The Portrait of a Lady

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Henry James: The Portrait of a Lady (EBook, 2004, NuVision Publications)

eBook

English language

Published Nov. 19, 2004 by NuVision Publications.

ISBN:
978-1-59547-175-8
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OCLC Number:
55494648

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(1 review)

Isabel Archer, a 19-year-old woman from America, is chaperoned to England by her aunt, Mrs. Touchett, after the death of Isabel's parents. Isabel wants to make an articulate use of her independence and become more able to recognize the worthwhile choices established before her. She is resolute to ward off the temptations of an easy well-worn domestic path. In England she makes the acquaintance of two men who offer marriage. She justifies her refusals because she aprehends their irresistable nature and will stubbornly not settle for it. At last she meets Gilbert Osmond who is superficially pleasing and refined but ultimately cruel and sadistic. His only goal is her subjugation and the manipulation of her desires. He does not want her to think for herself or speak out of turn. He is, however, utterly charming and her decision is made to marry Osmond. Only after the ceremony does she see …

38 editions

reviewed The portrait of a lady by Henry James (A Norton critical edition)

The Portrait of a Lady

This is the first novel by James that I have ever read, so I was not entirely sure what to expect. I enjoyed tremendously James's close attention to detail to the characters, their appearance, their surroundings, and the turmoil of their inner lives. James establishes early on the independence of the heroine, Isabel Archer. In this exchange, Isabel says:

"I always want to know the things one shouldn't do." "So as to do them?" asked her aunt. "So as to choose," said Isabel.

In rejecting her various suitors, Isabel is determined to live life in the way that she sees best and not peremptorily close off any possible routes. Do we need spoiler alerts for books published in 1881? Let's just say that things do not develop as Isabel intends, and James keeps the reader's interest by not closing off possible outcomes and carefully considering each character's actions and motivations.