I just finished it yesterday and WOW I have rarely been so floored by a perfect ending. The sarcasm in the funny parts were such a relief during such a heavy story, but also WOW Mr. Selden!!! I was so immersed in their wealth that the turn in the end made me remember how I really am just one of the poors lol. I honestly loved this just as much as Wuthering Heights, it had a similar feeling throughout of almost predestined tragedy/suffering but instead of it being destiny, it was other rich people pulling the strings on Lily's life.
I think Wharton has such a way of getting her point across without being preachy (i.e. the one charitable act really paying dividends in Lily's life later on). It also felt very representative of the current world in terms of inequality and the incredible barriers to entry to the 'inner circle'. We can't even imagine the daily lives of billionaires because they are completely separated from us. Like the milliners, we just keep sewing crooked sequins on their hats and they keep laying us off.
by priceyfrenchsoaps