgeninde dönen 1900’ler Amerika’sından bir kesit. Kafa boşaltmak için ataya sıkıştırlanilir, ama okunmaması kayıp olmaz.
February 25, 2021
Audiobook
December 30, 2018
0,4 estrellas
August 30, 2010
I am sorry to report that Sanctuary simply was not of the same stuff that made Age of Innocence and House of Mirth great.
Many have addressed the morality angle behind this book: the main character married a morally deficient man with the hope that she could correct the deficiency in their children. Questionable judgment on her part? Probably. But I found that more impactful, if not interesting, part of Sanctuary to be the main character's inevitable development into what can only be called America's first helicopter parent. This woman's over-involvement in her growth son's life was pretty scary, and enough to make any (potential) daughter-in-law cringe. I would definitely file this book under the 'examples of bad parenting' category first, and 'importance of moral conduct' second!
Many have addressed the morality angle behind this book: the main character married a morally deficient man with the hope that she could correct the deficiency in their children. Questionable judgment on her part? Probably. But I found that more impactful, if not interesting, part of Sanctuary to be the main character's inevitable development into what can only be called America's first helicopter parent. This woman's over-involvement in her growth son's life was pretty scary, and enough to make any (potential) daughter-in-law cringe. I would definitely file this book under the 'examples of bad parenting' category first, and 'importance of moral conduct' second!
December 11, 2020
Es una novela de lectura rápida, es la segunda que leo de la autora y me gusto menos que la casa de la alegría aunque reconozco que para mi era una obra desconocida, como siempre la autora es muy buena con las palabras y con las situaciones parece que las estás viviendo.
Es una novela que trata numerosos temas felicidad, culpa, expiación, crecimiento personal, y como siempre las relaciones personales, hay una protagonista principal en diferentes momentos de su vida.
Me alegro de conocer más de esta autora.
Es una novela que trata numerosos temas felicidad, culpa, expiación, crecimiento personal, y como siempre las relaciones personales, hay una protagonista principal en diferentes momentos de su vida.
Me alegro de conocer más de esta autora.
May 17, 2022
Entertaining listening 🎶🔰
Another will written British romantic relationship adventure thriller short story by Edith Wharton about a man's 🚹 death and who will get the estate. One woman 🚺 and son is dead but was she married to him? Another woman 🚺 and son are in the middle. I would recommend this novella to readers of mystery. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 2022 👒🏰👜
Another will written British romantic relationship adventure thriller short story by Edith Wharton about a man's 🚹 death and who will get the estate. One woman 🚺 and son is dead but was she married to him? Another woman 🚺 and son are in the middle. I would recommend this novella to readers of mystery. Enjoy the adventure of novels 👍🔰 and books 📚. 2022 👒🏰👜
October 4, 2010
This is a very slight novella by Edith Wharton - I enjoyed her beautiful prose style, but felt that, after a strong and disturbing opening, the rest of the story falls off somewhat and isn't up there with her at her greatest.
December 2, 2023
Me encantan las historias sobre dilemas éticos.
Esta de Wharton se divide en dos partes:
. En la primera, la protagonista rumia de joven qué actitud debe adoptar cuando se entera de que alguien a quien aprecia no ha obrado correctamente.
. En la segunda (la verdaderamente interesante), la protagonista se enfrenta años después a la posibilidad de que otra persona muy cercana caiga en la tentación de hacer algo que ella considera reprobable.
¿Qué ha cambiado en ella con el tiempo? ¿Qué puede hacer esta segunda vez? ¿Qué sentido da todo ello a su vida?
Hay diálogos finos como hilos de ilusionista, descripciones casi inaprensibles de sentimientos complejos y párrafos enteros que hacen desconfiar de la capacidad del traductor. Pero también miguitas de pan que Wharton deja compasivamente a cada poco para que el lector no se pierda en lo abstracto del planteamiento.
Recomiendo leerlo de una sentada —cosa que yo no he hecho�, para tener fresca la primera parte cuando se lea la segunda; pero con calma, para ir reflexionando acerca de los paralelismos entre ambas partes.
El final podría haber sido algo más sutil pero tiene potencial para emocionar.
Esta de Wharton se divide en dos partes:
. En la primera, la protagonista rumia de joven qué actitud debe adoptar cuando se entera de que alguien a quien aprecia no ha obrado correctamente.
