Rosedale in Love

The House of Mirth Revisited

By: Lev Raphael

Narrated by: Robin Siegerman

In the glittering world of money-mad 1905 New York City, Jewish financier Simon Rosedale plans to force his way into high society through marriage, and has his eye on Lily Bart. One of the most beautiful women in the city, Lily is a down-at-heels aristocrat plagued by gossip, and might be vulnerable to his proposal. With his money and her style and connections, he can rise to the top - but will she lower herself to marry a Jew?

Could such a marriage heal Rosedale's secret shame, and will Florence Goodhart, the cousin who adores Rosedale, help or hinder his plans?

Written in a period voice, Rosedale in Love audaciously revisions Edith Wharton's beloved classic The House of Mirth, offering listeners a timeless American story of greed, envy, scandal, love, and revenge.

©2014 Lev Raphael (P)2020 Lev Raphael

3.75/5 stars

3.75/5 Rosedale in Love
Genre: historical fiction

Disclaimer: Not a genre I read a lot.
Summary:
A rich Jewish man desperately trying to climb the social ladder in early 20th century America, has chosen a woman well out of his league whose fortunes are fading fast.

Additional Comments:
- I maintain than all these kinds of books would be worlds better if somebody up and kidnapped the heroine.
- 4/5 Performance- The performance fits the narrative very well. There is a nice rhythm and flow.
- 4/5 Main Characters: I liked Florence and her mother troubles and her unacknowledged love for her cousin.
- 3.5/5 Plot - maybe I just read too much mystery thriller stuff. It makes things like this almost deadly dull. He pines, makes a social blunder, pines some more, goes to a party, goes to the theater, pines some more, hears something scandalous, more social blunders, attends another tedious party, etc, etc. It would seem odd and futile if there wasn’t still a set of uber rich people who put on airs to fit in.
- side characters: they aren’t very likable. Except for Florence’s eccentric actress friend.
- It has a happy ending. Sort of.
- There are a lot of fifty-cent words in here. I think that is part of it being a period piece, but still, I would not have finished the book if it wasn’t in audio format. The narrator handled the biggie words well.
- The cat and mouse games people play with each other in here are well-described but still frustrating. The people are exceedingly fake to come across as kind and generous. It’s exhausting. Guess it’s a commentary on people in general, and in that way, it’s accurate.
- This sort of reminds me of The Great Gatsby, which a lot of people love, love, love. I thought that one was a waste of my time, but it has been a while. Maybe I would have a different opinion if forced to read it again. I did like this book better than Gatsby, but to be honest, that’s a low bar to hop for me. I think the mental link is rich people being snobby to each other.
- Who is this book for? Fans of early 20th century literature. Historical fiction buffs.
- While the book didn’t connect well with me, I have hotdog/hamburger/French fries taste in books and this is caviar/lobster/and fooffy super-expensive icky foods fare. There is certainly a set of people who love this sort of thing.

Conclusion:
A study of a man who thinks he’s in love but really loves himself, his wealth, and the great social climb.
*I received a free copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own. I have freely chosen to review the book.