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    Daisy Miller
    Daisy Miller
    Daisy Miller
    Audiobook2 hours

    Daisy Miller

    Written by Henry James

    Narrated by Bobbie Frohman

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Henry James' signature theme, the American abroad, centers on a beautiful but flawed daughter of a wealthy Schenectady industrialist. Daisy Miller travels through Europe with her doting, vapid mother and rambunctious young brother. Daisy falls for the sophisticated Mr. Winterbourne, another expatriate, but their romance is threatened by Daisy's behavior. The mores and traditional social customs were something Daisy managed to ignore and caused more than a few eyebrows to be raised throwing her reputation into question. The story has a tragic and unexpected ending.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlcazar Audio Works
    Release dateJan 1, 2006
    ISBN9780975566350
    Author

    Henry James

    Henry James (1843–1916) was an American writer, highly regarded as one of the key proponents of literary realism, as well as for his contributions to literary criticism. His writing centres on the clash and overlap between Europe and America, and The Portrait of a Lady is regarded as his most notable work.

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    Reviews for Daisy Miller

    3.5/5

    46 ratings41 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A frivolous, flirtatious young woman from America is visiting Europe with her negligent mother and rambunctious little brother. Left to her own devices, she spends her time walking about with men of suspicious reputations and in general turning up her nose at traditional European morals. Her compatriot, the proper Mr. Winterbourne, is clearly smitten with her even though he is aware of her shallowness. His Aunt Costello has Miss Daisy amusingly and accurately pegged with this opinion: "You may be very sure she thinks of nothing. She goes on from day to day, from hour to hour, as they did in the Golden Age. I can imagine nothing more vulgar." (Pg. 76) You've got to love these haughty rich society women who judge others with no mercy.I enjoyed my introduction to the writing of Henry James, although as one of his early works, this one is probably to be considered as "James Lite." The Heritage Edition that I read with its delightful illustrations was a pleasure to read.
    • 4/5
      Very nicely written psychological-type drama: the psychology of what made Daisy Miller tick, why the protagonist found her endearing, why the aunt refused to recognize her existence. All of these questions made for an interesting read.
    • 3/5
      The Miller family from America, nouveau riche, is enjoying their European tour. The young lady of the family, Daisy, is very noticeable, both for her beauty and her impropriety. Daisy Miller is written from the perspective of Winterbourne, a young man whose path crosses hers, and who finds himself smitten, while trying to figure her out.” He said to himself that she was too light and childish, too uncultivated and unreasoning, too provincial, to have reflected upon her ostracism, or even to have perceived it. Then at other moments he believed that she carried about in her elegant and irresponsible little organism a defiant, passionate, perfectly observant consciousness of the impression she produced. He asked himself whether Daisy’s defiance came from the consciousness of innocence, or from her being, essentially, a young person of the reckless class.”Reflecting negatively on her mamma’s lacking ”parental vigilance”, Winterbourne follows her activities whenever their paths cross, and sees the results.Though they were well written, I wasn’t enamored of any of these characters. The plot seemed shallow, rather a blatant ‘you get what you deserve’. It was interesting enough for a study in the social mores of the day. Overall personal opinion – just middling. 2.7 stars
    • 3/5
      I am not sure if Henry James and I are meant to “get along”. I thought I would tread gently into his works by starting off with this short novella. On its surface, [Daisy Miller] is nothing more than a story about a flirtatious and rather uncontrollable young woman with her own views of what is acceptable behaviour for her to engage in, much to the chagrin of the pretentious American expatriate community residing in Rome. If one chooses to look for deeper meaning, the story could be held up as an examination of innocence, given that Winterbourne is preoccupied with the question of whether Daisy is “innocent” - is she truly naïve/ ignorant or actually culpable of her actions? On the surface, Daisy is a very unlikable character for me to relate to. She is allowed to roam free (her mother having no backbone to control her wilsome children), bristles at any attempts to reign her in and very much likes to be in control of the people around her. Winterbourne comes across as no better than a man somewhat bored with his life in Europe and believes himself to be smitten with Daisy – although one wonders if he is more smitten with Daisy’s representation of American beauty and poignant innocence than he is with Daisy.Overall, while I found the characters to be dislikeable, I can appreciate James’s skill at using storytelling to examine moral implications of an artlessness or innocence that just does not hold its own against the worldliness and cynicism surrounding it.
