Henry James

The Portrait of a Lady is a novel by Henry James. It is one of James's most popular long novels, and is regarded by critics as one of his finest. The Portrait of a Lady is the story of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer, who in "affronting her destiny", finds it overwhelming. She inherits a large amount of money and subsequently becomes the victim of Machiavellian scheming by two American expatriates. Like many of James's novels, it is set in Europe, mostly England and Italy. Generally regarded as the masterpiece of James's early period, this novel reflects James's continuing interest in the differences between the New World and the Old, often to the detriment of the former. It also treats in a profound way the themes of personal freedom, responsibility, and betrayal.

The Portrait of a Lady

Henry James Jr.

The portrait of a lady

Helen 

‘It has made me better, loving you’, he said on another occasion; ‘it has made me wiser, andeasier, and brighter. I used to want a great many things before, and to be angry that I didn't have them. Theoretically, I was satisfied, as I once told you. I flattered myself that I had limited my wants. But I was subject to irritation; I used to have morbid, sterile, hateful fits of hunger, of desire. Now I am really satisfied, because I can't think of anything better. It is just as when one has been trying to spell out a book in the twilight, and suddenly the lamp comes in. I had been putting out my eyes over the book of life, and finding nothing to reward me for my pains; but now that I can read it properly I see that it's a delightful story. My dear girl, I can't tell you how life seems to stretch there before us - what a long summer afternoon awaits us. It's the latter half of an Italian day - with a golden haze, and the shadows just lengthening, and that divine delicacy in the light, the air, the landscape, which I have loved all my life, and which you love to-day.’

‘I love you, but I love without hope’, said Ralph, quickly, forcing a smile, and feeling that in that last declaration he had expressed more than he intended.

‘Go everywhere,' he said at last, in a low, kind voice; do everv. thing; get everything out of life. Be happy - be triumphant.' 

‘What do you mean by being triumphant?' 

I don't see what harm there is in my wishing not to tie myself. I don't want to begin life by marrying. There are other things a woman can do.

Don't taunt me with that; that I don't know you better makes me unhappy enough already; it's all my loss. 

‘I shall always tell you’’, her aunt answered, `whenever I see you taking what seems to be too much liberty.' 

‘Pray do; but I dont say I shall always think your remonstrance just.’

‘Very likely not. You are too fond of your liberty.’

‘Yes. I think I am very fond of it. But I always want to know the things one shouldn't do.' 

‘Never mind what they call you, he said. When you do suffer, they call you an idiot. The great point is to be as happy as possible.’

Demon

** spoiler alert **
           That was a long and chaotic journey through the book. I had questions all along the book and to be honest I still ask myself about some of the characters’ behavior. I still don’t understand Isabel’s choices nor why Goodwood never tried to get over her. I felt so sad and bad for Ralph. He was the only character I love since the beginning to the end of the book and he had to die??? He said the saddest thing of the book. In the end I couldn’t even feel bad for Isabel because she chose to marry Osmond when everybody told her not to. I still feel sad because she does not have the happily ever after she deserves but, in a way, she chose her fate? I mean she was not forced to marry him she could have had say that she needed time just like she did with Caspar Goodwood and Lord Warburton. Osmond and Madame Merle are not innocent though. They kind of tricked Isabel in this marriage without telling her everything. Caspar Goodwood never found his happy ever after but at the same time he never tried. He knew Isabel would never have go with him after she married but he still tried to have her until the very end he didn’t try at all. Even Lord Warburton married because he had to marry someone and never forgot Isabel. In my opinion even Henrietta does not have a happily ever after because she ended up marrying someone. Nobody got the happily ever after they deserved. It pains me to admit it, but Ralph is the only one who had the end he wished for? He died with Isabel near him.
To be honest even if I really tried to enjoy the book, I cannot bring myself to think about things I really enjoyed. I think the realism created something to depressed for me to enjoy it. In the end nobody is really happy with their ending and I don’t like this kind of ending. I appreciate more Emma and Pride and Prejudice. 
It was still an interesting book as it shows a lot about Henry James’ century and people’s way of life during his century. Also, I think it is great to have the point of view of an American writer on English people and that’s also why I think this book is really different from Emma. For me the book seemed to talk about real life and real problems of American and English marriages and it is not my favorite topic in books. But I have to admit that Henry James really had an interesting writing. 
During my reading I asked myself what was love quite often. And I still don’t have an answer because at that time love was really different than today and I think that is why I cannot understand everything, because I don’t have the view they had back in those days.

