What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedThe Custom of the Country
Edith Wharton · Book · 2006
If you loved The Custom of the Country, start with This Country (Daisy May Cooper, 2017) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to The Custom of the Country across media.
You were captivated by The Custom of the Country because it expertly dissects the ruthless social maneuvering required to ascend elite hierarchies.
Films on the same thread
The Rules of the Game
Jean Renoir · Film · 1939
Shares a thread with The Custom of the Country: Class Conflict.
Like The Custom of the Country, this film exposes the ugly, decaying reality hidden beneath the veneer of high society, focusing on the shallow artifice of the aristocratic class.
The Devil Wears Prada
Film · 2006
Explores: Workplace dynamics, Ambition, Fashion industry.
This story mirrors the relentless ambition found in The Custom of the Country, following a young woman navigating a cutthroat industry where status dictates one's professional survival.
Pride & Prejudice
Film · 2005
Shares a thread with The Custom of the Country: Class Conflict.
Fans of The Custom of the Country will appreciate this examination of marriage as a calculated social contract, where family expectations and class status dictate romantic outcomes.
The Age of Innocence
Martin Scorsese · Film · 1993
Shares a thread with The Custom of the Country: Class Conflict.
This adaptation captures the same suffocating social constraints present in The Custom of the Country, illustrating how rigid expectations of marriage and class stifle individual desire.
Series on the same thread
The O.C.
Josh Schwartz · Series · 2003
Explores: Class Differences, Privilege, Identity.
Much like the protagonist of The Custom of the Country, this series centers on the friction caused when an outsider attempts to penetrate an affluent, privileged community.
This Country
Daisy May Cooper · Series · 2017
Explores: Small town life, Youth unemployment, Social awkwardness.
If The Custom of the Country hit, This Country shares the thread.
House of Cards
Beau Willimon · Series · 2013
Explores: Power, Ambition, Corruption.
The ruthless ambition that drives Undine Spragg in The Custom of the Country finds a modern, political equivalent in this portrait of a couple manipulating their way upward.
Gossip Girl
Stephanie Savage · Series · 2007
Explores: Privilege, Social Status, Secrets.
If you enjoyed the focus on Manhattan status games in The Custom of the Country, you will recognize the same toxic obsession with social standing among these teens.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Archers
Podcast
Explores: family life, community, farming.
If The Custom of the Country hit, The Archers shares the thread.
Nice White Parents
Serial Productions & The New York Times · Podcast · 2022
Explores: systemic inequality, educational reform, privilege and power.
This investigative series echoes the sociological critique found in The Custom of the Country by examining how entrenched privilege and power dynamics shape our most exclusive institutions.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Custom of the Country considered Edith Wharton's best work?
Many critics and readers regard The Custom of the Country as the masterpiece of Edith Wharton. It is her second full-length novel and serves as a sharp, detailed examination of the follies and exploits found within the American upper class and its nouveau riche social circles.
What themes are explored in The Custom of the Country?
The Custom of the Country focuses on the social climbing and personal exploits of Undine Spragg. The narrative provides a scathing look at the modern upper class, detailing their lifestyle and the interior décor of their world as they move between New York and various locations in Europe.
Does The Custom of the Country focus on the American upper class?
Yes, The Custom of the Country is a scathing examination of the American upper class. The novel specifically highlights the behavior and social maneuvers of the nouveau riche fringes, following the protagonist's journey from New York to Europe to expose the follies of this particular social strata.
Is The Custom of the Country a personal examination of its characters?
The Custom of the Country is described as both a scathing and personal examination of the upper class. Through the story of Undine Spragg, Edith Wharton offers a detailed glimpse into the lives of the nouveau riche, exploring their personal exploits and the social environment they inhabit.