Portrait of a Lady (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

Timeless

I approached the book with trepidation because of what I recalled of James' writing style. I was totally surprised how easily I got used to it and became totally engaged with the book. I loved every word. The characters came alive for me. I thought it would be stilted and dated. Instead it was fascinating and also provided so much material for conversation. Highly recommended.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A Tragic and Deeply Psychological Character Portrayal

Classic literature at its best. Henry James is a master craftsman who delves deeply into the layers of the human consciousness. It is very detailed and requires considerable effort on the part of the reader if you are to gain full enjoyment and connection with the story. This book is worth the time and effort. It can stand multiple readings even in close succession due to the plenitude of detailed descriptions of setting and characters. It spans such a range of human emotion. It is full of intelligent characters and touches upon important themes such as marriage, love, female freedom, social constraints, wealth, etc, etc.

This is an excellent choice for a book club and for those who enjoy immersing themselves in a long and detailed story.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

A living painting

Beautiful. That's all I can utter, it was so unfathomably beautiful. I would recommend this to anyone who loves old books, and has an imagination. It takes a certain person to really appreciate this work of art. Mr. James is an excellent poet. I will always keep this one next to my heart.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Must Read for Young Men and Women

This is not a Romance novel...but a study in narcissitic tendencies and how they attract and find each other in the heroine Isabel Archer. I read this book in one week. Saw the DVD with R. Chamberlain, awesome. I had to get the book even though the DVD had a copy on it. There are some memomorable quotes I extracted and actually did some journaling simultaneously to excavate my painful feelings of having psychological battle with a control freak. There are delightful characters of various layers, not a smut read, but intellectually stimulating and surprising ending. Only wish someone could write a second part to see how Isabel's marriage turned out, if she went back that man! Best fiction I ever read! Recommend for late teens and up

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

I love Henry James but found this one a bit boring. The actual events of the book were well written and at times I did find it to become a page turner but all in all I found it to be just okay.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Loving the Classics

:)

"Heroic as the Occasion Demands"

Heroic as the Occasion Demands
The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, takes place in late 18th century England. The exposition occurs at an estate known as Gardencourt, the home of the Touchett family. As the novel begins, we are introduced to Mr. Touchett, his son Ralph, and a visitor named Lord Warburton. Mr. Touchett is an American expatriate who is much derided for his nationality, but has adapted well to his new land; he has become very rich through his various businesses and is aging without apparent detriment to his mental state. We soon find that Mrs. Touchett is about to arrive from a trip to America with her niece, Isabel Archer, in tow. Isabel is soon described as the heroine of the novel, and is a very spirited, clever, and independent young woman for her time. Much time is spent describing her character, often in a fourth-wall-breaking manner; the narrator refers to her directly as the heroine of this novel and explains his intent in writing certain of her actions.
Isabel is visiting temporarily from Albany, New York and is hosted at Gardencourt. She becomes intrigued with what she views as the picturesque way in which the English lead their lives, and befriends the Touchetts as well as Lord Warburton. Mrs. Touchett is shown to not care very much for her husband, and she never really did. They live entirely separate lives. Lord Warburton is a self-contradiction; he holds revolutionary views but is, in fact, a noble and would be greatly harmed by a revolution. Warburton takes great interest an Isabel and for a time tries to court her, but she rejects his advances. She is also courted by a wealthy man from Boston named Caspar Goodwood who travels to England solely to see her. Caspar is very much in love with Isabel, but she demands that he return to America and stay out of contact with her for two years as she has no intention of marrying. Her relationship with Mrs. Touchett is pleasant, though their personalities seem designed to come to a point that they may become enemies later on. Mr. Touchett is becoming quite old; perhaps there will be some bitter dispute over inheritance.
The main theme of the novel seems to be Isabel's heroic search for her identity and her desire to be a good and independent person. She wants to think well of herself and equally wants to truly be good; she trembles at the thought of causing harm to anyone and Isabel dreams of someday being put in a difficult position so that she can "be as heroic as the occasion demands," finally able to prove herself in some way. By the end, this novel truly becomes a "portrait" of Isabel Archer as a whole, with her character fully fleshed out and grown to completion through her experiences.

A fabulous book

Henry James illuminates his main character so well, you will want to know more, even after 600+ pages, a very well done composition!!!

Portrait of a Lady...not bad

I read this book for a project and I thought it was pretty good. The story is great but the passages get really long and boring sometimes.

Patience is a Virtue

I really liked the book. The wit in the book is very subtle and will make you laugh out loud when you finally understand the pun. I felt very proud of myself for completeing such an involved book. It was very interesting, however not altogether thrilling. The length is so long that the slow sections of the book really drag down the wonderful charm of other sections. IF you have serious time and want a challenge then i recommend this book to you!

From a High school teen

i read this book for class. i myself dont like this book. it was not my fav. i loved 'valley of the dalls' do

True Portrait of a Lady

I would recommend The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James to young adults and adults who seek to read the classics and enjoy romance and suspense at the same time. This book is a complicated read and much of this reading involves thinking. Because of the way James wrote this book, things are not specifically stated in the story and you must interpret these things the way you see them. The story of Isabel Archer is told by her cousin, Ralph Touchett. When Isabel first visits her cousin in Europe she is lively and seems as though she doesn¿t wish to be tied down. Her desire to be free from the bonds of marriage is expressed many times throughout the book. When she meets Gilbert Osmond and his daughter everything changes. Osmond tells Isabel what she wants to hear to encourage a possible marriage. Isabel¿s life suddenly has lost its vitality and becomes miserable when she marries Osmond. Osmond begins to control Isabel¿s life but she continues to stay for love of her stepdaughter. The end of this book leaves you in suspense with no final conclusion. Although this book¿s plot develops slowly, its suspense keeps you from putting it down.

Absolutely Amazing Portrayal

In A Portrait of a Lady, Henry James displays his brilliant understanding of human nature. Isabel is one of the most compellingly real female characters created by a male author. James not only focuses on the strengths of his heroine, but also on the weaknesses, making the characterization more intriguing. The plot is much slower than in most popular modern books, and it therefore may take a bit of patience for many readers.

I Had to Read it In Pieces

This book was blood chilling. How some humans can calculatingly make others lives miserable without so mach as twitch amazed me. I think that Isabel really loved Ralph but couldn't admit it. It was a very well written book and I thought it worth reading. But I liked Wurthering Hights better.

My absolute favorite!

This book truly touched me as an incredible insight into the female spirit. Never have I read such an articulate and accurate account of how women struggle in their decsions relating to love and how those choices can shape your life. I came away from this book with a wealth of inspirational quotes that remind me of the female strength and what it truly means to be a lady - inspired and hopeful. This book has become my all time favorite, simply for its reference quality. You can pick it up at any time, read a few pages and be given a refreshed outlook on your womanhood. It is truly a beautiful piece.

Good Story on the Whole

its a good story on the whole but the writer has lengthened it a lot.At some times i couldn't understand the deep philosophys of Henry James about human nature and of the whole world .If at some places it would be less philosophical and more sentimental it would be better.Its ending though tragic but in my opinion is well.

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