    • 3/5
      Daisy Miller is the story of a naive young woman and the head-over-heels man who chases her. Daisy is an interesting character who seems to be way before her time. In her society, her vivaciousness, recklessness and trust in strangers earns her the scorn of the well-to-do. In today's world, Daisy would be a youtube star and have her own reality dating show. Yet unlike today's 15 minutes of fame seekers, Daisy has an innocence about her that leads her to be unable to comprehend why her behavior should bother anybody. The novella strongly suggests that she is the result of bad breeding, through the character of a dotty, unconcerned and helpless mother and an absent father.The novella's hero, Winterbourne, comes off like the disillusioned lover who suffers under the whims of Daisy. However, it is interesting to note that the beginning and end of the novel finds him rumored to have women on the side. Even Daisy deduces in Vevey that he has another women. Whether Henry James recognized this double standard is difficult to say. Winterbourne's aunt does lament that men can walk about the streets alone but women cannot, yet she does not question this doctrine. It seems the author frowns upon Daisy's behavior, judging by the fate he prescribed for her, having her die while realizing her folly. Yet Winterbourne has no growth at the end; he is back to where he started, adrift in Geneva. I think Daisy's ultimate folly is her lack of cleverness. She is too open to hide what she thinks and feels, which works against her. Others try desperately to warn her, but she sees no sense in denying herself fun and pleasure. It is interesting that while she doesn't "get" society, she still hurts from realizing that she has been completely cut off from it. A clever girl would have been discrete, but Daisy is too open for that. It is clear after being introduced to her family that she was not raised with any sense of propriety and education. Thus, it is hard to completely condemn her, when her earnestness keeps her chaming, and away from being a succubus.Winterbourne comes off as immature as Daisy, yet he escapes unscathed, perhaps because he gets reeled back into society when he casts off his obsessive love. The character is not as fleshed out as, say Age of Innocence's Archer, but goes through the same repressed emotions. Like Archer, Winterbourne has a taboo love for one unacceptable to society, and gives her up to remain a respected part of that society. But unlike Archer, Winterbourne is flat and only seems to come alive when around the Millers in Vevey. In Rome, he becomes an obsessed, jealous version of his Vevey self, but still Daisy's defender until his run-in with her at the Coliseum. After Daisy's death, he becomes flat again. Condemn Daisy as her society or author might, she has this power to bring Winterbourne (whom she rightfully called "dull") alive.What to make of her recklessness, then? Having her succumb to the fever after realizing Winterbourne is no longer her admirer seems awfully dramatic and soap opera-ish. It seems to say that once you are fully cut off from society, you might as well die. This suggests that Daisy's independence was only sustainable if there were admirers around her. Perhaps, like a flower, she thrived on love and positive emotions. These things taken away, she finally shriveled up and died.
    • 3/5
      Not my favorite James, but I enjoyed it. The ending is beautiful and sad.
    • 4/5
      Daisy Miller is a novella written by Henry James that was originally published in 1878. James delivers his story in a conversational, gossipy manner as he tells about the relations between men and women of the upper class during the Belle Epoch era, in particular, a story about a young, unsophisticated American named Daisy Miller and the consequences that can happen when one ignores the social conventions of the day. The story is told by another American, Winterbourne, who comes across as sophisticated rich young man who spends most of his time in Europe pursuing his own pleasures. He meets Daisy Miller and her family in Vevay, Switzerland and finds himself quite taken by Daisy. His very correct Aunt however refuses to be introduced to her as she considers this family to be crass. Winterbourne then makes a point of travelling to Rome later in the year when she and her family are there with the intention of renewing their acquaintance. Unfortunately Daisy still seems quite clueless as to the accepted behavior of the day and manages to become the “talk of the town”. I really enjoyed this story but was rather taken aback at the abrupt and tragic ending that James provides. The harsh judgment of Daisy by society versus the acceptance of Winterbourne, with his loose morals, was an interesting contrast. I would have liked to have had access to Daisy’s thoughts and feelings rather that just the priggish Winterbourne’s. In the end Daisy does appear to reveal that she did care about Winterbourne so perhaps her behavior was simply to gall him into some kind of action.
    • 2/5
