The Portrait of a Lady (1881) - Henry James

Written by Henry James
Read by Juliet Stevenson
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Unabridged

Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks
Release date: July 27, 2016
Duration: 26:41:08

Beautiful, spirited Isabel Archer, an American heiress newly arrived in Europe, is widely expected to quickly marry. But Isabel does not look to a man to furnish her with destiny; instead she desires, with grace and courage, to find it herself. Two eligible suitors are refused in favor of her pursuit of glorious independence. But then, Isabel becomes utterly captivated by the languid charms of the cunning Gilbert Osmond. To him, she represents a superior prize to be won; through him, she faces a tragic choice.

A subtle and poignant psychological novel of love and betrayal, The Portrait of a Lady is widely considered to be James’s masterpiece. F.R. Leavis declared, “we can’t ask for a finer exhibition of James’s peculiar gifts.”

The Portrait of a Lady focuses first and foremost on the character and experiences of its heroine Isabel Archer. She is, in Henry James’ words, the ‘lighted’ character; all the other people in the novel remain relatively obscure. Their dealings with Isabel, for good or ill, serve to reveal more of her character to the reader and to further her along the path of emotional development and maturity. The deep goodness of Ralph and the machinations of Osmond and Madame Merle are revealed only in relation to her.