The Age of Innocence, tells the story of Newland Archer, a young lawyer, and his struggle between his arranged marriage to a beautiful but conventional woman and his passionate love for her cousin, the scandalous Countess Ellen Olenska. This novel explores the complexities of life in a society bound by rigid rules and expectations. Through the eyes of Newland Archer, readers gain insight into the hypocrisy, snobbery, and pretense of the Gilded Age. The Age of Innocence is a timeless classic that provides an honest, humorous, and often painful look at the human condition.