      The first thing I've read by Henry James and I wasn't dazzled by it. It boils down to a simple morality tale - mothers lock up your daughters, young ladies don't you dare to gad about Rome with handsome Italian men. Winterbourne seemed to be simultaneously stiff (in Daisy's words) and spineless, while Daisy seemed to be a lost soul with few merits beyond good looks. Not a very satisfying read.
    • 3/5
      I believe I thought about this book more after reading than I did while enjoying it.
    • 3/5
      Henry James is a very good writer, but this novella is rather odd. All of his books I have read leave me feeling unsettled, and this one is no exception.
    • 4/5
      I was suprised to pick this up and see how short it was! A novella, not a novel - and surprisingly straightforward for James…therefore not what I expected. I found it a quick read and gobbled it up in one day. A fine portrait of a young American girl who is too naive to pick up on the social cues of the older European society around her. When "Roman fever" catches up with her, it's not a big surprise, except perhaps to her.Daisy herself is not difficult to understand. Like many young people she cannot understand that a refusal to follow the rules of society carries a consequence. In her case, the price is very high. The narrator, WInterbourne, is harder to understand. He seems to be fascinated with her, but also able to see her mistakes very clearly. Rather than really attempt to correct or protect her, he laughs at her naiveté and keeps a distance in order to maintain his own standing in the societies of Geneva and Italy, where he moves about easily and smoothly.A sad book and complex, particulary in the depiction of the narrator.
    • 4/5
      Winterbourne is a young American who has made his home in Switzerland. While visiting an aunt in Vevey, he encounters a young American boy who soon introduces Winterbourne to his sister, Daisy Miller. After a brief acquaintance with Daisy Miller in Vevey, Winterbourne encounters her again several months later in Rome. The Millers seem to have more money than class. Mrs. Miller seems to have no control over her children. Among the expatriates in Rome, Daisy has tarnished her reputation by keeping company with an Italian man without a chaperone in attendance. Winterbourne doesn't know what to make of Daisy. Is she immoral or just socially naïve? Just as Winterbourne is making up his mind, tragedy strikes.Daisy Miller is a study of both character and culture. The American expatriates aren't just shocked by Daisy's unchaperoned excursions. Her worst offense seems to be keeping company with foreign men. (Nevermind that the Americans are the real foreigners in the story.) The Millers have a European escort whom they treat as an equal, a social faux pas. Winterbourne is intrigued by Daisy and is torn between helping her repair her reputation and contributing to its ruin. I recommend reading this novella in a single sitting for best effect.
    • 4/5
      I enjoy a lot reading this book is very fresh and well written Henry James manage to describe the difference between the american and the italian society in the time, as well as their manners. Is a very good book and very easy to read.
    • 4/5
      The character Daisy Miller presents a bit of a mystery, appearing aloof from society's impressions and entirely uncaring. This is more than half the fault of the narrator, as it turns out, who is American by birth but has become European by habit. There's an autobiographical element to this novella since James himself was accused by his brother of having become too European in his outlook. It's probably the easiest read I've encountered so far among James' repertoire, not very indicative of his style in general, but the theme of American versus European society will occur again.
    • 4/5
      This novella is set in the last days of the 19th century, and opens in a resort town in Switzerland, as a young American man of means decides to leave Geneva to visit his aunt. While there, he meets a spirited young American woman from upstate New York, whose attractiveness is exceeded only by her impetuosity. The man is bewitched by her charm and flirtatiousness, to the chagrin of his aunt who finds her to be vulgar and reckless, and he eventually catches up with her some time later in Italy. There she engages in even more scandalous behavior than she did in Switzerland, which ultimately leads to her downfall."Daisy Miller" was an interesting story about a young woman who would have fit in well in 1920s America, but was ahead of her time in the 1890s Europe, whose upper classes were not ready for women who spoke their minds and refused to allow societal constraints to constrict their lives.
    • 1/5
      I tried to read this years ago, but couldn't bear to finish it. I tried it again, and it was just as terrible as I remembered. The main character is Mr. Winterbourne, a man so priggish that at 27 he still travels with his aunt and wonders with horror if the women he talks to are flirting with him. He is enchanted by Daisy Miller, a banal but pretty girl. However, when next they meet she is behaving all the more outrageously (walking in public places without a chaperone!) and he struggles to reconcile his disapproval with his like of her pretty ways. In the end, she dies of staying out too late at night. Literally.

