A review by booknerdpride
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

3.0

NO! Another girl boss corrupted by a man…. I’m wholeheartedly devastated. Gagged, if you will. This may be the ultimate tragic novel for all feminist readers. However, despite male corruption, our girl boss— Isabel— quite literally never abandons her personal autonomy and responsibilities. I applaud and respect her for that, but also cringe at her strong headedness… Go drown in your embarrassment, perhaps, but do not punish yourself for your mistakes! My god! Foolishly noble and ridiculously stubborn as she may be, the novel had to go this way to prove her feminist values— though I hope the ambiguity of the ending left room for her to carve out her own kind of happiness, somewhere down the line.