Washington Square (1881) - Henry James

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

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release date: January 1, 2006
Duration: 07:15:41

On New York City’s Washington Square lives Catherine Sloper, a shy and plain young woman who is tyrannized by her wealthy, overbearing father. When young Morris Townsend begins to court her, Dr. Sloper distrusts his motives, believing that the young man could not possibly love his daughter.

Both lovers are obstinate in their affections; but when Dr. Sloper threatens to disinherit Catherine, Townsend disappears, leaving Catherine to humiliation, heartache, and lonely spinsterhood.

Years later, after her father’s death, Townsend returns, and Catherine must make up her own mind about his intentions.

“This 1880 novel takes place in the New York society familiar to James from his childhood and is from the same period in his life that produced PORTRAIT OF A LADY. Here too he is concerned with the judgment, and fate, of a sheltered young lady of means who may not understand the true motives of the man who courts her. Catherine Sloper is the unexceptional, overdressed only child of Dr. Austin Sloper, who cannot believe that the attractive and shiny young Morris Townsend could be drawn by his daughter’s charms alone, such as they are–and Dr. Sloper is a man of action. It’s James at the top of his form, and Lloyd James reads effectively, if with an odd lack of energy.”— AudioFile

The book became a stage play in 1947 and was also filmed in 1949 as The Heiress, staring Olivia de Havilland.

This is one of the many recording of this book. I hope to put up at least one more version. Note-this really can’t be called historical fiction because it was contemporary when it was written.