Scan barcode
A review by lapingveno
The American by Henry James
5.0
This novel is effectively the international version of the same conversation that is The Great Gatsby. However, instead of discussing the distinction between old money and new money, this novel wrestles with the clash between the self-made wealth of the USA and the aristocracy of Europe.
I could gush over this novel, really. It has so much going on. The elitism of the nobility. The double-standard of a man's trying to "marry up" vs. the conduct of a "loose woman" working her way up the social ladder via hypergamy. The nobility of the "democratic" common man trumping the titular nobility of a corrupt, arrogant, wicked higher class. A commentary on the purpose of wealth. The finer points of appreciation for artwork vs. "Is there a hot chick in the painting?" And the list could go on and on!
Bravo!
I could gush over this novel, really. It has so much going on. The elitism of the nobility. The double-standard of a man's trying to "marry up" vs. the conduct of a "loose woman" working her way up the social ladder via hypergamy. The nobility of the "democratic" common man trumping the titular nobility of a corrupt, arrogant, wicked higher class. A commentary on the purpose of wealth. The finer points of appreciation for artwork vs. "Is there a hot chick in the painting?" And the list could go on and on!
Bravo!