. En la segunda (la verdaderamente interesante), la protagonista se enfrenta años después a la posibilidad de que otra persona muy cercana caiga en la tentación de hacer algo que ella considera reprobable.
¿Qué ha cambiado en ella con el tiempo? ¿Qué puede hacer esta segunda vez? ¿Qué sentido da todo ello a su vida?
Hay diálogos finos como hilos de ilusionista, descripciones casi inaprensibles de sentimientos complejos y párrafos enteros que hacen desconfiar de la capacidad del traductor. Pero también miguitas de pan que Wharton deja compasivamente a cada poco para que el lector no se pierda en lo abstracto del planteamiento.
Recomiendo leerlo de una sentada —cosa que yo no he hecho�, para tener fresca la primera parte cuando se lea la segunda; pero con calma, para ir reflexionando acerca de los paralelismos entre ambas partes.
El final podría haber sido algo más sutil pero tiene potencial para emocionar.
November 23, 2018
Kate is happily engaged to Denis. Denis is faced with a moral dilemma and fails to act correctly (in the eyes of Kate). They marry have one child and Kate is determined her son will be of stronger ilk than his father. History repeats and the son faces his own crisis. Does nature, nurture or neither win out?
While there is the question of values being explored the book reads like a 18th century story and did not really grab my interest.
While there is the question of values being explored the book reads like a 18th century story and did not really grab my interest.
July 6, 2023
What a treat to start a new Edith Wharton book that I have never read before. However, that also means there’s one less Edith Wharton book existing that is new to me. I wish great authors were immortal and keep churning them out forever.
And if my edition’s Foreword by William Fiennes says that the 94-page Գٳܲ’s prose does not rise to the level of House of Mirth or The Age of Innocence, my response is “So what?� That’s a pretty high bar and there’s hardly shame in not meeting that, even for Mrs. Wharton.
Sanctuary, like so much of Wharton’s work, deals with characters facing decisions about reconciling their private morality with the expediencies of their public lives, lives ruled by society’s demands. She examines the degree to which people are honest with themselves in making moral decisions, the role of their rationalizations and levels of self-awareness. Sanctuary is a short example of this, with some set-up in the first section that takes place two decades prior to the main action. In the second part, Kate Peyton follows her young architect son’s decision about an ethical issue while participating in a competition that can make or break his career and also determine whether he wins Clemence Verny, a calculating beauty Kate believes may be a pernicious influence.
William Fiennes� 2006 Foreword makes the odd claim that Kate, in Part One, turns her late husband’s dishonesty “into her tragedy, her spiritual crisis� in debating whether to marry him and that their son, Dick, in Part Two “exists only as an annex to his mother’s self-obsession.� These reservations are stated, even when Fiennes leads the essay off with Wharton’s quote from her autobiography A Backward Glance that “’the first duty� for any member of the New York society of her youth was ‘to maintain a strict standard of uprightness in affairs�: what counted above all was ‘scrupulous probity� in both business and private life.�
Mr. Fiennes seems to be criticizing Kate’s “obsession.� But why wouldn’t a mother’s concern about her child’s moral development and commitment to a life of integrity be of special interest and a crisis for her, especially in light of her life-long wish to help him develop a moral compass? To see what type of value system her son, the person she loves most in the world, had developed under her tutelage, when this guidance she’d tried to give him had been her sole goal and aim in life. To know whether she has failed him in her life’s work of preparing him for a moral life, to know right from wrong and act accordingly, even when it’s not immediately advantageous? This worry seems to be to be a valid and serious expression of her maternal love and hardly the “self-obsession� of a woman who “hides her self-interest under the scarves of her moral scruples.� Fiennes seems to have a higher opinion of Clemence Verny for her “clear-sighted, pragmatic� views and her bold declarations about her “affection for the outward trappings of success.�
Kate’s concerns are valid issues for a serious novel and, as a short and stripped-down example of Wharton’s themes, I found the story and characters interesting and compelling, even if it does not top my list of Wharton’s best novels. Three and a half stars, rounded up.
And if my edition’s Foreword by William Fiennes says that the 94-page Գٳܲ’s prose does not rise to the level of House of Mirth or The Age of Innocence, my response is “So what?� That’s a pretty high bar and there’s hardly shame in not meeting that, even for Mrs. Wharton.
