The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Lionel Kelly, a senior lecturer in English at the University of Reading, provides the introduction and notes. Isabel Archer is an American transplant to Europe who possesses candour, beauty, intelligence, an independent spirit, and a noticeable zest for life. She appears to have independence after receiving an unexpected bequest, but despite all of her inherent advantages, she makes one terrible decision that has catastrophic consequences.
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
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The institution of marriage is the subject of the narrative, as is the limited range of options then open to women. Clearly, stories about marriage are not only stories about love—and perhaps, they do not even love stories. The central themes of this narrative are marriage as a social institution and as a source of power. Even Osmond’s seduction of Isabel Archer is a story about power rather than love.
This book is for you if you enjoy character-driven tales with shocking conclusions. In mapping the complexity of the human psyche, James is a genius. This book is driven by his preference for psychological study and characterization over plot development. There is a lot of “activity,” but it is limited to the psychological landscape of the protagonists.
James’ writing is highly thick, thus reading should proceed slowly. It’s best to read this in short bursts if it starts to get frustrating (as it did occasionally for me). The richness of the book necessitates a prolonged reading experience, much like an elegant French meal, to fully enjoy each element.
The characters in the book are the main source of enjoyment because each one is well-created and lavishly dressed. From the sarcastic Henrietta Stackpole to the submissive and docile Pansy Osmond, each of them has their own speech, body language, and nuances. Thanks to James’ alter ego Ralph Touchett, the book also features some hilarious moments. The story explores themes of responsibility vs independence, and social convention versus freedom, and is a masterwork of human depiction. Despite the lack of a plot, or “architecture,” as the author refers to it, James is a master storyteller, and the conclusion has a lot of impacts.
