The Custom of the Country

Considered by many to be her greatest novel, Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country tells the story of Undine Spragg, a vain and spoiled young woman determined to climb the social ladder of high society. Undine’s unquenchable lust for wealth takes her from New York to Europe as she manipulates the men who have what she desires. Wharton’s great talents are on full display in this scathing social commentary on the modern upper class, and Undine Spragg is one of the greatest literary anti-heroines of all time. 


The Custom of the Country is a selection of the New York Times Style Magazine Book Club and an adaptation is planned for Apple TV+ to be directed by Sofia Coppola.


Praise for The Custom of the Country


“Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country (1913) is one of the most enjoyable great novels ever written. Not all enjoyable novels are great, and not all great novels are enjoyable. This is, supremely, both.”

--Margaret Drabble, The Guardian


“It's a remarkable piece of writing. . . . I decided, largely because of her work, that it was time I wrote something.”

--Julian Fellowes, creator and writer of Downton Abbey


“Her greatest novel”

--Hermione Lee, award-winning biographer and author of Edith Wharton


This edition of The Custom of the Country published by Scruffy City Press, LLC, meets WCAG 2.0 AA standards for accessibility and has been professionally edited and compared to the original 1913 publication to ensure accuracy.