The House of Mirth

Struggling to hold her position in high society due to failing finances and fading youth, Lily Bart seeks social and financial stability by marriage. She is, however, undermined in these efforts by both herself and her rivals. The title of the book is taken from Ecclesiastes 7:4: 'The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.'