Edith Wharton (nee Edith Newbold Jones) is a renowned American writer who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1921 for her novel The Age of Innocence. In 1993, the work was filmed by the famous director Martin Scorsese.
Edith's creative biography includes 20 novels and dozens of short stories published all over the world. Writing the famous novel "The Age of Innocence" in 1920, she became the first woman to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1921.
Born in the United States, Wharton settled in France in 1907, which became her second home. She last visited her homeland in 1923 to pursue her doctorate at Yale University.
The writer passed away in 1937. She is buried in the suburbs of Versailles in the oldest cemetery, Cimetière des Gonards.
Biography facts
The future writer was born in the winter of 1862 in the United States into an aristocratic wealthy family. The girl was educated at home and from an early age became interested in literature. My father had a large library, Edith spent a lot of time reading books. At the age of 11, she decided to try writing herself and composed her first story.
When her daughter grew up a little, her parents sent her to Europe. She spent several years in Paris. There she met many famous representatives of the literary world. The famous writer Henry James, the brother of the famous psychologist William James, had a particular influence on her further work.
Returning to her homeland, Edith married the American banker E. Robbins Wharton. Their marriage was not happy. The husband led a riotous life, had mistresses and squandered money in restaurants. A few years later, Wharton decided to flee from her husband to France and went to Paris in 1907. Edith was able to achieve an official divorce from her ex-husband only in 1913.
In France, she met a young journalist, Morton Fullerton. They had a romance that was hiding from relatives, friends and acquaintances for a long time. Only the servants and friend of Wharton, the writer Henry James, knew about the relationship of young people. Edith wrote in her memoirs that it was only with Morton that she felt true love and care, found female happiness.
When World War I broke out, Wharton went to the front lines where she worked as a journalist. She has written dozens of articles for the French press. Edith also actively helped refugees and children who lost their parents, for which in 1916 she was awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor.
The writer did not want to return to her homeland, because all her friends and close people were in France, and she herself considered this country a second home.
Wharton died at the age of 75 and was buried in France in the oldest cemetery in the suburbs of Versailles.
Creative way
Wharton's first works were published in 1899. It was a small collection of stories.
Later, under the influence of the work of G. James, she began to write psychological novels.
In total, Edith wrote 20 novels and dozens of collections of stories. The most famous works were: "Great Passion", "Valley of the Decision", "Abode of Joy", "Ethan Frome", "The Age of Innocence", "Pirates".
In 1920, the most famous novel of the writer - "The Age of Innocence" was published, which brought her fame and the Pulitzer Prize.
Many of Wharton's books have been filmed and screened with great success on the world's screens.
The first picture came out in 1918 under the title "The House of Mirth" ("Abode of joy"). In 2000, the book was re-filmed by director Terence Davis. The main role in the film was played by the famous actress Gillian Anderson.
Television and films based on the novels of the famous writer have become widely known: "The Old Maid", "Great Shows", "Ethan Frome", "The Age of Innocence", "Pretty Women Edith Wharton".
