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jeeleongkoh's review against another edition
5.0
A Perched Privacy
I finish reading this novel feeling exalted and cowed by what a man may accomplish in a work of fiction. Human relationships, so various, so changing, so beautiful, are so variously, changeably and beautifully conceived here that they constitute a cause for moral uplift and terror. Flying from an apparent bedrock of ethical certainties, fine discriminations flutter in the air, and cannot find a sure place to land. All (a word that punctuates the novel like an orgasmic cry) is guesswork: who is the "wicked" Frenchwoman holding Chad Newsome back from returning to Woollet, Massachusetts, to take up his responsibility as heir to a great manufacturing concern? how is Lambert Strether, himself a fiance and supplicant to Chad's formidable mother, to convince the prodigal son of his duty? what, really, is one's duty to life?
The third person narrative, told entirely through the perspective of Strether, dramatizes the changes in his consciousness wrought by the atmosphere of the city of Paris. Yet, he does not bring nothing to the alchemical experiment; he carries a sense of advancing age and professional failure, a sense that is old with him, true, but also young enough for its modification, and, even, transformation. For in Chad, Strether sees a younger self that he never had. I use "had" deliberately. The fine women Strether encounters in Paris are described with deep admiration, but young man receives the only extended description of physical person. Arriving at Chad's house, Strether saw another young man smoking on the third floor balcony:
I find this passage extremely moving in its contrast of youth and age, its double seeing, its longing for transcendence and domicile ("perched privacy"), and its tenuous claim of belonging in a great ironic city. The style may be impressionistic--seeing the balcony in one light which may, and will, rapidly change to another--but it is also profoundly human.
I finish reading this novel feeling exalted and cowed by what a man may accomplish in a work of fiction. Human relationships, so various, so changing, so beautiful, are so variously, changeably and beautifully conceived here that they constitute a cause for moral uplift and terror. Flying from an apparent bedrock of ethical certainties, fine discriminations flutter in the air, and cannot find a sure place to land. All (a word that punctuates the novel like an orgasmic cry) is guesswork: who is the "wicked" Frenchwoman holding Chad Newsome back from returning to Woollet, Massachusetts, to take up his responsibility as heir to a great manufacturing concern? how is Lambert Strether, himself a fiance and supplicant to Chad's formidable mother, to convince the prodigal son of his duty? what, really, is one's duty to life?
The third person narrative, told entirely through the perspective of Strether, dramatizes the changes in his consciousness wrought by the atmosphere of the city of Paris. Yet, he does not bring nothing to the alchemical experiment; he carries a sense of advancing age and professional failure, a sense that is old with him, true, but also young enough for its modification, and, even, transformation. For in Chad, Strether sees a younger self that he never had. I use "had" deliberately. The fine women Strether encounters in Paris are described with deep admiration, but young man receives the only extended description of physical person. Arriving at Chad's house, Strether saw another young man smoking on the third floor balcony:
He was young too then, the gentleman up there--he was very young; young enough apparently to be amused at an elderly watcher, to be curious even to see what the elderly watcher would do on finding himself watched. There was youth in that, there was youth in the surrender to the balcony, there was youth for Strether at his moment in everything but his own business; and Chad's thus pronounced association with youth had given the next instant an extraordinary quick lift to the issue. The balcony, the distinguished front testified suddenly, for Strether's fancy, to something that was up and up; they placed the whole case materially and as by an admirable image, on a level that he found himself at the end of another moment rejoicing to think he might reach. The young man looked at him still, he looked at the young man; and the issue, by a rapid process, was that this knowledge of a perched privacy appeared to him the last of luxuries. To him too the perched privacy was open, and he saw it now but in one light--that of the only domicile, the only fireside, in the great ironic city, on which he had the shadow of a claim.
