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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
allaboutfrodo's review against another edition
1.0
In 2008 I started a new book club at my library. Attendees were to choose a book and lead discussion with my assistance. The people who came all insisted they wanted to read classics. (Note: they did not in fact want to read classics, but that's another story.)
One person choose The Golden Bowl because the heroine, played by Uma Thurman, is from Galesburg, Illinois (where we live) in the movie version, and the local paper shows up in the movie with a headline about her. (I think she is just from the Midwest in the book.)
Worst book club experience of my life. No one finished it but me, and it is a horrible, boring, endless slog to read. If you asked me which was worse, picking up dog poop in the library's storybook garden before an ice cream social or leading discussion on The Golden Bowl, I'd say The Golden Bowl for sure. Ugh. Do not recommend.
One person choose The Golden Bowl because the heroine, played by Uma Thurman, is from Galesburg, Illinois (where we live) in the movie version, and the local paper shows up in the movie with a headline about her. (I think she is just from the Midwest in the book.)
Worst book club experience of my life. No one finished it but me, and it is a horrible, boring, endless slog to read. If you asked me which was worse, picking up dog poop in the library's storybook garden before an ice cream social or leading discussion on The Golden Bowl, I'd say The Golden Bowl for sure. Ugh. Do not recommend.
ameliayawen's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
3.75
enjibooks's review against another edition
I picked this up for a book group. I liked the book, but my life was much more interesting, so I just didn't spend enough time reading. Maybe another time.
jamielynne's review against another edition
2.0
Have read several works by Henry James and enjoyed them but had a tough time getting through this one. Found it confusing at times and had to force myself to finish it.
synthecision's review against another edition
3.0
Sophisticated emotional subtlety buried amongst layer upon layer of tedious circumlocution - much like his subjects.
lee_foust's review against another edition
5.0
Well, well, well, here I am at the very end of my project to read all of Henry James's novels in chronological order. I did skip The Other House as I don't have a copy and couldn't easily procure one at the time, but I also added a few shorter works not usually included among the New Yorker's novels but rather relegated to long-ish tales, even if they're mostly published under a single cover. In a way I'm kind glad that I still have one James novel to pick up and read ex nihilo at some point in the future.
Anywho, This novel, The Golden Bowl, is, as advertised, a worthy final entry in the steadily evolving oeuvre of the great man. While it's not my personal objective choice for James's greatest novel (which I would give to this one's immediate predecessor, The Ambassadors), there are a lot of what makes James a great novelist on display here: the mix of exposition and terrific scenes, fascinating characters, a lovely central image/symbol, the amazing dialogue representing how well these sophisticated society types of a century and a half or so ago talked endlessly around the topics too taboo to invoke, the very slow and maniacal presentation of people's feelings, words, and inner movements until you almost feel as if you've lived their lives along with them. It's all top notch and thus this is another of the very best of the nineteenth century novel (here just over the edge into the new century but still before the watershed event of WWI, which would produce a whole new kettle of modernist fish), when it shook off the broadness and sometimes frivolously silliness of the Dickensian and tried to treat seriously of adult topics.
My one criticism, despite it being pretty much inevitable given James's whole approach, is that the relatively simple so-called plot here (really more of a series of situations at best) is pretty slight to hang so many pages on. While it was important to get the side commentary of dear Mrs. Assingham, perhaps shortening a tad or omitting a couple of her long, long evening conversations with her husband might have been propitious. This is especially noticeable, I think, in James because of all he doesn't (and refuses) to say--no easy answers or authorial revelations. Several characters, including the reader, remain oblivious to one thing or another, as happens in life and I appreciate James's realistic way of presenting that, even if it is occasionally frustrating when we, as readers, want to know all.
I have on other occasions bemoaned the fact that the greatest flaw of the nineteenth century European novel (particularly of the English and American variety) is it's yearning to touch on adult subjects--code for love and marriage--but not being able even to acknowledge that human beings have genitalia, much less sexual desire or, God forbid, actual sexual intercourse, or that these dirty truths have any effect at all on courtship, marriage, and/or later married life. How much richer the literature could have been if we knew how bad Edgar Linton was in bed or how good--or perhaps frightening--Heathcliff was. At least James partly avoids our thinking about it as he leaves so many other elements shrouded in darkness or some character's impressions and opinions only.
In the end the flawed golden bowl of the title stands not only for marriage, for human imperfection, but for the novel itself: a beautiful object just short of perfect.
Anywho, This novel, The Golden Bowl, is, as advertised, a worthy final entry in the steadily evolving oeuvre of the great man. While it's not my personal objective choice for James's greatest novel (which I would give to this one's immediate predecessor, The Ambassadors), there are a lot of what makes James a great novelist on display here: the mix of exposition and terrific scenes, fascinating characters, a lovely central image/symbol, the amazing dialogue representing how well these sophisticated society types of a century and a half or so ago talked endlessly around the topics too taboo to invoke, the very slow and maniacal presentation of people's feelings, words, and inner movements until you almost feel as if you've lived their lives along with them. It's all top notch and thus this is another of the very best of the nineteenth century novel (here just over the edge into the new century but still before the watershed event of WWI, which would produce a whole new kettle of modernist fish), when it shook off the broadness and sometimes frivolously silliness of the Dickensian and tried to treat seriously of adult topics.
