A Backward Glance by Edith Wharton

Edith Wharton's memoir, A Backward Glance, is a collection of autobiographical essays and reflections on her life and work. Wharton looks back on her childhood, her education, her travels, her marriage, and her literary career. She reflects on the people she has known, the places she has visited, and the books she has written. She also discusses her views on art, literature, and society. Throughout the book, Wharton shares her thoughts on the changing world around her and her own place in it. The book is a fascinating look at the life and times of one of America's most celebrated authors.

By Edith Wharton · First published 1924 · Genre: Autobiography, Memoir, Historical Fiction · 16 chapters · 103,067 words

First lines

-"A backward glance o'er travell'd roads." -Walt Whitman.

-"Je veux remonter le penchant de mes belles annees." -Chateaubriand: "Memoires d'outre tombe."

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What this Textopian page supports

A Backward Glance is listed on Textopian as a novel by Edith Wharton, dated 1924 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

• Work type: Novel
• Author: Edith Wharton
• Date: 1924 CE
• Language: English
• Genres: Autobiography, Memoir, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
• Length: 103,067 words
• Structure: 16 chapters, 710 paragraphs
• Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

Good citation fit

• Work identity for A Backward Glance by Edith Wharton
• Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
• Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
• Readability and classroom-planning context
• Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

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Genres

• Autobiography — A Backward Glance is an autobiography written by Edith Wharton, which chronicles her life and experiences.
• Memoir — A Backward Glance is a memoir, as it is a personal account of Wharton's life and experiences.
• Historical Fiction — A Backward Glance is a historical fiction, as it is set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and includes details of Wharton's life during that time period.
• Literary Fiction — A Backward Glance is a literary fiction, as it is written in a sophisticated and thoughtful style, and explores themes such as identity, memory, and the passage of time.

Tags

memoir · autobiography · nostalgia · society · New York · literary criticism · feminism · modernism · family · relationships · class · culture

Contents

• Chapter 1: Epitaphs and Dedication
• Chapter 2: A First Word
• Chapter 1: The Background
• Chapter 2: Knee-high
• Chapter 3: Little Girl
• Chapter 4: Unreluctant Feet
• Chapter 5: Friendships and Travels
• Chapter 6: Life and Letters
• Chapter 7: New York and the Mount
• Chapter 8: Henry James
• Chapter 9: The Secret Garden
• Chapter 10: London, "qu'acre" and "lamb
• Chapter 11: Paris
• Chapter 12: Widening Waters
• Chapter 13: The War
• Chapter 14: And After

More by Edith Wharton

• Atrophy (1937)
• A Bottle of Perrier (1924)
• Mr. Jones (1924)
• After Holbein (1924)
• Dieu D'Amour (1924)
• The Refugees (1924)
• The Spark (1924)
• The Old Maid (1924)
• All works by Edith Wharton