Sanctuary, like so much of Wharton’s work, deals with characters facing decisions about reconciling their private morality with the expediencies of their public lives, lives ruled by society’s demands. She examines the degree to which people are honest with themselves in making moral decisions, the role of their rationalizations and levels of self-awareness. Sanctuary is a short example of this, with some set-up in the first section that takes place two decades prior to the main action. In the second part, Kate Peyton follows her young architect son’s decision about an ethical issue while participating in a competition that can make or break his career and also determine whether he wins Clemence Verny, a calculating beauty Kate believes may be a pernicious influence.
William Fiennes� 2006 Foreword makes the odd claim that Kate, in Part One, turns her late husband’s dishonesty “into her tragedy, her spiritual crisis� in debating whether to marry him and that their son, Dick, in Part Two “exists only as an annex to his mother’s self-obsession.� These reservations are stated, even when Fiennes leads the essay off with Wharton’s quote from her autobiography A Backward Glance that “’the first duty� for any member of the New York society of her youth was ‘to maintain a strict standard of uprightness in affairs�: what counted above all was ‘scrupulous probity� in both business and private life.�
Mr. Fiennes seems to be criticizing Kate’s “obsession.� But why wouldn’t a mother’s concern about her child’s moral development and commitment to a life of integrity be of special interest and a crisis for her, especially in light of her life-long wish to help him develop a moral compass? To see what type of value system her son, the person she loves most in the world, had developed under her tutelage, when this guidance she’d tried to give him had been her sole goal and aim in life. To know whether she has failed him in her life’s work of preparing him for a moral life, to know right from wrong and act accordingly, even when it’s not immediately advantageous? This worry seems to be to be a valid and serious expression of her maternal love and hardly the “self-obsession� of a woman who “hides her self-interest under the scarves of her moral scruples.� Fiennes seems to have a higher opinion of Clemence Verny for her “clear-sighted, pragmatic� views and her bold declarations about her “affection for the outward trappings of success.�
Kate’s concerns are valid issues for a serious novel and, as a short and stripped-down example of Wharton’s themes, I found the story and characters interesting and compelling, even if it does not top my list of Wharton’s best novels. Three and a half stars, rounded up.
April 29, 2015
Edith Wharton's writing wallows in moral struggles and societal pressures, usually about adultery and social-climbing. But she tries a different approach for the novella "Sanctuary," a story that is thought-provoking and well-written, but feels more like the outline to a full-length novel than a story in its own right.
Kate Orme is wrapped up in her idyllic engagement to Denis, when a woman claiming to be his dissolute brother's wife kills herself and her child. To Kate's shock, Denis confesses that the woman was, but to avoid having a low-class person in the family, he suppressed evidence and lied. Even worse, he feels no guilt because he considers it worth the sacrifice.
Kate breaks off the engagement, but to protect any child of Denis' from his hypocrisies, she marries him. Many years later, Denis is dead, and their young son Dick is a blossoming architect about to enter a prestigious contest. But then a friend of his dies tragically, and leaves Dick his brilliant architectural plans... to enter in the contest as his own. Now Kate must see if her careful upbringing will make Dick do the right thing, or if he will follow in his father's footsteps.
Most of Wharton's books are wrapped up in ethical dilemmas or one kind or another, but "Sanctuary" tackles a very different kind of problem. And Wharton does a good job spinning out a sense of suspense, all about a young man who could tip either way, and inspiring disgust and outrage at Denis' weak, whiny defense of his crimes.
Sadly, the second half reads like Wharton was sketching out an enlarged outline for a novel, but got bored and just published it as-is. Details are sketchy, as is the society that these people live in, and more than two decades are skipped over instantly. Little of the storyline is fleshed out except for Kate's (seemingly endless) angst, which trickles on throughout way too many of the few pages.
Kate herself isn't easy to relate to -- she marries wussy Denis for a kid that might or might not be born, and spends most of the book torturing herself over Dick's future choices. She comes across as naive at best, manic at worst. Dick himself is a far more interesting character, since he exists in the grey area that most human beings inhabit -- he's a partying, slightly slackerish guy, but essentially good at heart.
