The truth is that The Age of Innocence isn't exactly an easy read. The vocabulary can be a bit old-timey and confusing (what exactly is a meal of shad and cucumbers anyway?) and there are dozens of names to slog through. From the Mingotts and the Lovell Mingotts to the van der Luydens and the Leffertses…you get the idea. Vocab issues can be solved by reading along with your students and helping them to define words by examining them in the context of the story. You might also want to be a sweetie and create a small vocab list for each chapter to help your students along. That's a nice teacher.

You and your students will also have to contend with Wharton's extensive descriptions that basically boil down to someone standing by a window and enjoying the view. These parts of the novel can be slow, and perhaps a bit challenging for students to get through, but assure them that there will be a payoff. The dialogue moves very quickly, and it becomes easier to follow along as the verbal zings and jabs start flying.