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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Somewhat stilted novel of manners in New York in the 1800s. Really only four characters, none of them very appealing. I kept reading it because it was short and I was curious to see if anything would develop.
There are great gaps in my literary education, and Henry James' oeuvre is—are?—one of them.
I fell in love with this story watching the classic screen version with Olivia DeHavilland and Monty Clift. It stands alone as an outstanding piece of entertainment, but, like most films based on books, only begins to get at the emotional nuances of the original novella. (Or maybe it *is* a novel, but given how long everyone wrote back then, especially James, it feels like a novella.)
Even though it's set in an era when women of all socioeconomic strata had far fewer choices, it is time-agnostic on the perils of low self-worth. Materially, Catherine Sloper has everything and then some, but she's as imprisoned by self-doubt and self-loathing as any of her modern sisters who accept unquestioningly the messaging of the patriarchy. (So there.)
I fell in love with this story watching the classic screen version with Olivia DeHavilland and Monty Clift. It stands alone as an outstanding piece of entertainment, but, like most films based on books, only begins to get at the emotional nuances of the original novella. (Or maybe it *is* a novel, but given how long everyone wrote back then, especially James, it feels like a novella.)
Even though it's set in an era when women of all socioeconomic strata had far fewer choices, it is time-agnostic on the perils of low self-worth. Materially, Catherine Sloper has everything and then some, but she's as imprisoned by self-doubt and self-loathing as any of her modern sisters who accept unquestioningly the messaging of the patriarchy. (So there.)
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
LOVE a satisfying ending
LOVE seeing a bad bitch origin story
LOVE seeing a bad bitch origin story
I believe that one of James's best strengths is creating hate-able characters. Until 2/3 of the way through the book, none of the four main characters show any redeeming features. Both Dr. Sloper and Morris Townsend emotionally manipulate Catherine and Mrs. Penniman only wants their story to play out like a romance novel. The ease in which these three manipulate Catherine makes it very hard to have sympathy for her. However, the characters and the settings are painted in such detail that it is hard to turn away. I was expecting Catherine to end up marrying Morris and turning into even more of a shell then she already was. I was pleasantly surprised to see her stand up for herself to all three of them.
Di luar dugaan, ternyata saya sangat menikmatinya. Novel penutup tantangan Joglosemar yang memuaskan hehe.
JoglosemarRC2021
Dulunya wishlist tapi tertimbun terlama.
Tantangan baca GRI Bulan November 2021 dengan tema novel klasik.
JoglosemarRC2021
Dulunya wishlist tapi tertimbun terlama.
Tantangan baca GRI Bulan November 2021 dengan tema novel klasik.
The writing is really excellent. It's not a very exciting book but it's so well done. The 4 main characters are so well drawn.
everything. ive. ever. needed. from. a. book.
new favorite.
new favorite.
This was my first book authored by Henry James and I was impressed.
He managed to turn a small family drama into a whole novel, although it is a short story, and give it a somewhat interesting plot.
I quite liked the stylistic choice of addressing the reader directly multiple times throughout the story. Still, I was sometimes confused by his very over-the-top and complicated sentences that seemed very Austen-like.
All in all, it is a nice short story that is very dramatic and sarcastic to read.
He managed to turn a small family drama into a whole novel, although it is a short story, and give it a somewhat interesting plot.
I quite liked the stylistic choice of addressing the reader directly multiple times throughout the story. Still, I was sometimes confused by his very over-the-top and complicated sentences that seemed very Austen-like.
All in all, it is a nice short story that is very dramatic and sarcastic to read.