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Old New York: False Dawn
Hardcover
Classic FictionHistorical FictionLiterary Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025874388
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 154
Weight: 0.87
Height: 0.44 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Old New York: False Dawn is a masterful novella by Edith Wharton that explores the rigid social structures and evolving aesthetic sensibilities of mid-nineteenth-century Manhattan. Set in the 1840s, the story follows Lewis Raycie, a young man dispatched to Europe by his overbearing father with the mission of acquiring a gallery of prestigious Old Master paintings to solidify the family's status. However, while abroad, Lewis encounters a new wave of artistic appreciation that prioritizes then-obscure Italian primitives over the conventional tastes of his father's generation.
Wharton brilliantly captures the tension between familial duty and intellectual awakening. Lewis's decision to follow his conscience instead of his father's instructions leads to a poignant exploration of isolation and the false dawn of a cultural shift that the New York elite is not yet ready to embrace. With her signature wit and keen eye for social detail, Wharton provides a window into a bygone era, examining the intersections of wealth, art, and the personal cost of integrity.
As part of the acclaimed Old New York series, this work stands as a significant contribution to American literature, showcasing Wharton's unparalleled ability to dissect the nuances of class and the fragility of reputation in a rapidly changing world.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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