Wynter

Having tried Henry James a decade ago and found his writing really dense, I approached A Portrait of a Lady with trepidation. Oh yes, this novel was just as wordy, but this time I had a much greater appreciation for the amazing use of language on James's part. His descriptions dragged, but whenever his characters interacted with brilliant humour and wit, or passionate discussions about life, his writing breathed with joy. I loved the colourful Mrs. Touchett, Henrietta, and Countess Gemini, who added the much needed spunk, frankness, and wickedness that the usual Victorian heroines often lacked.

I think a lot of modern women will find a bit of Isabel Archer in themselves. The Lady of this novel is smart, independent, and impossibly young. While I found myself relating to her idealism and desires for things in life beyond marriage, I think her character cannot be fully appreciated until one has matured past her foolish youth to put these ideals in perspective. She can hardly be blamed for her self-righteousness and naïveté, as we've all once thought ourselves all-knowing. It is only with age that we realise how much we have yet to learn. 

I did not think Isabel made a right choice in the end, but it is almost as if she had surrendered herself to the fate she made. It is too bad, because I hoped she learned that nothing was set in stone.

Philip Horne

The Portrait of a Lady (Penguin Classics)

Vanya de Lang 

I give this novel a rating of 3.5

It started off a bit slow but ultimately it wasn't a bad read. Henry James wrote Isabel Archer as a person with large visions and excellent character development. The twists are epic and the story was a good read.

Arden Kowalski

It passes, after all; it's passing now. But love remains.

Nona G

I can't believe how long it has taken me to read this book. It's one of the most difficult reads I've had to go through and I'm actually amazed at myself for having the patience to finish it. (Just to paint a picture, I've read all 12 of Tolkien's extended mythology books in less than a year, and those are written in old English!).

This is one of the most boring books I've ever read. The book doesn't actually begin until well into it's middle, and by then I was already bored out of my skull. James has an annoying tendency to write long phrases and paragraphs that just go from topic to topic without any logic, so you forget how they started when you finally get to the end. The descriptions are way too detailed and, just the opposite, the characters are not built up enough.

I couldn't relate with any of the characters so there was no way I could actually get involved with this story. There was not one likable character in the entire book and I found myself hating all of them (or simply not caring about them) by the end. I just found the entire story stupid and that's not because it lacks a happy ending, but because none of the characters actually does something remarkable. 

Waste of time, waste of effort, waste of money. I've never been this mad at a book in my life...

Isabela Ospina

Great book, good start, Isabel is a great. I didn't love the end, but it's good, really good. I can say now I have a bound with this book

Tamara

I enjoyed it until half way through, then the main character made a stupid decision and I was mad for the rest of the book.

Probably worth a 4 star at least, but it made me mad so...

Presents Henry James's 1881 novel, which follows young American Isabel Archer from innocence to unhappy marriage, and includes explanatory notes, an excerpt from James' notebooks, a chronology, and an annotated further reading list.

Annabelle Szepietowski

Received this book as a Christmas present from my mother (she always does know which stories and characters I’ll fall in love with). 

Four chapters in, I’ve found a deep connection to Isabel Archer; her traits and independent yet naïve thoughts and being reminding me so much of myself in moments of growth and enlightenment. 

Reading this book has sparked so much inspiration for me. I’ve written countless poems as well as sketched and painted my thoughts that have stemmed from this beautiful piece of work.

Monica

It is a long book and very descriptive. But the descriptions are not so much of external appearance and places but of the mind: we know what the characters think and feel almost at any moment. It is an omniscient narrator, so we really know everything. This makes it a bit tiresome to read, that is, if you do not read it constantly. At the beginning it took me time to get hooked, because I read a tiny bit and then no more for one or two days. However, if you read every day, even if it is just a couple of chapters, it turns out to be a good book.

That being said, what I liked most of the book is that it had a story (at the beginning it seemed to me that nothing was going to happen; in fact, I thought that nothing could happen), and the development of the main character: from the beginning, when she goes from America to Europe, until the end, there is a constant development of the character.

weli 

When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a rich prize waiting to be taken. In this portrait of a 'young woman affronting her destiny.

Novel Ideas

This Norton Critical Edition includes:* The New York Edition of the novel, accompanied by Michael Gorra's introduction and explanatory footnotes.* Background and contextual materials centering on James as a writer, The Portrait of a Lady in revision, and reviews of the novel by James's contemporaries.* Seven important critical essays, chosen for their accessibility.* A Chronology and Suggestions for Further Reading.About the SeriesRead by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format--annotated text, contexts, and criticism--helps students to better understand, analyze, and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.

The Portrait of a Lady

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