I find this passage extremely moving in its contrast of youth and age, its double seeing, its longing for transcendence and domicile ("perched privacy"), and its tenuous claim of belonging in a great ironic city. The style may be impressionistic--seeing the balcony in one light which may, and will, rapidly change to another--but it is also profoundly human.
emiliaclew's review against another edition
4.0
This is not an easy read. Every page demands your full mental attention, and it took me forever (over 3 months) to plow through this book. I also found the story overly simple, as in you could sum up the plot of this novel in one or two sentences. Don't read this book for the story, you will be disappointed.
However, the prose is absolutely sumptuous. Some of these sentences are real gems. The character development is also fascinating, subtle and layered like a watercolor.
If you are looking for a good story... this, at least for me, is not it. But if you are looking for an atmospheric read that immerses you in old Paris, and you have time to spare, this is a very satisfying exploration of characters and relationships.
However, the prose is absolutely sumptuous. Some of these sentences are real gems. The character development is also fascinating, subtle and layered like a watercolor.
If you are looking for a good story... this, at least for me, is not it. But if you are looking for an atmospheric read that immerses you in old Paris, and you have time to spare, this is a very satisfying exploration of characters and relationships.
matthewmansell's review against another edition
2.0
Perhaps the ‘aesthetic beauty’ of this novel comes from the characters slowly turning into the scenery around them, immovable and continuous, it’s an okay novel and maybe the next time I am walking through the Tuileries Garden I will think of this novel, or maybe I won’t.
brucefarrar's review against another edition
2.0
Lambert Strether is dispatched to Europe to bring home the wayward son of his fiancée, Mrs. Newsome back to Woollett, Massachusetts to assume his proper place in the family manufacturing business instead of wasting his time in Paris. He’s obviously in the clutches of a bad woman. But when Strether arrives in Paris and is introduced to the woman, he’s charmed by her and the loveliness of her grown daughter. Also he finds Chad Newsome to be much improved and refined by the influence of Madame de Vionnet.
The novel dissects Strether’s opinions of his mission and what he should do as it changes first one way and then another in a tortuously florid sentences using vapid and abstract language. Here’s an example from the final part of the book. Strether has come to see Chad for the final time before leaving. The characters are realistic, the emotional power of the revelations to Strether and the reader are striking, but the wording is hideously stiff and slow.
“He was disturbed, as it were, only for him, and had positively gone away to ease him off, to let him down—if it wasn’t indeed rather to screw him up—the more gently. Seeing him now fairly jaded he had come, with characteristic good humour, all the way to meet him, and what Strether thereupon supremely made out was that he would abound for him to the end in conscientious assurances.” (from page 412 of the text included on the first disc)
Throughout the book my reactions alternated between: What does that mean in English? What in the world are they talking about? And just get on with it!
In Oscar Wilde's dialog "The Decay of Lying" he has his character Vivian, expounding on the lack of imagination in contemporary fiction, say:'Mr. Henry James writes fiction as if it were a painful duty, and wastes upon mean motives and imperceptible 'points of view' his neat literary style, his felicitous phrases, his swift and caustic satire.'"
I felt that it was a painful duty to endure listening through to the end of the book. In the droning tedium of his diction I heard a style that was vacuous, phrasing that was tedious, and nothing either swift or satirical in the book.
James, Henry. The Ambassadors. Old Saybrook : Tantor Media, 2010. 412. PDF eBook
Wilde, Oscar “The Decay of Lying: An Observation” Plays, Prose Writings and Poems.New York : Knopf, 1991. 75. Print.
The novel dissects Strether’s opinions of his mission and what he should do as it changes first one way and then another in a tortuously florid sentences using vapid and abstract language. Here’s an example from the final part of the book. Strether has come to see Chad for the final time before leaving. The characters are realistic, the emotional power of the revelations to Strether and the reader are striking, but the wording is hideously stiff and slow.
“He was disturbed, as it were, only for him, and had positively gone away to ease him off, to let him down—if it wasn’t indeed rather to screw him up—the more gently. Seeing him now fairly jaded he had come, with characteristic good humour, all the way to meet him, and what Strether thereupon supremely made out was that he would abound for him to the end in conscientious assurances.” (from page 412 of the text included on the first disc)
Throughout the book my reactions alternated between: What does that mean in English? What in the world are they talking about? And just get on with it!