"Sanctuary" tackles the grey areas and hypocrises of many "upright" people, but the second half drizzles off into a lot of bad angst and extreme reactions. Interesting, but it feels half-written.
Kate Orme is wrapped up in her idyllic engagement to Denis, when a woman claiming to be his dissolute brother's wife kills herself and her child. To Kate's shock, Denis confesses that the woman was, but to avoid having a low-class person in the family, he suppressed evidence and lied. Even worse, he feels no guilt because he considers it worth the sacrifice.
Kate breaks off the engagement, but to protect any child of Denis' from his hypocrisies, she marries him. Many years later, Denis is dead, and their young son Dick is a blossoming architect about to enter a prestigious contest. But then a friend of his dies tragically, and leaves Dick his brilliant architectural plans... to enter in the contest as his own. Now Kate must see if her careful upbringing will make Dick do the right thing, or if he will follow in his father's footsteps.
Most of Wharton's books are wrapped up in ethical dilemmas or one kind or another, but "Sanctuary" tackles a very different kind of problem. And Wharton does a good job spinning out a sense of suspense, all about a young man who could tip either way, and inspiring disgust and outrage at Denis' weak, whiny defense of his crimes.
Sadly, the second half reads like Wharton was sketching out an enlarged outline for a novel, but got bored and just published it as-is. Details are sketchy, as is the society that these people live in, and more than two decades are skipped over instantly. Little of the storyline is fleshed out except for Kate's (seemingly endless) angst, which trickles on throughout way too many of the few pages.
Kate herself isn't easy to relate to -- she marries wussy Denis for a kid that might or might not be born, and spends most of the book torturing herself over Dick's future choices. She comes across as naive at best, manic at worst. Dick himself is a far more interesting character, since he exists in the grey area that most human beings inhabit -- he's a partying, slightly slackerish guy, but essentially good at heart.
"Sanctuary" tackles the grey areas and hypocrises of many "upright" people, but the second half drizzles off into a lot of bad angst and extreme reactions. Interesting, but it feels half-written.
March 30, 2018
Having gone through an Edith Wharton phase years ago, I was totally surprised to find this little gem of a novella on a display at the public library. Not often one can read a Wharton book in a couple of hours, and less rare that the ending to the story is positive.
Kate Orme is a wealthy young woman, and like many of her class and era she is laughably innocent and totally in the dark about marriage and real life. On the eve of her wedding she discovers that her intended husband has done something so morally repugnant that Kate considers calling off the wedding. Instead she goes ahead with it, thinking that she can mold any children of the union so they don't develop their father's loose character. She has a son and just as he is on the cusp of manhood and career success, he is tested just as Kate always feared might happen.
Kate Orme is a wealthy young woman, and like many of her class and era she is laughably innocent and totally in the dark about marriage and real life. On the eve of her wedding she discovers that her intended husband has done something so morally repugnant that Kate considers calling off the wedding. Instead she goes ahead with it, thinking that she can mold any children of the union so they don't develop their father's loose character. She has a son and just as he is on the cusp of manhood and career success, he is tested just as Kate always feared might happen.
December 19, 2010
Kate Orme, engaged to be married to Denis Peyton, discovers a dark secret and postpones the marriage. Upon reflection, she rationalizes that if she fails to marry him, he would marry some other woman who would be oblivious to his secret and thus unprepared to steel any child born to them from perpetuating the father's (Denis) propensity. She proceeds to marry him, has a son by him, and her husband Denis dies seven years later. Kate becomes devoted to her son and raises him to be successful professionally. He, like his father, faces a moral dilema. Kate does not confront or compel her son but secretly hopes he will exercise the good moral judgment her son's father was not capable of. An interesting read.
November 18, 2010
Do women still do this sort of thing - marry a man they suddenly find out is a very unsavory/immoral character because they want to make sure any child born to this man is raised not to be like his father? And then, once this child is all grown-up, instead of advising him what is right or wrong, stand back to let him take the wrong path? Such idealism and passivity are hard for me to comprehend. But, as always, written beautifully.
May 12, 2024
Santuario, linda novela de Edith Wharton, es una de sus novelas menos conocidas, no por ello menos significativa. La historia se centra en la figura de Kate Orme, una joven que descubre que su prometido, Denis Peyton, esconde un oscuro secreto relacionado con mentiras y engaños.
