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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My Henry James favourite. Long, intense descriptions of the life of two persons, without too much of a plot - everything is in the details of speech and thought.
A very fine piece.
A very fine piece.
Deeply irritating to me on multiple levels. James's ornate and extremely wordy prose style is just not for me, and if I was supposed to be fascinated by the titular lady, Isabel Archer, well - I wasn't. She bored me to death. Literally all the other characters (with the exception of mindless little Pansy) were more interesting than her. How about a comic novel about Henrietta Stackpole, lady journalist? That I could go for.
P.S. I'd have married Lord Warburton.
P.S. I'd have married Lord Warburton.
It has been a few weeks since I finished this novel, and it still pops into my head every day or so.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of our heroine, or the Lady, Isabel Archer, who, after her father's death, is taken to England by her eccentric aunt Mrs Touchett. As the title suggest, the novel basically (if one can actually use the term 'basically' in relation to James) attempts to create a portrait of Isabel's live. And oh does it succeed.
So, the outset of the book shows us Isabel newly landed in England, surrounded by her sickly cousin Ralph Touchett, his father Mr. Touchett, the friendly Lord Warburton and of course her aunt. Isabel immediately captivates the attention of all those around her, as she is very different from the usual women of England's upper society. She is overly fond of her independence and freedom, full of a curiosity to observe the world.
James' novels usually feature a wide pallet of characters with different nationalities, with the Europeans contrasting the Americans. The same goes for The Portrait. Every character is intricately fleshed out, everyone has a story of his or her own and Isabel is where they all come together. I love character driven stories, and this is definitely one of them. The first half of the novel could be said to be moving rather slowly, but this helps the reader to really get to know all the players as many facetted human beings (well, maybe not Caspar Goodwood, he is just a lovelorn fool). Once the second half is reached, the pacing of the plot picks up to match the drama of Isabel's live, and it was really hard to put the book down for the last 300 pages or so.
In typical Jamesian method, every sentence is full of meaning. Many different themes are explored, such as freedom and independence, marriage and happiness. The reader is really made to think about what deeper idea or meaning might be portrayed by the characters' actions. This, and the fact that one can learn so much about 19th century European and American society, made for one of the most impressive reads I've had this year so far. So if you like philosophical and character driven classics, please check this piece of art out!
I thoroughly enjoyed the story of our heroine, or the Lady, Isabel Archer, who, after her father's death, is taken to England by her eccentric aunt Mrs Touchett. As the title suggest, the novel basically (if one can actually use the term 'basically' in relation to James) attempts to create a portrait of Isabel's live. And oh does it succeed.
So, the outset of the book shows us Isabel newly landed in England, surrounded by her sickly cousin Ralph Touchett, his father Mr. Touchett, the friendly Lord Warburton and of course her aunt. Isabel immediately captivates the attention of all those around her, as she is very different from the usual women of England's upper society. She is overly fond of her independence and freedom, full of a curiosity to observe the world.
Spoiler
Accordingly, when her elderly uncle passes away and she is left with a staggering inheritance, Ralph and the reader have high expectations for the woman who has at that point already declined a very prodigious offer.James' novels usually feature a wide pallet of characters with different nationalities, with the Europeans contrasting the Americans. The same goes for The Portrait. Every character is intricately fleshed out, everyone has a story of his or her own and Isabel is where they all come together. I love character driven stories, and this is definitely one of them. The first half of the novel could be said to be moving rather slowly, but this helps the reader to really get to know all the players as many facetted human beings (well, maybe not Caspar Goodwood, he is just a lovelorn fool). Once the second half is reached, the pacing of the plot picks up to match the drama of Isabel's live, and it was really hard to put the book down for the last 300 pages or so.
In typical Jamesian method, every sentence is full of meaning. Many different themes are explored, such as freedom and independence, marriage and happiness. The reader is really made to think about what deeper idea or meaning might be portrayed by the characters' actions. This, and the fact that one can learn so much about 19th century European and American society, made for one of the most impressive reads I've had this year so far. So if you like philosophical and character driven classics, please check this piece of art out!
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Found myself infuriated with parts of this book and enthralled by others, but the writing was beautiful throughout. The characterisations were all so engaging, and I loved the ending.
Henry James how dare you break my heart like that.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
Amazing novel, with very complex characters! I just need to think so more about the last pages, I know I'm missing something...
Enjoyable but I felt it could have been considerably shorter.