      It's a short read, and thus a good test sample of everything I hate about Henry James--the flat, emotionless tone, the eliptical conversations that say nothing, the stupid slang, the piles of adjectives, the prudish story.
    • 5/5
      I only recently started reading Henry James. I could not stand him in graduate school, when I was in my 20's, and never finished him when he was assigned, but twenty years on, I find much to enjoy in his work. I suspect he may be someone you have to grow into; I don't think he has much to say to the young; one needs more life experience before he can be appreciated. But why shouldn't living long come with a few rewards?Daisy Miller may be a good case in point. The main character, Mr. Winterbourne, meets young Miss Miller on one of those protracted vacations wealthy people in 19th century novels so often take. Mr. Winterbourne is at once taken in by Daisy's beauty and by her vivacity; she has a great lust for life and no self-conscienceness to hinder her. Daisy unknowingly breaks all the rules of her society in her search for experience. She does not know what she is doing, but she does not seem to mind.The two separate and then meet up again in Rome where Mr. Winterbourne finds Daisy engaged in an affair of sorts with a gold-digging Italian man. Daisy has so offended society by this time that none of the other Americans abroad will have anything to do with her or her family. Mr. Winterbourne tries to get her to change her ways, to convince her that she should drop the Italian and rejoin the more proper society of her peers, but she refuses. She will have her way whether or not society approves.A friend of mine once told me that Henry James ends his stories with an almost throw-away line or two that seems to put everything that went on up to then in a completely new light. That is the case with Daisy Miller, so though I really want to talk about the ending, I won't spoil it. I will say that I think it also supports my belief that one should wait before reading Henry James. Had I read this "throwaway" ending when I was 20, I would have been outraged at the hypocrasy Mr. Winterbourne displays. Now, I understand why he would do what he does, though it goes against what he has said up to then.My favorite character in Daisy Miller, my favorite in Henry James so far, is Mr. Winterbourne's aunt, Mrs. Costello. Here is her opinion of the Miller family:"They are hopelessly vulgar," said Mrs. Costello. "Whether or no being hopelessly vulgar is being 'bad' is a question for the metaphysicians. They are bad enough to dislike, at any rate; and for this short life that is quite enough."I think if I had read a line like that when I was 20 I would have come to at least dislike Mrs. Costello and possibly Henry James. Now, even though I realize she would certainly have nothing to do with me, I find her very funny. I've certainly moved away from Daisy's age towards Mrs. Costello's age and that has added to my understanding and appreciation of Henry James. Though I spend much of my time reading Young Adult fiction, I'm pleased to find something written with an older audience in mind. If you are under 35 and haven't read Henry James yet, I recommend waiting. Save a few treats for yourself later in life. You won't regret it. It's nice to discover something new, especially when it is also something old.
    • 2/5
      ...he wondered what were the regular conditions and limitations of one's intercourse with a pretty American flirt. It presently became apparent that he was on the way to learn.While traveling in Europe Frederick Winterbourne encounters young, vivacious Daisy Miller who is on a tour of the Continent with her inattentive, helpless mother and annoying 9-year-old brother. These three had little to redeem them, in my opinion, but Winterbourne was captivated with Daisy and willing to put up with the other two in the interest of spending time with her. Throughout this novella Daisy flaunts traditional mores about how young women should behave with men. Daisy’s mothered allows Daisy and Winterbourne to visit a castle unchaperoned, and yet Winterbourne was later dismayed to find Daisy alone with a man, I suppose because he realized he had not received special treatment. The central conflict is dealt with in a perfunctory manner, and what should have been an emotional ending simply fell flat for me.
    • 2/5
      I didn't like this book too much. Didn't care for the narrator much either.I find 'Turn of the Screw' as a much more well-written Henry James
    • 3/5
      A clever and skillful portrait of a young lady, described as a coquette, who attempts to weave her way into luxury and society. Her attempts ultimately prove to be her undoing.3.5-- Better than expected.
    • 3/5
      A short story which deals, as many other novels by James, with the changing role of women in Society and the differences that begun to arise between the old stiff Europe and the America at the end of the XIXth century.Daisy Miller is not like any other heroine of the time, she speaks her mind, defies the imposed roles of propriety and goes unchaperoned with as many gentlemen as she chooses to. Her transparent ways might have found a true companion in the sophisticated American Mr. Winterbourne, but his classical ways and a social disadjustment prevents them from a happy ending.As usual, Henry James presents her feminine character as a limited creature; innocent, stupid and flirtatious. Her lack of intelligence brings her to a fateful destiny which seems to be exposed as a lesson to be learnt for all of us who belong the weak sex.The novel could also be regarded as a cynical account of a decaying society and its hypocritical members. Anyway, I found it preposterous, simple - minded and unidimensional. I don't seem to get into Henry James' style, too misogynist for me!
    • 4/5