La novela se adentra en la psicología de Kate y su lucha interna al enfrentarse a la realidad de que la persona que ama es fundamentalmente defectuosa. Este descubrimiento la lleva a cuestionar no solo su relación, sino también su visión del mundo y su lugar en él. La muerte de Denis deja a Kate con un hijo, y ella se dedica a evitar que los vicios morales de su marido se transmitan a su descendencia.
Wharton utiliza su característica prosa impecable para construir un melodrama que explora los misterios de la personalidad y las deudas del pasado. La tensión narrativa se mantiene a lo largo de la obra, con momentos que rozan el suspense insoportable. La autora crea una atmósfera intensa que refleja la lucha entre la naturaleza y lo adquirido, temas recurrentes en la literatura de principios del siglo XX.
El estilo de Wharton puedo compararlo con el de Henry James, por su enfoque en la alta sociedad y su meticulosa atención al detalle psicológico. Santuario es “europea� en su sensibilidad, un melodrama que indaga en las complejidades de la moralidad y la ética a través de la historia narrada.
Buena, para leer lento, de mesita de noche.
La novela se adentra en la psicología de Kate y su lucha interna al enfrentarse a la realidad de que la persona que ama es fundamentalmente defectuosa. Este descubrimiento la lleva a cuestionar no solo su relación, sino también su visión del mundo y su lugar en él. La muerte de Denis deja a Kate con un hijo, y ella se dedica a evitar que los vicios morales de su marido se transmitan a su descendencia.
Wharton utiliza su característica prosa impecable para construir un melodrama que explora los misterios de la personalidad y las deudas del pasado. La tensión narrativa se mantiene a lo largo de la obra, con momentos que rozan el suspense insoportable. La autora crea una atmósfera intensa que refleja la lucha entre la naturaleza y lo adquirido, temas recurrentes en la literatura de principios del siglo XX.
El estilo de Wharton puedo compararlo con el de Henry James, por su enfoque en la alta sociedad y su meticulosa atención al detalle psicológico. Santuario es “europea� en su sensibilidad, un melodrama que indaga en las complejidades de la moralidad y la ética a través de la historia narrada.
Buena, para leer lento, de mesita de noche.
November 25, 2021
Me ha gustado este libro por los debates morales a los que nos somete la autora, por lo menos a mí me ha llevado a pensar cómo actuaría yo ante las dos tentaciones principales a las que se ven sometidos los personajes de esta obra. Quizás el libro peca un poco de moralista, y la crítica a la sociedad de la época hubiera ganado con un tono más mordaz, pero es ese análisis de los defectos de los adinerados, todo cubierto por un velo de rectitud del que en realidad adolecen, lo que más me ha gustado de la lectura.
June 26, 2009
“Sanctuary� is a novella by Edith Wharton, published in 1903. From what I have read, the plot did not cause any surprises at the time, but today the story seems rather unusual. It is a story which deals with ethics, morality, and family honor. While there is nothing particularly unusual in that, some of the choices made by the main character, Kate, seem rather drastic today, and one has a difficult time imagining that any woman today would make similar choices. The story is divided into two parts.
In the first part, we get to know Kate Orme, a woman who is engaged to Denis Payton. She is a woman who has been sheltered from the realities of the world, and comes to learn of an unpleasant situation involving Arthur, Denis� half-brother after he has passed on. Through learning about the situation and how Arthur’s family handles it, Kate is upset with Denis and pushes him to do the moral thing. Arthur mother comes to talk with her, and Kate learns that it isn’t just Denis who is willing to protect the family name regardless of the act. Lastly, she learns from her own father that scandal’s have been covered up in her own family. After a bit of soul-searching, Kate comes to the conclusion that the most moral thing for her to do is to marry Denis so that she can try to remove the character taint which his yet to be conceived son have. This decision appears to be very unusual and it is doubtful that anyone today would reason in such a way. Kate also seems to ignore that she herself must be tainted since her own father and family also has displayed moral weakness.
Part two picks up several years later. We learn that Denis passed on when their son, Dick was young, and that he squandered most of their money. We also learn that Kate has put her own interests aside to get Dick the best education she can. Dick is starting his career and an ethical dilemma arises which has Kate worried. She is suspicious of the motives of those around Dick, and becomes worried that he is making the wrong choice. Everything seems to be pushing him towards the wrong path, and the similarities between his reaction and that of his father Denis when he was trying to hide the truth from her are readily apparent.
