The Buccaneers by Edith Wharton and completed by Marion Mainwaring

I have long wanted to read Edith Wharton and finally took the plunge this past summer. Perhaps I shouldn't have begun with an incomplete novel, but the title intrigued me. And Wharton's biographers on Wikipidia included a description of this novel that sounded promising. The plot sounds romantic and interesting and describes life in the upper classes in America in the 1870s. I thought it would help me understand more about this time period. Unfortunately, it did not. The novel focuses almost exclusively on the characters, their conversations, and their actions. But the characters are not seen particularly closely; there's a real distance there. It felt almost like these people were strangers. Their lives were focused on status, position, and money. It was really quite depressing in many ways. I kept wondering, when will they wake up and get real? They never did, and perhaps that's one of the points Wharton was trying to get across. I'm not sure. It was not one of those books I found particularly engaging; however I was able to finish it and say, ho hum. Guess it's over. The supposed wit and irony Wharton is known for was completely lost on me. Will I try this author again? Perhaps...but not anytime soon.