Retrat d'una dama (1881)

Henry James pursuit of the exact meaning of his sentences does a great deal for his word count. None the less, he does convey nuanced communication. the portrayal of the principal character of this novel does leave me with a good deal of pity for the lot of even upper class women in the time period. Am I left with a number of clear and striking images from this effort? Sadly, not at this remove in time. ( )

I decided to read “Portrait of a Lady” because it was mentioned several times at the Napa Writers’ Conference I attended this summer. I have read very few 19th century novels. I do remember reading and not enjoying “The Ambassadors” by Henry James in college but that was decades ago.

Kindle had a free two volume edition of Portrait so I downloaded it in early September and read a chapter or two each day. I enjoyed the book a lot more than I expected. Personally , I didn’t see why all those men were falling in love with Isabel Archer – but nevertheless it was fascinating to see her grow up.

There was a lot of excellent snarkiness in the conversations and it was interesting to tour Europe and England in those “idyllic” years before the Wars. A world where “gentlemen” (and ladies) literally didn’t do anything productive while characters who actually worked for a living (like Isabel’s maid) aren’t even given a name.

After I finished it I did some reading by critics who are far more expert.

The critic Arnold Kettle called the Portrait “a 19th-century version of Paradise Lost, a book about the end of a dream, about the loss of faith in the idea of individual autonomy.”

I don’t think I can improve on that. Glad I read it.
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I'm sure this is one of those books that is supposed to be studied for greater meanings, but I didn't do that. I'm so aggravated at Isabel. She had so many people in her corner and still ends up with a POS man. I love her sweet cousin. ( )

A style of narration taken to such an extreme that it demands a glace for anyone interested in the history of English Literature. Yet, how can such a great eye for detail spend so much time on such the silly questions of who should I marry and can I put her flower in my buttonhole. This novel was a real chore to read and ultimately I felt it said surprising little in six-hundred thirty some pages. Money and marrying poorly will doom you. Be more careful when dealing with charming people. Having experienced his style, I don't think I'll be reading anything else by James. ( )

I just cannot believe in James' female characters--they are dead from the neck down.