The Portrait of a Lady
Henry James (1843-1916)
RG Gold Medal 1997
7th July 1997 at Sam's House
Synopsis
An American heiress newly arrived in Europe, Isabel Archer
does not look to a man to furnish her with her destiny; instead
she desires, with grace and courage, to find it herself. Two
eligible suitors approach her and are refused. She then becomes
utterly captivated by the languid charms of Gilbert Osmond.
To him, she represents a superior prize worth at least seventy
thousand pounds; through him, she faces a tragic choice.
Our comments
 Although
this is rather difficult to get into (took me over 70 pages)
it is well worth the effort. James' strikes me as a darker,
masculine Jane Austen. The characters
are wonderfully drawn, in particular that of Isabel Archer,
frustrating and yet very sympathetic, and Madame Merle, devious,
dangerous and yet ultimately tragic. The ending is bleak but
thoroughly satisfying.
Related resources
Biography
on Pegasos site
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