The Edith Wharton BBC Radio Drama Collection

Summary

BBC radio productions of classic works by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton - plus two bonus documentaries

American author Edith Wharton is renowned for her merciless satires of marriage and money, set in the upper-class milieu into which she was born. Included here are a superb selection of her novels, short stories and plays, recorded for BBC Radio - as well as two programmes exploring her life and work.

The House of Mirth - Bewitching socialite Lily Bart is hunting for a wealthy husband - but time is running out... Starring June Barrie, Carole Mowlam and Keith Alexander.

Madame de Treymes - John Durham's fight for the woman he loves sparks a confrontation with a powerful and devious French family. Starring Anna Massey and Philip Voss.

The Reef - Jodhi May, Sian Thomas and Ben Miles star in Edith Wharton's neglected classic following the complicated love lives of four Americans in France.

The Age of Innocence - Recently engaged Newland Archer is drawn to his fiancee's cousin, the exotic, independent Countess Ellen Olenska. Starring Eleanor Bron, Ryan McCluskey and Susan Lynch.

The Custom of the Country- Beautiful Undine Spragg arrives in New York, setting her sights on Ralph Marvell. But will he live up to her expectations? Starring Rebecca Night, Dan Stevens and Tom Hollander.

Ethan Frome - Trapped in an unhappy marriage, Ethan Frome becomes obsessed with his wife's cousin. Dominic Mafham, Jessica Raine and Laurel Lefkow star in this tragic love story set in rural Massachusetts.

The Shadow of a Doubt - Former nurse Kate Derwent carries a terrible secret. Phoebe Fox, Francesca Annis and Paul Ready star in this newly-discovered play from 1901.

Great Lives: Edith Wharton - Naomi Wolf joins presenter Matthew Paris to talk about Wharton and her work.

In Our Time: Edith Wharton - Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Wharton's novels of America's Gilded Age.

First published 1901 (The Shadow of a Doubt), 1903 ('The Dilettante'), 1905 (The House of Mirth), 1907 (Madame de Treymes), 1910 ('Afterward'), 1911 (Ethan Frome), 1912 (The Reef), 1913 (The Custom of the Country), 1920 (The Age of Innocence)