The Portrait of a Lady

American Henry James thought long and hard before putting pen to paper to write The Portrait of a Lady. He was determined to answer his critics by producing a literary masterpiece. He likened his process of writing this novel to the erection of a particularly fine building: a classical building of course. In his preface to the novel James was at pains to point out this process:

“So far I reasoned, and it took nothing less than that technical rigour. I now easily see, to inspire me with the right confidence for erecting on a plot of ground the neat and careful and proportioned pile of bricks that arches over it and that was thus to form, constructionally speaking a literary monument…………That solicitude was to be accordingly show more expressed in the artful patience with which as I have said I piled brick upon brick. The bricks for the whole counting over - putting for bricks little touches and inventions and enhancements by the way - affect me in truths well nigh innumerable and as ever so scrupulously fitted together and packed in.”

This extraordinary preface prepares the reader for the long haul, but it also confidently claims that the reader will be in the safe hands of a master craftsman and storyteller, one who is blessed with a gift that can reveal aspects of the human condition to the patient reader. Patience is perhaps the supreme virtue for Henry James as the last sentence of this monument of a novel is:

“She walked him away with her, however, as if she had given him now the key to patience.”

Patience is what a modern reader will need for the first three quarters of this novel, but as Henry James says it will have it’s rewards. He moves his readers crablike through the first chapters where he introduces some of the main characters and sets them in a beautiful old Country House in England. His writing is delicate and fine and when we meet his central character: Miss Isabel Archer we are soon lost in admiration for her independence and wit, expressed in some splendid conversation exchanges with her hosts at Gardencourt. Miss Archer is a young American lady of exceptional talent who values her independence above all things and one can’t help feeling that Henry James imbued much of his own character in the portrait of this lady. Fine, splendid, delicate are words that we could use to describe the society that James is portraying here. These are people with independent incomes living in mid nineteenth century England, who have impeccable manners and who can call on titled individuals as their friends. Miss Archer from America can fit into this society through her intelligence and wit and because of her good American breeding. This book is about upstairs people, nobody from downstairs gets a look in.

The story line of the novel follows the career of Miss Archer. She dazzles almost everybody she meets. She has offers of marriage from Lord Warburton a fine Englishman with radical ideas who is forging a career as a diplomat and also from Casper Goodwood a leading American industrialist. She rejects them both in pursuit of something finer for herself. When her protector old Mr Touchett dies, on the advice of his invalid son Ralph he leaves Miss Archer a fortune and so suddenly she is even more attractive on the marriage market. She travels to the Italian home of Mrs Touchett, where under guidance from Madame Merle she meets Gilbert Osmond, the embodiment of fine taste and culture. After a courtship she decides to accept Gilbert Osmond waiving away Lord Warburton and Casper Goodwood who have followed her to Italy. Osmond has been married before and has a young daughter Pansy who has just left the convent to live with him and his new wife. It doesn't work well for Isabel Archer, who after the first year of marriage becomes estranged from her traditionalist husband, but she soon grows to love his young daughter. It is Pansy’s prospects on the marriage market that bring Isabel Archer’s big mistake to a head and the novel’s main theme then becomes how Isabel can come to terms with her future.

The novel was originally serialised in Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan’s magazine before being released as a novel a year later in 1881. The novel gains both power and depth as you read through; the almost painstaking preparatory work in the first sections of the novel reap rewards once the story starts to unfold. It is the quality of James’s writing that kept me reading; his descriptions, conversations and character building are first class and once the story gets rolling the groundwork provides an excellent reference for the characters and their actions. Henry James valued his own independence and so one feels he is speaking from the heart when he is describing Isabel Archers point of view. He never married himself and it is therefore no surprise to learn of Isabel Archer’s mistake once she falls into that trap. There may be some evidence for thinking that the author of The portrait of a lady was a misogynist. For example his heroine for all her intelligence, manners and charm has an inherent character fault: it is her pride that in the end leads her into a miserable existence. Most of the other female characters are shown as manipulative and uncaring or dull and it is only the young virginal Pansy that can claim to be good. By contrast there are plenty of good and upstanding male characters; Lord Warburton, Casper Goodwood, Ralph and old Mr Touchett, although the most evil characterisation is reserved for Gilbert Osmond.

