A review by editrix
The American by Henry James

This practically screamed “I was published as a serial!” (so many long stretches in which nothing of consequence happened), and a lot of the characters were problematic in ways they perhaps weren’t intended to be (our hero is interested in obtaining a wife as a prize, and we’re supposed to think that’s fine?), but I wasn’t too annoyed to enjoy the melodrama of the journey, and it always feels refreshing to read something I might have studied in college. I highly recommend reading the intro and afterword for important context and insight.