In Oscar Wilde's dialog "The Decay of Lying" he has his character Vivian, expounding on the lack of imagination in contemporary fiction, say:'Mr. Henry James writes fiction as if it were a painful duty, and wastes upon mean motives and imperceptible 'points of view' his neat literary style, his felicitous phrases, his swift and caustic satire.'"
I felt that it was a painful duty to endure listening through to the end of the book. In the droning tedium of his diction I heard a style that was vacuous, phrasing that was tedious, and nothing either swift or satirical in the book.
James, Henry. The Ambassadors. Old Saybrook : Tantor Media, 2010. 412. PDF eBook
Wilde, Oscar “The Decay of Lying: An Observation” Plays, Prose Writings and Poems.New York : Knopf, 1991. 75. Print.
tspangler1970's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this one. I think if I were to go back to school, I'd do my dissertation on Henry James...
lnatal's review against another edition
4.0
From BBC radio 4 - Classical Serial:
THE AMBASSADORS, adapted by Graham White from the Henry James novel centres on the predicament of Lambert Strether, a fifty-something New Englander lately arrived in Paris. Henry Goodman stars as the hapless protagonist in a novel many critics find James' finest.
EPISODE 1 Strether has been sent to the city to persuade the fun-living son of his wealthy fiancee back home in Woolett to return home. But now Strether too falls under the spell of Paris. .
THE AMBASSADORS, adapted by Graham White from the Henry James novel centres on the predicament of Lambert Strether, a fifty-something New Englander lately arrived in Paris. Henry Goodman stars as the hapless protagonist in a novel many critics find James' finest.
EPISODE 1 Strether has been sent to the city to persuade the fun-living son of his wealthy fiancee back home in Woolett to return home. But now Strether too falls under the spell of Paris. .
marcia_94's review against another edition
2.0
Not my cup of tea. The story could have been more developed and the characters felt flat.
athenalindia's review against another edition
4.0
I just spent a review trying to figure out why I didn't like a book that was very similar to a "classic." It was kind of a relief to go from that to this book, which is undeniably by someone who is literary and wrote classics, and to be able to say that I really enjoyed The Ambassadors quite a lot. I think I enjoyed it more then A Portrait of a Lady, which had some aspects that grated on me. Phew! I'm not an entire Philistine, after all!
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withheld due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
quietkristina's review against another edition
3.0
Summary from the publisher: "Sent from Massachusetts by the formidable Mrs. Newsome to recall her son, Chad, from what she assumes to be a corrupt life in Paris, Strether finds his intentions subtly and profoundly transformed as he falls under the spell of the city and of his charge. He is quick to perceive that Chad has been not so much corrupted as refined, and over the course of the hot summer months in Paris he gradually realizes that this discovery and acceptance of Chad's unconventional new lifestyle alter his own ideals and ambitions."
I chose The Ambassadors as my 20th Century Classic in the Back to the Classics book challenge I am participating in this year. I didn't pick this book for any particular reason. I looked up a list of famous 20th century novels, noticed that I owned this one, and grabbed it off my shelf. So, basically, I had no idea what I was getting into when I chose this. In a way, it's a good thing that I didn't really know what I was picking up, because The Ambassadors is, without a doubt, one of the most challenging books I have ever read. I probably would have put off reading it had I known.
What made my reading experience so difficult was the narration style of this book. Almost all of the action is filtered through the main character's mind. Rather than read about events as they occur, the reader learns about them through the thoughts and reflections of Strether after they happen, or through conversations with other characters. All of this is mixed in with Strether's random thoughts and imaginings, which makes for a confusing read. I had to keep stopping and rereading passages to try and figure out what was actually happening. I also had to resort to reading the chapter summaries and analyses on Sparknotes to make sure I was understanding everything I was supposed to. Once I got into the flow of the novel, the reading became a little bit easier, but I never became fully comfortable with the writing style. It was tough and it was slow. I finished, but it took a lot longer than I expected it to.