This is a slow moving novel whose storyline can be pretty well predicted, but this is not why we read Henry James. We read him for his characterisation, his brilliant descriptions and his observations on the human condition as well as his skill as a novel writer. There is no evidence of his rather mannered and tortured sentence structures that he favoured in his later novels. An added bonus for readers today is the depiction of life in mid nineteenth century England, even if it is reserved for the top tier of society. Yes James can sound snobbish and a little prissy at times and this in the end makes me think that his excellent novel is not a great novel. 4.5 stars show less

I met Isabel Archer for the first time a couple of years ago. She was highly admired by those close to her and had a few suitors of high standing competing for her attention. I was mildly puzzled by all the high praise heaped upon this young lady. She was certainly pretty and carried some charm and freshness often attributed to Americans, yet she did not appear to have any particularly interesting ideas or plans. Who at her age and with her resources would not want to travel more and experience everything! At the same time she didn't care much about art or history beyond what was expected at a social gathering. Her aristocratic aspirations were quite annoying, she clearly did not distinguish between appearance and substance. She was show more very kind but frankly did not seem very intelligent. At some point we broke off any sort of connection and I felt all the better for it.

Last year I spent some time in the company of Ms Archer's compatriot Mr Strether in Paris. We became good friends as I discovered that behind a stern facade that this man presented to the world there was a sensitive and humble human being, full of sublime care and concern for others. I wondered then if I had been too rush in forming my opinion of Isabel, she too could have been hiding behind a well-manufactured front. I rushed to Rome where I knew she was spending her time having married some pretentious nonentity Mr Osmond.

Mrs Osmond was very reserved when we met again. She was an epitome of propriety, stately, correct, as always charming - it was obvious to me it was another wall she constructed to keep the world out of what was tormenting her within. This time I often stayed in her company and eventually on one of our drives through the deserted streets of Rome she broke down and told me everything. She was profoundly unhappy, her husband turned out to be a controlling, calculating monster - eager to show her off as a prize item in his extensive collection of valuable objects but depriving her of any attempt at an interest of her own. He kept her suffocating in the dark dungeon of their palazzo. And even then she did not blame him, she still believed in his initial sincerity and love for her. She did not even blame herself - it did appear that she had done everything right when choosing to marry him, with the knowledge that she had at the time. Was it not true that our deepest mistakes and regrets were not consequences of malice from someone but just the outcomes of unfortunate but natural developments from a potentially favorable starting point? How detailed, how nuanced, how touching her story was, what a depth of understanding it revealed, what an inherent belief in the goodness of human nature she possessed! She would learn more about the circumstances of her downfall later, could she still be kind to others and retain her idealistic beliefs?

I would not tell you about the development of her story as I lost her from view again, this time not on my own accord. I do hear that my old friend Mr Banville has been in regular contact with Mrs Osmond. I intend to meet my friend soon and will learn everything he knows about Isabel's curent choices and her state of mind. show less

I'd heard mention of the main character, Isabel Archer over the years, and was delighted to finally get the chance to figure her out for myself and I will say, she was one complicated character. But then, they were all complicated characters. Early in the novel, Isabel, (an American) travels to Great Britain to stay with her aunt and cousin in the English countryside. Somehow, she manages to have not just one but two manic suitors, one of which followed her across the Atlantic to beg her to marry him. But Isabel has other ideas. And when she inherits a lot of money she decides to travel and play the field.

In Italy, she meets Madame Merle, who becomes a close friend and in no time Isabel has another potential husband. Decisions show more decisions. I'll leave it there for the half dozen people left in the world who haven't already read the book. But why do these Victorian female characters always have so many men to choose from???

A couple of words about point of view because in this novel it's important. James explores and makes evident several points of view and not everybody is who they seem to be. It's what makes this psychological novel so darn compelling. Honestly, I could barely put it down. The pacing is absolutely wonderful. And I really don't know if there is another more endearing character in literature than Ralph Touchette ( is that a play on words?). Or a more annoying character than Henrietta Stackpole (again with the name).

