A review by raye_sneq
The American by Henry James

4.0

Yikes! Bit of a rollercoaster this one, some awkward tonal shifts and a strange kind of story. Absorbing, arguably unsatisfying, ultimately gloomy. I'll probably never forget it but I also might well never read it again. The hero is a character I can't help liking, and the emotional truths of his experiences are discomfiting. The writing is rich and lively, and the atmosphere often a little strange. Part of me wants to steal the bones of the story and rewrite it so that Newman and Valentin end up together, that would be a lot more cheerful!