      If you enjoy reading classic literature, you might consider giving Daisy Miller a try. James' eloquent writing style and study of cultural ideas make this a very entertaining read. James looks closely at the culture of 19th century Americans on holiday in Europe. The narration makes for a very good window into the attitudes and opinions of the upper class at the time and the perceived differences between those with "old money" and those with "new money."For the most part, this is a light read. It does contain a few dark moments, and in the end the main character really does not exhibit any real growth. All in all, I found it to be interesting and enjoyed James' humor throughout. He has a very nice way of poking fun at some of the conventions of the time while managing to make these things seem of import to his characters. This infuses the story with the life that it needs to keep the reader interested enough to keep reading.
    • 4/5
      He remembered that a cynical compatriot has once told him that American women - the pretty ones, and this gave a largeness to the axiom - were at once the most exacting in the world and the least endowed with a sense of indebtedness. Page 32Daisy Miller is an young woman from Schenectady, New York, on vacation with her family to Vevay Switzerland. From the beginning, her actions, her thoughts, and her words sets her apart from European society and their definition of acceptable social conduct. Her carefree and uninhibited nature sets her at odds with those around her and in the end leads to catastrophic and irreversible consequences. I appreciated James social commentary on the differences between American and English society and how someone who is unfamiliar with one or the other will inevitably find themselves treading dangerous territory. Daisy as a character is intriguing in that you can definitely see how ahead of the times she is and simultaneously how ahead of the the times, James is as a writer in the mid to late 19 century. Her pushing of boundaries in what society deems as proper and right and her insistence to go her own way oddly reflects the spirit of freedom that we applaud and advocate for women today. Some have complained about the tendency for James to be verbose and longwinded with this writing, but at novella length, I barely noticed that flaw with Daisy Miller. If anything, this little book was just an exercise in warming up the pen for his later works and with that, Daisy Miller has given me the confidence to explore Henry James' other novels.
    • 4/5
      A very short, sweet book with themes very common to Henry James' work. Although this is one of his better-known stories, I find it a little less interesting than that of [The Tragic Muse]. Perhaps because it is a short story, James tried to make it more transparent. There is some lovely symbolism and a wonderful description of setting in Rome, but the story is short and told from the point of view from a man who has no significant character structure. Henry James is a master of the written word, but his other works are more intense, more ambiguous, and therefore more rewarding than this work.
    • 3/5
      Daisy is a free spirited American on vacation in Europe. Her would be suitor is the urbane Winterbourne. Daisy carefree ways are frowned upon in Europe. Henry James' novella about society and manners is still relevant, if a little pessimistic. Who suffers more the one who breaks with convention or the one who follows society's norms? You'll enjoy having to read this story for the answer.
    • 3/5
      Eerder novelle, nogal oppervlakkig, maar wel intens geschreven.
    • 3/5
      This volume included other stories by Henry James: THE ASPERN PAPERS, THE TURN OF THE SCREW. All good short fiction - maybe I have been wrong about James & he is actually readable!!Read Samoa Dec 2003
    • 3/5
      The story's easy to follow. A young American girl in the late 1800s who is new to money does not understand society's rules. She flirts and openly goes around with strange men of unknown origins. She cares little for her own reputation. Winterbourne finds her pretty and is instantly attracted to her. When she pushes the boundaries, he shoves right back. In the end, Daisy pays the price. In a society where the double standards favor men, Daisy is punished by the author for being reckless. Winterbourne? He gets off with no harm done to his person. Typical.I liked this story. It was fun and easy. The story was told from Winterbourne's point of view, so it was hard to tell if Daisy was just ignorant of the rules or if she was purposely flaunting them. I personally thought she was ignorant and the "mystery behind Daisy Miller" was just a fantasy Winterbourne forced upon her image. Who knows?All in all, I liked this story!
    • 5/5
      'Daisy Miller' is a young American girl traveling in Europe with her mother and younger brother. She meets a rather stiff and correct young man,who finds himself attracted to her. Daisy likes him,but it has to be said,is a 'flirt',and is never without a male companion and one usually of a completely unsuitable type. She is snubbed by polite society and finds herself isolated. She spurns advice and ends up dying from fever.This is a little gem of a book which always comes up fresh with each re-reading.
    • 4/5
      I finished Daisy Miller in no time at all, since it was only 80-something pages. The ending was not what I expected, although I suspect it's a theme that comes up a lot in Henry James' work. In The Master it was made very clear what issues and happenings he went over and over again in different forms in his works.He's most known for writing about Americans' experiences in Europe, of course, and that's a big part of Daisy Miller. You have Winterbourne, the proper American in Europe, and then you have Daisy, who is young and a bit too carefree. Winterbourne is clearly smitten with her, both drawn to and repulsed by her refusal to do what is considered appropriate.When I first finished reading, I thought the story served a rather glib judgment on Daisy, but after thinking about it a bit I realized that there is an equally harsh judgment on Winterbourne. (And that is very in line with how James seemed to feel about some incidents in his life - he may have abandoned some people in their times of need by convincing himself they didn't actually need him.)