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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So this novel was a bit of a slog to get through when I was reading it in print format. Luckily, a road trip allowed me to listen to the last 2/3 via audiobook, and Juliet Stevenson's performance of the novel made me a bit more engaged in the material. Some of the insults that James has are so cheeky! And the twists and turns that come from Madame Merle's character were the bits that intrigued me. As much as this novel is about Isabelle and her "portrait," I think Osmond and Merle were far more intriguing to me as a reader. Overall, if you'd like to read a slice of upper-class life at the end of the 19th century, this could be a novel for you. But I also can't say that I'd openly recommend this novel the way that I would many others.
The writing style of Henry James elevates the book, I can’t imagine anyone else writing this story and having such control over the narration as Henry James had.
It’s a remarkable, stubborn work that requires the reader’s full attention, concentration, and engagement throughout the whole reading process.
In many ways, the character of Isabel Archer is a modern, new kind of heroine: The American girl. Her personality is strongly ruled over by curiosity, intelligence, and free spirit. The beauty in Isabel lies in her liberal nature, the inner qualities that make her magnetic to all of the observers in the novel, they make her a sort of a celestial body pulling and maintaining her satellites in their orbit.
The impression that the reader has of Isabel, the one which James is presenting, can be seen as a collection of individual experiences that the characters have with Isabel. Just like, Lord Warburton, Ralph Touchett, Caspar Goodwood, Henrietta Stackpoole, Gilbert Osmond, Madame Merle, etc. observe Isabel and paint their Portrait of a lady, so does the reader.
We see Lady Isabel Archer through multiple points of view, left to draw our own impression on her character. There is no concrete, fixed idea of who Isabel is, even the characters change their opinion of her as the novel progresses. Henry James managed to present one life seen through many people around it and still it not being an accurate representation of that life.
In that context, the true antagonist of the novel wasn’t Madame Merle and Gilbert Osmond with their manipulative scheme, but the cold, dispassionate, lifeless aestheticism.
Both Osmond and Ralph are avid collectors of art, relatively young, rich, and with no distinctive career, both have a similar fascination with Isabel, one wishes to possess her and the other to observe her, the main difference is that Ralph gains the sympathy of readers because he feels the guilt of his actions that lead Isabel to the life she otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to live. Both belong on the same scale on different ends, framing Isabel as a work of art, not an individual.
On the other hand, Isabel has only one goal – to reach independence and to live freely. Clearly, social expectations put certain pressure on her, but her true problem is her tragic flaw: her immaturity and inexperience. She doesn’t know of the existence of people as Osmond, Mme. Merle. She is attracted to Osmond because he presents something new, unseen, left to be filled with substance. He draws her in with his surface appeal of independence and mystery.
A characteristic of Isabel is that she wants to live and experience everything on her skin, she reaches independence on the closing pages of the novel – her decision is left to be carried out outside the sight of any perceiver, the reader included.
The conclusion of the novel echoes just as loudly as the closing of the door at the end of Ibsen’s Noora, both women are left to do with their lives what they want, achieving liberty.
A forte of Henry James is the brilliance of the form, the stylization of the language, the beauty of a wide array of words, phrases used in the novel.
I believe that if one would read this novel, read it carefully, they would understand life closely – more intimately than before.
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Update: 15.12.2021. I tried writing a review for the book and failed, Henry James has me stupefied by his greatness, I haven't stopped thinking about Isabel Archer ever since I finished this novel - which is the highest praise for any book.
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The absolute perfection of a novel!
I admit it took a while(more like 200 pages) for me to really get into it, but I am so glad I continued reading - such a pleasant surprise, definitely will be thinking about this book in the next few weeks(my book is full of annotations) or so.
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It’s a remarkable, stubborn work that requires the reader’s full attention, concentration, and engagement throughout the whole reading process.
In many ways, the character of Isabel Archer is a modern, new kind of heroine: The American girl. Her personality is strongly ruled over by curiosity, intelligence, and free spirit. The beauty in Isabel lies in her liberal nature, the inner qualities that make her magnetic to all of the observers in the novel, they make her a sort of a celestial body pulling and maintaining her satellites in their orbit.