It will likely be difficult for many modern-day readers to understand the motivation of Kate in this story, but that is due to changes in our society, and not a flaw in the book itself. Nevertheless, I don’t think this book is quite as good as Edith Wharton’s previously published works and so I round this one down to three stars. It is still worth reading, especially for those who enjoy her other works, but it isn’t quite as accessible.
In the first part, we get to know Kate Orme, a woman who is engaged to Denis Payton. She is a woman who has been sheltered from the realities of the world, and comes to learn of an unpleasant situation involving Arthur, Denis� half-brother after he has passed on. Through learning about the situation and how Arthur’s family handles it, Kate is upset with Denis and pushes him to do the moral thing. Arthur mother comes to talk with her, and Kate learns that it isn’t just Denis who is willing to protect the family name regardless of the act. Lastly, she learns from her own father that scandal’s have been covered up in her own family. After a bit of soul-searching, Kate comes to the conclusion that the most moral thing for her to do is to marry Denis so that she can try to remove the character taint which his yet to be conceived son have. This decision appears to be very unusual and it is doubtful that anyone today would reason in such a way. Kate also seems to ignore that she herself must be tainted since her own father and family also has displayed moral weakness.
Part two picks up several years later. We learn that Denis passed on when their son, Dick was young, and that he squandered most of their money. We also learn that Kate has put her own interests aside to get Dick the best education she can. Dick is starting his career and an ethical dilemma arises which has Kate worried. She is suspicious of the motives of those around Dick, and becomes worried that he is making the wrong choice. Everything seems to be pushing him towards the wrong path, and the similarities between his reaction and that of his father Denis when he was trying to hide the truth from her are readily apparent.
It will likely be difficult for many modern-day readers to understand the motivation of Kate in this story, but that is due to changes in our society, and not a flaw in the book itself. Nevertheless, I don’t think this book is quite as good as Edith Wharton’s previously published works and so I round this one down to three stars. It is still worth reading, especially for those who enjoy her other works, but it isn’t quite as accessible.
May 10, 2016
I love Edith Wharton. I found this book at a used book sale, and the description on the flap (also the description on Sanctuary's ŷ site) was intriguing. A dilemma of morality and a woman's honest efforts in conquering it or watching history repeat itself--I bought it and took it home to read.
Unfortunately, I found that reading the flap was not too dissimilar from reading the story. A powerhouse writer like Wharton should have devoted a novel-length work to such an idea. It felt abridged, in a sense, with too much exposition in Part 1. Wharton "tells" the reader about the character of Kate Orme, her engagement to Peyton, her feelings, her actions--the last of which there are few. The inner psyche is interesting, as Kate weighs the pros and cons of entering a marriage with a deliberate liar, but the resolution seems altogether too rushed; this is to create the effect of a surprise beginning in Part 2, which introduces Dick Peyton and his "mother" (the reader is supposed to "wonder" for the first few paragraphs if Kate went through with the marriage or not), but Wharton could have taken her time in developing the end of Part 1 and still created her tension.
Part 2 begins with Kate's adult son (because, come on, we all knew Kate went through with it). Again, Wharton "tells" the readers that Kate tried to inculcate moral value and judgment in her son, but it would have been much more effective to see this upbringing, especially as it figures so heavily in the conversation in the final scene of the book. Why is the reader deprived of a childhood, even a survey of one, of Dick and his mother, and why does she remain so passive with her son? Passive is the operative word here; I was astonished to see how passive Kate behaved throughout the whole novel; as the main character, it makes for a weak plot and a slow read. Kate reacts to and registers the world around her, and the bulk of the narration is either exposition or inner psyche. The dialogues are few, and the other characters get little "onscreen" time with Kate. An interesting concept of a story, but certainly not one of Wharton's finest.
