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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
No
damn those last pages tho
if it wasn't for the ending I would've given it a one star, horribly disappointing!
A pretty glum novel. The whole thing is an exploration of good manners and restraint, which at times made for hugely tedious reading. It seems to be mostly about people not acting on their wishes, or being wholly disappointed when they do. This basically means that half of the novel is plotless, and the other half is depressing.
There is no pleasure in reading about an independent, ambitious, wealthy woman ultimately ending up in a terrible marriage, seemingly without any way of escaping it. All Isabel can do is slap on a smile and play a martyr, totally undoing all of the promise she supposedly held at the beginning. I say 'supposedly' because although all of the other characters adore her, we're never really given an insight into why she's so fantastic, what her great ideas are, etc. She is really very bland. She might have been an admirable protagonist, but no one would want to be her by the end.
I wouldn't really want to be any of the other characters, either. These people have nothing in their lives but one another's affairs. They are very idle, very bored, and thus very sad. The whole book is full of friendships drifting apart because people have overstepped their bounds. The one ray of sunshine is perhaps Henrietta Stackpole, but she is a small one.
What I do like about this book is the fact that nobody seems to have very clear motives or entirely rational behaviours. It paints every character as quite complex, sometimes subversive and hypocritical, often unable to control their emotions (good and bad), which is pleasantly surprising for a novel of its time. It was my interest in what these characters would do next that kept me reading. The fact that the limited plot (marriage, marriage, yawn, yawn) didn't give them much to do is a real shame.
There is no pleasure in reading about an independent, ambitious, wealthy woman ultimately ending up in a terrible marriage, seemingly without any way of escaping it. All Isabel can do is slap on a smile and play a martyr, totally undoing all of the promise she supposedly held at the beginning. I say 'supposedly' because although all of the other characters adore her, we're never really given an insight into why she's so fantastic, what her great ideas are, etc. She is really very bland. She might have been an admirable protagonist, but no one would want to be her by the end.
I wouldn't really want to be any of the other characters, either. These people have nothing in their lives but one another's affairs. They are very idle, very bored, and thus very sad. The whole book is full of friendships drifting apart because people have overstepped their bounds. The one ray of sunshine is perhaps Henrietta Stackpole, but she is a small one.
What I do like about this book is the fact that nobody seems to have very clear motives or entirely rational behaviours. It paints every character as quite complex, sometimes subversive and hypocritical, often unable to control their emotions (good and bad), which is pleasantly surprising for a novel of its time. It was my interest in what these characters would do next that kept me reading. The fact that the limited plot (marriage, marriage, yawn, yawn) didn't give them much to do is a real shame.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This didn't quite give me what I wanted from it. I was hoping from the blurb and the opening for a sort of female grand tour with lots of locations and atmosphere of 19th Century Europe. However, this novel is more in the vein of Thomas Hardy where a likeable woman is pursued by a flurry of unlikeable men. But even then, this didn't have the heart of Hardy nor am I sure that these men barring Osmond were intended to be unlikeable!
Isabel herself starts off as a great character with a lot of independence and wit but this characterisation is definitely lost towards the end of the novel and I found her eventual fate very sad. The book definitely lost steam towards the ending and was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Isabel herself starts off as a great character with a lot of independence and wit but this characterisation is definitely lost towards the end of the novel and I found her eventual fate very sad. The book definitely lost steam towards the ending and was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
The story of an independent young American woman, Isabel Archer, who moves to Europe to learn about life and choose her destiny. The title itself is a better summary of the book than it would first appear. The novel is centered on Isabel's aspirations and weaknesses, and the decision they lead her to make.
This is a classic Victorian novel, so if you like those, you should love this. It could seem rather long if the style doesn't interest the reader.
This is a classic Victorian novel, so if you like those, you should love this. It could seem rather long if the style doesn't interest the reader.
Oh my goodness, I loved this book so much!!
My first Henry James novel...his writing is so amazing. His dialogue is so full of sub-text, he lets you figure out characters before explaining it all to you, and the language is so intellegent and just a joy to read. And even though it didn't end as I was hoping, I wouldn't change a word of it.
I loved this book!
My first Henry James novel...his writing is so amazing. His dialogue is so full of sub-text, he lets you figure out characters before explaining it all to you, and the language is so intellegent and just a joy to read. And even though it didn't end as I was hoping, I wouldn't change a word of it.
I loved this book!
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-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