The impression that the reader has of Isabel, the one which James is presenting, can be seen as a collection of individual experiences that the characters have with Isabel. Just like, Lord Warburton, Ralph Touchett, Caspar Goodwood, Henrietta Stackpoole, Gilbert Osmond, Madame Merle, etc. observe Isabel and paint their Portrait of a lady, so does the reader.
We see Lady Isabel Archer through multiple points of view, left to draw our own impression on her character. There is no concrete, fixed idea of who Isabel is, even the characters change their opinion of her as the novel progresses. Henry James managed to present one life seen through many people around it and still it not being an accurate representation of that life.
“We see our lives from our own point of view; that is the privilege of the weakest and humblest of us all.”
In that context, the true antagonist of the novel wasn’t Madame Merle and Gilbert Osmond with their manipulative scheme, but the cold, dispassionate, lifeless aestheticism.
Both Osmond and Ralph are avid collectors of art, relatively young, rich, and with no distinctive career, both have a similar fascination with Isabel, one wishes to possess her and the other to observe her, the main difference is that Ralph gains the sympathy of readers because he feels the guilt of his actions that lead Isabel to the life she otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to live. Both belong on the same scale on different ends, framing Isabel as a work of art, not an individual.
On the other hand, Isabel has only one goal – to reach independence and to live freely. Clearly, social expectations put certain pressure on her, but her true problem is her tragic flaw: her immaturity and inexperience. She doesn’t know of the existence of people as Osmond, Mme. Merle. She is attracted to Osmond because he presents something new, unseen, left to be filled with substance. He draws her in with his surface appeal of independence and mystery.
A characteristic of Isabel is that she wants to live and experience everything on her skin, she reaches independence on the closing pages of the novel – her decision is left to be carried out outside the sight of any perceiver, the reader included.
‘‘Do you know where you are drifting?’’ Henrietta went on, holding out her bonnet delicately.
‘‘No, I haven’t the least idea, and I find it very pleasant not to know. A swift carriage, of a dark night, rattling with four horses over roads that one can’t see—that’s my idea of happiness.’’
The conclusion of the novel echoes just as loudly as the closing of the door at the end of Ibsen’s Noora, both women are left to do with their lives what they want, achieving liberty.
A forte of Henry James is the brilliance of the form, the stylization of the language, the beauty of a wide array of words, phrases used in the novel.
I believe that if one would read this novel, read it carefully, they would understand life closely – more intimately than before.
"The peril for you is that you live too much in the world of your own dreams. You’re not enough in contact with reality––with the toiling, striving, suffering, I may even say sinning, world that surrounds you. You’re too fastidious; you’ve too many graceful illusions. Your newly-acquired thousands will shut you up more and more to the society of a few selfish and heartless people who will be interested in keeping them up.’
Isabel’s eyes expanded as she gazed at this lurid scene. ‘What are my illusions?’ she asked. ‘I try so hard not to have any.’
‘Well,’ said Henrietta, ‘you think you can lead a romantic life, that you can live by pleasing yourself and pleasing others. You’ll find you’re mistaken. Whatever life you lead you must put your soul in it––to make any sort of success of it; and from the moment you do that it ceases to be romance, I assure you: it becomes grim reality! And you can’t always please yourself; you must sometimes please other people. That, I admit, you’re very ready to do; but there’s another thing that’s still more important––you must often displease others. You must always be ready for that––you must never shrink from it. That doesn’t suit you at all––you’re too fond of admiration, you like to be thought well of. You think we can escape disagreeable duties by taking romantic views––that’s your great illusion, my dear. But we can’t. You must be prepared on many occasions in life to please no one at all––not even yourself.’
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Update: 15.12.2021. I tried writing a review for the book and failed, Henry James has me stupefied by his greatness, I haven't stopped thinking about Isabel Archer ever since I finished this novel - which is the highest praise for any book.
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The absolute perfection of a novel!
I admit it took a while(more like 200 pages) for me to really get into it, but I am so glad I continued reading - such a pleasant surprise, definitely will be thinking about this book in the next few weeks(my book is full of annotations) or so.