So, the questions then becomes, was it worth it? Yes.
The Ambassadors is a quiet book. There are no stunning bombshells or daring adventures. The conflicts are internal. The story is more concerned with the transformation of Strether's mind than it is with his ambassadorial mission or the fates of the other characters. The actual plot comes secondary to what Strether thinks about the plot. This takes a lot of getting used to as a reader, but once I came to terms with what James was trying to do, I began to appreciate the intricacies of his writing.
On many points I found that I could relate with Strether. He is sent from his stuffy and boring hometown in Massachusetts to Paris to try and "rescue" his future stepson Chad from the clutches of what everyone assumes is an immoral woman. His mission quickly falls apart when he arrives in Paris and finds that he loves the cultured city and its relaxed people. He finds that Chad hasn't become corrupted by a woman, he's become cool and refined from the influence of the Europe (an intriguing woman is all mixed up in the business too, but she quite different from what everyone in Massachusetts assumes). Before long, Strether sheds his closed-minded ways and embraces the relaxed atmosphere of Paris. His whole outlook on life changes. I feel like if I was the ambassador sent to Paris on this mission, I would have reacted the same way. I'm sure that I would have fallen in love with the city too. I enjoyed following Strether around France, seeing the sights through his eyes and watching how his attitude completely changes from being set in his small-town ways to opening up his heart to a whole different approach to life. I found myself wishing I could have such an experience.
One of the central themes of the novel is personal fulfillment and growth, despite disappointments. By the end of the novel, Strether realizes that the allure of Paris has clouded his mind to the reality of what was going on with Chad. He wasn't as virtuous as he claimed to be and shows himself to be much more careless than Strether originally pegged him for. However, Strether still sees the value of his personal transformation and believes he is better for his experience, even if Chad turned out to be less than perfect. This is a lesson I was able to take to heart. This past year I experienced a big disappointment when someone I considered to be a close friend let me down. I was cynical about it for a time, but I'm beginning to realize that I should appreciate the friendship for what it was while it lasted. Just because things don't turn out the way you planned doesn't mean that any changes you made or any joy you experienced is invalidated. Just as Strether was able to embrace his new worldview despite the disappointments he suffered, I can appreciate the positive moments from my friendship despite the way it ended. My experience may not have been as transforming as a trip to Paris, but I was still able to make a strong connection to the ideas in the text.
Finishing this book was definitely a triumph for me as a reader. I can't say that this was one of my favorites, but it was very rewarding to have made it through and to have learned to appreciate its unique style. Being able to actually relate it to my life and take a lesson from it was a nice bonus. While I wouldn't recommend this novel for a casual reader, I would definitely recommend it to those who love classics or those who love Henry James. This novel definitely got my 2014 reading off to a triumphant start!
Quotes I loved:
"He had been wondering a minute ago if the boy weren't a Pagan, and he found himself wondering now if he weren't by chance a gentleman. It didn't in the least, on the spot, spring up helpfully for him that a person couldn't at the same time be both." (p. 173)
"All the same don't forget that you're young -- blessedly young; be glad of it on the contrary and live up to it. Live all you can; it's a mistake not to." (p.215)
"'A man in trouble must be possessed somehow of a woman,' she said; 'If she doesn't come in one way she comes in another.'" (p. 280)
"She was a woman who, between courses, could be graceful with her elbows on the table." (p.280)
"She spoke now as if her art were all an innocence, and then again as if her innocence were all an art." (p. 354)
I chose The Ambassadors as my 20th Century Classic in the Back to the Classics book challenge I am participating in this year. I didn't pick this book for any particular reason. I looked up a list of famous 20th century novels, noticed that I owned this one, and grabbed it off my shelf. So, basically, I had no idea what I was getting into when I chose this. In a way, it's a good thing that I didn't really know what I was picking up, because The Ambassadors is, without a doubt, one of the most challenging books I have ever read. I probably would have put off reading it had I known.
