Washington Square: Roman

If You've Never Read Henry James, He is a Literary Experience You Shouldn't Miss Out On

Henry James is the master of "showing" without "telling". Washington Square is a good book to start with if you are interested in this author. In some of his later books it might require some discussion to identify the antagonist, but it is not a lack of skill which makes this so. James writes his characters with such complexity that you feel as if you are spying on real people. The main character of Washington Square is a young woman who moves in the constricting circle of both society and her father's wishes. As a suitor presents himself for her hand, the reader will be silently deliberating his intentions. In the end, the reader will still be deliberating. Read it and discover the mystery/realism/skill of Henry James.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Henry James surpasses them all!

In an age when trash like 'The Da Vinci Code' is hyped as great fiction and discussed by book clubs (such as one of mine) with a straight face, I rejoiced to read a novel that depended entirely on personality and character, something the incomparable James does here. The four principal characters, an entirely sympathetic heroine, her fairly worthless lover, her autocratic and unsympathetic father, and her meddlesome aunt, are set against one another masterfully. I urge you to read it, even to read it again.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

This is a great little novel for people who love history. It made me wish I had lived in turn of the century New York. I would also like to say that it illustrates the amount of change that has occurred over the last one hundred years. Was it a good change? I am not so sure.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One of the BEST books

To start out, I would like to explain how i dont like to read. I dont care for Mark Twain or many other classic authors. My mom had bought me this book over 5 years ago. I never read it because i just didnt take interest in it. One day I was bored and went over to my shelf and saw the book. I read the back and it seemed interesting. I live in NY so the fact that it takes place in NY fascinated me. I started reading it and never put the book down. I read it strait through without stopping. Its one of the best books if not the best I have ever read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Very Quick, Good Read

This book was a nice break from all of the 'Oprah's Book Club' garbage that everyone seems to be reading. This book is for people interested in reading serious literature who don't need to have their hand held w/comments from the author @ the end of the book. That being said, this a very quick read and is more accessible than something by Austen, for example. Catherine is a wonderful character; her issues and emotions still have relevance in today's society.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Easy to read, a joy

Its the first james book i have read, and found it most enjoyable, much easier to read than the golden bowl and portrait of a lady, i highly recommmend it!I fell in love with Catherine!!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Better than most free copies, but still not great.

This one has many fewer typos, but still has odd spacing in some words and paragraphs, but it is more readable than the other 3 free versions I downloaded.

A light Read

It was enjoyable.

A reviewer

I had to read this book for school over the summer. It seemed as though it would be a great classical novel. I was sadly mistaken. The characters were plain and uninteresting. Catherine, not to mention her aunt, was annoying and pretty much spineless. This book was also way too long considering nothing happened. I had great hopes for the ending, but that too left me stunned and angry. There was a little plot build up at the end, but then once again nothing happened. In two words this book is a 'horse tranquilizer' and a complete waste of my time.

Beautiful

The story is a fast reader. Has a great setting with awesome characters, specially Dr. Sloper. What's best, the ending was unpredictable.

Good Story, But It Drags On

How stubborn can Catherine be about her lover? How adamant can her father be? How annoying can Catherine's scheming aunt, Mrs. Penniman, get? Its a tense situation, but the reader may lose patience, not to mention interest, in the characters after a while. Its a decent book, nonetheless.

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