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At its best the rich setting and deep characterisation reminded me of what I liked so much about novels like The Age of Innocence or Middlemarch. At its worst the tedious pacing and frequent switching of perspective brought back the more frustrating parts of Lord Jim. Always great when Henrietta Stackpole was around.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
I have books of this nature on my to read list because they are a part of 101 books every college bound student should read. Very few catch my interest, this one included. I gave it to page 55, chapter 7, but just couldn't get drawn in. I may just be too dull for college, even if I already have my Masters. ;)
Revisited recently, and I'm so happy I did. Dastardly Gilbert Osmond, and upstanding Caspar Goodwood. Not to mention rather dishy Lord Warburton, and poor, sweet Ralph. I love the way James sums each character up in a fleeting moment. It was quite different reading this a long-married woman (and mother of almost-grown children) in contrast to the 18 year-old girl I was when I first read this.
700+ pages later, of which contain a rather simple, if not uneventful plot, but also contain some of the most fascinating characters and writing one can read. James is a master in long passages, keeping vigor, excitement, and craft as he weaves you through the inner feelings of our characters. Isabel Archer is the heroine of dreams, the anchoring setting of Gardencourt is top tier, and not a word or embellishment is wasted by James in his writing.
The story of Isabel Archer, a young steadfast American woman, who is unassumingly catapulted into European society upon discovery by her Aunt, and promptly courted by several suitors, absolutely captivated me. Isabel’s determination and self assurance feels ahead of her time, and while the classic literature story of a young woman experiencing courtship may be a trope that tires some people, the characters of this book are fully realized and developed to offer a unique and in depth perspective on a story such as this.
I had heard that Portrait of a Lady falls more in the middle on the spectrum of works by James in terms of difficulty to read. After having read Washington Square earlier in the year before this, I look forward to having the pleasure of reading more works by James, and discovering whatever new tricks James has up his sleeve for me, a new Henry James Stan.
The story of Isabel Archer, a young steadfast American woman, who is unassumingly catapulted into European society upon discovery by her Aunt, and promptly courted by several suitors, absolutely captivated me. Isabel’s determination and self assurance feels ahead of her time, and while the classic literature story of a young woman experiencing courtship may be a trope that tires some people, the characters of this book are fully realized and developed to offer a unique and in depth perspective on a story such as this.
I had heard that Portrait of a Lady falls more in the middle on the spectrum of works by James in terms of difficulty to read. After having read Washington Square earlier in the year before this, I look forward to having the pleasure of reading more works by James, and discovering whatever new tricks James has up his sleeve for me, a new Henry James Stan.
The Portrait of a Lady dispelled for me the notion that Henry James wrote impenetrable, stuffy novels. Instead, this was a beautifully written series of character studies, full of an understated humor. Isabel Archer comes to England at the invitation of her aunt, to stay at Gardencourt, where she grows close to her uncle and her cousin, the kind and sickly Ralph. She's young and full of herself (really, she's wonderfully self-involved and in love with her own charms), but she's also determined to forge her own independent path, despite her lack of means and society's expectations. To that end, she turns down marriage proposals from eligible men and plans to travel with her aunt.
This book is chock-a-block with great character studies. There's Henrietta, a brash, out-spoken young woman working as a journalist. She's a comic character, but James writes of her with open affection, despite the things she says. Then there's Madame Merle, a femme fatale as calculating as any found in a hardboiled crime novel, and the character you can't (and shouldn't) look away from. And, of course, Isabel, who acts erratically and is misled, but who longs so much for freedom, even as she's uncertain of what that would look like.
So, once again, I read a Victorian novel, expecting it to be a slog and finding, instead, a page turner with delicious pacing.
This book is chock-a-block with great character studies. There's Henrietta, a brash, out-spoken young woman working as a journalist. She's a comic character, but James writes of her with open affection, despite the things she says. Then there's Madame Merle, a femme fatale as calculating as any found in a hardboiled crime novel, and the character you can't (and shouldn't) look away from. And, of course, Isabel, who acts erratically and is misled, but who longs so much for freedom, even as she's uncertain of what that would look like.
So, once again, I read a Victorian novel, expecting it to be a slog and finding, instead, a page turner with delicious pacing.
challenging
emotional
tense
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:
No