THE AGE OF DESIRE

Edith Wharton’s classic fiction offers a look inside America’s Gilded Age, capturing both its outer sparkle and the inner truths. In this audiobook, Fields offers a look at Wharton’s later years, a time marked by her professional successes and her personal passions. Meredith Mitchell is an adept narrator who moves precisely and compassionately among distinctive characters. Some figures are more believable than others, depending on the accents Fields employs, but the action, composed of the machinations of high society and the subtleties of romantic attraction, propels the audiobook in spite of a few awkward scenes. Inspired by actual letters and true events, this production is suitable for both Wharton aficionados and those simply interested in a great story. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2012]