Unfortunately, I found that reading the flap was not too dissimilar from reading the story. A powerhouse writer like Wharton should have devoted a novel-length work to such an idea. It felt abridged, in a sense, with too much exposition in Part 1. Wharton "tells" the reader about the character of Kate Orme, her engagement to Peyton, her feelings, her actions--the last of which there are few. The inner psyche is interesting, as Kate weighs the pros and cons of entering a marriage with a deliberate liar, but the resolution seems altogether too rushed; this is to create the effect of a surprise beginning in Part 2, which introduces Dick Peyton and his "mother" (the reader is supposed to "wonder" for the first few paragraphs if Kate went through with the marriage or not), but Wharton could have taken her time in developing the end of Part 1 and still created her tension.
Part 2 begins with Kate's adult son (because, come on, we all knew Kate went through with it). Again, Wharton "tells" the readers that Kate tried to inculcate moral value and judgment in her son, but it would have been much more effective to see this upbringing, especially as it figures so heavily in the conversation in the final scene of the book. Why is the reader deprived of a childhood, even a survey of one, of Dick and his mother, and why does she remain so passive with her son? Passive is the operative word here; I was astonished to see how passive Kate behaved throughout the whole novel; as the main character, it makes for a weak plot and a slow read. Kate reacts to and registers the world around her, and the bulk of the narration is either exposition or inner psyche. The dialogues are few, and the other characters get little "onscreen" time with Kate. An interesting concept of a story, but certainly not one of Wharton's finest.
September 3, 2016
I listened to the audio book version of Sanctuary narrated by Lee Ann Howlett. Sanctuary is one of Wharton's earlier novellas, having been published in 1903. As such it does not have the polished quality of her more famous works, such as The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence. However, Sanctuary includes Wharton's trademark use of dramatic irony.
The story centers on Kate, who marries a man after she discovers that he is morally flawed by failing to acknowledge his now deceased brother's wife and son, thus cutting them out of their legitimate inheritance. After her husband dies and she raises her son into adulthood, the son starts displaying many of his father's flaws. Personally, I felt Kate's actions to be that of a "helicopter parent" and very uncomfortable.
Lee Ann Howlett's performance was solid, having different tones and inflections for the varying characters. Her reading pace was also good and set the proper atmosphere for the story.
In short, Sanctuary is worth reading or listening to, especially as a study into Wharton's development of life and moral struggles in her characters, which would eventually earn her a Pulitzer Prize.
The story centers on Kate, who marries a man after she discovers that he is morally flawed by failing to acknowledge his now deceased brother's wife and son, thus cutting them out of their legitimate inheritance. After her husband dies and she raises her son into adulthood, the son starts displaying many of his father's flaws. Personally, I felt Kate's actions to be that of a "helicopter parent" and very uncomfortable.
Lee Ann Howlett's performance was solid, having different tones and inflections for the varying characters. Her reading pace was also good and set the proper atmosphere for the story.
In short, Sanctuary is worth reading or listening to, especially as a study into Wharton's development of life and moral struggles in her characters, which would eventually earn her a Pulitzer Prize.
May 5, 2014
The very short Sanctuary was published in 1903 and, as I thought about it, it struck me how Wharton's oeuvre is of such quality that you can pick anything, from anytime, and you'll still find yourself with something worth reading. Even if it's far from such peaks as The Age of Innocence o The House of Mirth, it will always be an insightful glance at a charachter's inner life and moral struggles.
She's probably the only one that could have had a remote hope of replacing Jane Austen as first goddess in my personal Pantheon (maybe if I'd found her earlier...).
She's probably the only one that could have had a remote hope of replacing Jane Austen as first goddess in my personal Pantheon (maybe if I'd found her earlier...).
August 8, 2013
An about-to-be-married young women discovers a dark secret about her fiance. This compelling novella describes the choice she makes about what to do with her knowledge, and how that choice plays out over the decades. It's always such a pleasure to sink into Wharton's clean, controlled, evocative prose. So (seemingly) simply wrought, so effective. I found this title at a used book sale; I'd never heard of it. Glad I added it to my Wharton library.
July 15, 2010
A two-part plot that is reviewed in detail elsewhere. Wharton's style in 'Sanctuary' is a step in the stream of conciousness direction, as typified by Virginia Woolf and James Joyce, compared to the more accessible yet stronger plotted 'Ethan Frome'. Recommended as a study of literary form or moral dilemma examination.
April 12, 2014
Escribe tan bien...
September 5, 2022
In my Edith Wharton era now
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