My one criticism, despite it being pretty much inevitable given James's whole approach, is that the relatively simple so-called plot here (really more of a series of situations at best) is pretty slight to hang so many pages on. While it was important to get the side commentary of dear Mrs. Assingham, perhaps shortening a tad or omitting a couple of her long, long evening conversations with her husband might have been propitious. This is especially noticeable, I think, in James because of all he doesn't (and refuses) to say--no easy answers or authorial revelations. Several characters, including the reader, remain oblivious to one thing or another, as happens in life and I appreciate James's realistic way of presenting that, even if it is occasionally frustrating when we, as readers, want to know all.
I have on other occasions bemoaned the fact that the greatest flaw of the nineteenth century European novel (particularly of the English and American variety) is it's yearning to touch on adult subjects--code for love and marriage--but not being able even to acknowledge that human beings have genitalia, much less sexual desire or, God forbid, actual sexual intercourse, or that these dirty truths have any effect at all on courtship, marriage, and/or later married life. How much richer the literature could have been if we knew how bad Edgar Linton was in bed or how good--or perhaps frightening--Heathcliff was. At least James partly avoids our thinking about it as he leaves so many other elements shrouded in darkness or some character's impressions and opinions only.
In the end the flawed golden bowl of the title stands not only for marriage, for human imperfection, but for the novel itself: a beautiful object just short of perfect.
robingustafson's review against another edition
3.0
I started this novel in print. I give sole credit to Juliet Stevenson's narration of the audio version with getting me to the finish line. In a novel about concealment and secrets it often felt like I was in the dark, trying to understand the layers of deception, and who knew what when. I think that is why I felt such an affinity for Bob Assingham -- the husband of Fanny. They have long conversations where poor Bob has no idea what Fanny is talking about.
alinaa's review against another edition
4.0
3,75 Stars
I did really enjoy this book, but I have to say that this is my least favourite Henry James so far.
The Golden Bowl is the story of a father and his daughter and their respective marriages. The main theme here is betrayal and how it affects those involved, but the story also explores human relationships in general. We follow Maggie Verver, daughter of a very, very rich American in England, and her husband, a bankrupt Italian Prince. The two other protagonists are Charlotte, a friend of Maggie's, and Fanny Assingham, who could be considered to be part of the Verver family, as she and her husband are extremely close to them.
Now to what I didn't enjoy too much about this very interesting novel. The syntax in here is pretty exhausting and sometimes hard to follow, as James uses many long sentences and very few dialogue. Sometimes there will be five pages or more without anyone speaking and stream of consciousness like explorations of character's thoughts and experiences. Even though I enjoy reading about a situation from different perspectives and the discussion of situations and abstract ideas, this was a bit of a slog and I struggled to stay alert over pages of rambling.
That said, I enjoyed this book very much most of the time. The characters are incredibly real, they are each depicted through several different perspectives and from many different angles, so that one really gets to know them and they all become highly individualised. The betrayal is analysed through the thoughts of at least three characters, sometimes even a fourth, so nothing in this book appears to have just one side. It shows how differently every character experiences a situation and thus the story proves that nothing in life is just black and white. Even adulterers may be pardoned and can not be considered as being purely evil.
This and the very beautiful language rich in imagery still make for a great novel, I just love how James creates such real situations and explores very interesting themes from so many sides! I definitely want to re-read it at some point, and this feels like a story that is going to stick with me, just like The Portrait of a Lady. The good parts of it outweigh the one negative point, its slowness, by far, as one is rewarded for it with a vivid story full of life and extremely fleshed-out characters
I did really enjoy this book, but I have to say that this is my least favourite Henry James so far.
The Golden Bowl is the story of a father and his daughter and their respective marriages. The main theme here is betrayal and how it affects those involved, but the story also explores human relationships in general. We follow Maggie Verver, daughter of a very, very rich American in England, and her husband, a bankrupt Italian Prince. The two other protagonists are Charlotte, a friend of Maggie's, and Fanny Assingham, who could be considered to be part of the Verver family, as she and her husband are extremely close to them.
Now to what I didn't enjoy too much about this very interesting novel. The syntax in here is pretty exhausting and sometimes hard to follow, as James uses many long sentences and very few dialogue. Sometimes there will be five pages or more without anyone speaking and stream of consciousness like explorations of character's thoughts and experiences. Even though I enjoy reading about a situation from different perspectives and the discussion of situations and abstract ideas, this was a bit of a slog and I struggled to stay alert over pages of rambling.
That said, I enjoyed this book very much most of the time. The characters are incredibly real, they are each depicted through several different perspectives and from many different angles, so that one really gets to know them and they all become highly individualised. The betrayal is analysed through the thoughts of at least three characters, sometimes even a fourth, so nothing in this book appears to have just one side. It shows how differently every character experiences a situation and thus the story proves that nothing in life is just black and white. Even adulterers may be pardoned and can not be considered as being purely evil.
This and the very beautiful language rich in imagery still make for a great novel, I just love how James creates such real situations and explores very interesting themes from so many sides! I definitely want to re-read it at some point, and this feels like a story that is going to stick with me, just like The Portrait of a Lady. The good parts of it outweigh the one negative point, its slowness, by far, as one is rewarded for it with a vivid story full of life and extremely fleshed-out characters