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The Portrait of a Lady by Henry
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The Portrait of a Lady (1881)

by Henry

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10,770126641 (3.9)9 / 767
Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML:

The Portrait of a Lady is perhaps Henry James' greatest novel. It tells the story of Isabel Archer, a young American heiress who "affronts her destiny". Dealing with one of James' recurrent themes, the American in Europe, and the differences between the two cultures, The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of the conspiracy to separate Isabel from her fortune and the value of autonomy and accountability.

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Member:Cath.Blaauwendraad
Title:The Portrait of a Lady
Authors:Henry
Info:Penguin Classics
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Work Information

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James (1881)

  1. 80
    Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (ncgraham)
    ncgraham: Surprised this recommendation hasn't already been made ... scholars throughout the years have noted Gwendolen Harleth's influence upon James in creating Isabel Archer.
  2. 81
    Howards End by E. M. Forster (carlym)
  3. 70
    The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (carlym)
  4. 81
    Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy (roby72)
  5. 41
    Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Nickelini)
  6. 20
    Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece by Michael Gorra (Cecrow)
    Cecrow: Non-fiction work detailing the story behind the novel's writing.
  7. 20
    The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope (Crypto-Willobie)
  8. 10
    The Reef by Edith Wharton (noveltea)
  9. 11
    Indian Summer by William Dean Howells (Bjace)
    Bjace: Howells ventures into Henry James territory with this tale of an American expatriate in Florence who is caught between two women. Howells teases the reader by starting to write a Henry James ending and then doing something quite different.
AP Lit (9)
Read (23)
1880s (1)
Europe (170)
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English (114)  French (3)  Spanish (2)  Italian (1)  German (1)  Portuguese (1)  Hebrew (1)  Dutch (1)  All languages (124)
Showing 1-5 of 114 (next | show all)
A very slow read, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The story builds very slowly, but in the interim, several characters are developed fully with psychology and motivations. As complex a character as Isabel (the lady) was, she was also one of the simplest to understand. Those in her orbit were harder nuts to crack. A very satisfying read, but not one to rush through. I spent the better part of two months reading it and that was a good pace to embrace the characters as they are slowly revealed. ( )
  AliceAnna | Sep 17, 2023 |
bailed second read. ( )
  GRLopez | Sep 1, 2023 |
I'm glad I finally got around to reading James, even if it was through a prompt in a mystery novel. I wish I'd known Isabel Archer when I was younger; not that we're alike, but that I could have learned some lessons from her. What a fascinating character study. Unfortunately I've met too many Osmonds in my time... ( )
  Kiramke | Jun 27, 2023 |
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 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. ( )
  SeriousGrace | Mar 29, 2023 |
This book is a character study about a woman who comes into money and values her freedom, but ironically chooses a husband who marries for money and limits her freedom. It uses travel and social gatherings as plot devices to further develop the characters. It was published in 1881, so be prepared for lengthy sentences written in the style of a past era. Makes me glad I didn't live back then. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 114 (next | show all)
The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.
added by vibesandall | editRebecca West
 

» Add other authors (174 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Henry Jamesprimary authorall editionscalculated
Aiken, JoanIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Anderson, Charles RobertsIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cargill, OscarAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Cohn, JanEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Edel, LeonEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Heer, Inge deTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jacques, RobinIllustratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jonkers, JohannesTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Krüger, LoreTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Luckhurst, RogerEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McCaddon, WandaNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
McGovern, ElizabethNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Millett, Fred B.Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Moore, GeoffreyEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Neilson, William AllanEditorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Röckelein, GottfriedÜbersetzersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Stallman, R. W.Introductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Toibin, ColmAfterwordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Updike, JohnIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Van Hageland, A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Whitman, Sarah WymanCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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Epigraph
Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
Dedication
First words
Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.
Quotations
Her reputation of reading a great deal hung about her like the cloudy envelope of a goddess in an epic.
It may be affirmed without delay that Isabel was probably very liable to the sin of self-esteem....
You are rich when you can meet the demands of your imagination.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
This is the New York edition, published in 1908. Do not combine with the original 1881 version, which is substantially different.
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Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML:

The Portrait of a Lady is perhaps Henry James' greatest novel. It tells the story of Isabel Archer, a young American heiress who "affronts her destiny". Dealing with one of James' recurrent themes, the American in Europe, and the differences between the two cultures, The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of the conspiracy to separate Isabel from her fortune and the value of autonomy and accountability.

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Penguin Australia

2 editions of this book were published by Penguin Australia.

Editions: 0141441267, 0141199121

Tantor Media

An edition of this book was published by Tantor Media.

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