What made my reading experience so difficult was the narration style of this book. Almost all of the action is filtered through the main character's mind. Rather than read about events as they occur, the reader learns about them through the thoughts and reflections of Strether after they happen, or through conversations with other characters. All of this is mixed in with Strether's random thoughts and imaginings, which makes for a confusing read. I had to keep stopping and rereading passages to try and figure out what was actually happening. I also had to resort to reading the chapter summaries and analyses on Sparknotes to make sure I was understanding everything I was supposed to. Once I got into the flow of the novel, the reading became a little bit easier, but I never became fully comfortable with the writing style. It was tough and it was slow. I finished, but it took a lot longer than I expected it to.
So, the questions then becomes, was it worth it? Yes.
The Ambassadors is a quiet book. There are no stunning bombshells or daring adventures. The conflicts are internal. The story is more concerned with the transformation of Strether's mind than it is with his ambassadorial mission or the fates of the other characters. The actual plot comes secondary to what Strether thinks about the plot. This takes a lot of getting used to as a reader, but once I came to terms with what James was trying to do, I began to appreciate the intricacies of his writing.
On many points I found that I could relate with Strether. He is sent from his stuffy and boring hometown in Massachusetts to Paris to try and "rescue" his future stepson Chad from the clutches of what everyone assumes is an immoral woman. His mission quickly falls apart when he arrives in Paris and finds that he loves the cultured city and its relaxed people. He finds that Chad hasn't become corrupted by a woman, he's become cool and refined from the influence of the Europe (an intriguing woman is all mixed up in the business too, but she quite different from what everyone in Massachusetts assumes). Before long, Strether sheds his closed-minded ways and embraces the relaxed atmosphere of Paris. His whole outlook on life changes. I feel like if I was the ambassador sent to Paris on this mission, I would have reacted the same way. I'm sure that I would have fallen in love with the city too. I enjoyed following Strether around France, seeing the sights through his eyes and watching how his attitude completely changes from being set in his small-town ways to opening up his heart to a whole different approach to life. I found myself wishing I could have such an experience.
One of the central themes of the novel is personal fulfillment and growth, despite disappointments. By the end of the novel, Strether realizes that the allure of Paris has clouded his mind to the reality of what was going on with Chad. He wasn't as virtuous as he claimed to be and shows himself to be much more careless than Strether originally pegged him for. However, Strether still sees the value of his personal transformation and believes he is better for his experience, even if Chad turned out to be less than perfect. This is a lesson I was able to take to heart. This past year I experienced a big disappointment when someone I considered to be a close friend let me down. I was cynical about it for a time, but I'm beginning to realize that I should appreciate the friendship for what it was while it lasted. Just because things don't turn out the way you planned doesn't mean that any changes you made or any joy you experienced is invalidated. Just as Strether was able to embrace his new worldview despite the disappointments he suffered, I can appreciate the positive moments from my friendship despite the way it ended. My experience may not have been as transforming as a trip to Paris, but I was still able to make a strong connection to the ideas in the text.
Finishing this book was definitely a triumph for me as a reader. I can't say that this was one of my favorites, but it was very rewarding to have made it through and to have learned to appreciate its unique style. Being able to actually relate it to my life and take a lesson from it was a nice bonus. While I wouldn't recommend this novel for a casual reader, I would definitely recommend it to those who love classics or those who love Henry James. This novel definitely got my 2014 reading off to a triumphant start!
Quotes I loved:
"He had been wondering a minute ago if the boy weren't a Pagan, and he found himself wondering now if he weren't by chance a gentleman. It didn't in the least, on the spot, spring up helpfully for him that a person couldn't at the same time be both." (p. 173)
"All the same don't forget that you're young -- blessedly young; be glad of it on the contrary and live up to it. Live all you can; it's a mistake not to." (p.215)
"'A man in trouble must be possessed somehow of a woman,' she said; 'If she doesn't come in one way she comes in another.'" (p. 280)
"She was a woman who, between courses, could be graceful with her elbows on the table." (p.280)
"She spoke now as if her art were all an innocence, and then again as if her innocence were all an art." (p. 354)