But the language, the salubrious, evocative, beautiful, sometimes overbearing language. Oh my. Yes, it takes some getting used to but after fifty pages or so you're on your way.

So much to ponder, a mystery to figure out although I admit I had it pegged from fairly early on, and the ever present question: what will Isabel do? Absolutely glorious. show less

Did you ever meet a character so charming and fun that you wished you knew them in real life? I would have liked to pal around with Isabel Archer, American heiress and orphan. When her father dies, Isabel makes the journey to visit her aunt, Mrs. Touchett. Despite being outspoken and extremely independent, Isabel makes fast friends with her European cousin, Ralph, an older woman named Mrs. Merle and a few eligible bachelors who express an interest in Isabel. Everyone bores Isabel until she meets dashing suitor, Gilbert Osmond. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what she saw in him. Ignoring the warnings of her family and friends, Isabel throws caution to the wind and marries Mr. Osmond, only to discover he control over her is show more fueled by jealousy and greed. When he forbids her to see her dying cousin, I just about lost my mind. Who does that? Obviously, this is not the end of the story, but The Portrait of a Lady is a classic so you know what happens next. show less

Isabel Archer refuses to follow a life that is too prescribed by classical romantic notions. She is determined to find and follow her own path, or remain unsatisfied. This characteristic rules her as a number of suitors make themselves known. The story is primarily about what leads to the choice she makes, and its repercussions. Several other characters are intriguing and their roles each become clear. I had trouble placing the relevancy of Henrietta's story; I believe it clarifies that James' message was not about refusing women the right to make independent choices, but about ensuring illusions are fully dispelled before a choice is made. I really enjoyed this novel for its being chock full of people who make sharp observations, if show more not always accurate. There is no comedy of misunderstandings here, only analysis that is either lacking or overdone. Henry James knows how to get inside characters' heads and make himself at home, offering strong, natural motives for actions and dialogue that is brilliant both for what is said and what is not. The ending is very satisfying and comes together beautifully. I'm open to reading more of James' novels, but I suspect this will remain my favourite. show less

The Portrait of a Lady dispelled for me the notion that Henry James wrote impenetrable, stuffy novels. Instead, this was a beautifully written series of character studies, full of an understated humor. Isabel Archer comes to England at the invitation of her aunt, to stay at Gardencourt, where she grows close to her uncle and her cousin, the kind and sickly Ralph. She's young and full of herself (really, she's wonderfully self-involved and in love with her own charms), but she's also determined to forge her own independent path, despite her lack of means and society's expectations. To that end, she turns down marriage proposals from eligible men and plans to travel with her aunt.

This book is chock-a-block with great character studies. show more There's Henrietta, a brash, out-spoken young woman working as a journalist. She's a comic character, but James writes of her with open affection, despite the things she says. Then there's Madame Merle, a femme fatale as calculating as any found in a hardboiled crime novel, and the character you can't (and shouldn't) look away from. And, of course, Isabel, who acts erratically and is misled, but who longs so much for freedom, even as she's uncertain of what that would look like.

So, once again, I read a Victorian novel, expecting it to be a slog and finding, instead, a page turner with delicious pacing. show less

I'd never read any James before, but in his ability to depict interiority, he reminds me of George Eliot. And the first half of this novel is fantastic; I know why everyone is in love with Isabel Archer because I'm in love with Isabel Archer. The coolest character, however, is of course Ralph Touchett, the cynical invalid who refuses to let anyone know what he truly thinks on the inside, content to just disagree with whatever propositions everyone else brings up. What's unfortunate, given James's adeptness with character, is that we skip over a number of pivotal character moments, especially Isabel's decision to get married and the deterioration of her marriage, slipping to an outside perspective at this point. James cleverly brings us show more closer and closer to her over the remainder of the novel, but it was too late for me by then; I'd already lost the investment I'd made during the first half of the book. The central dilemma is fascinating, however: can a women remain aimless and independent? Not if she doesn't have any money... but not if she does have money, either. Man, it sucks being a girl. show less