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    The Portrait of a Lady
    The Portrait of a Lady
    The Portrait of a Lady
    Audiobook26 hours

    The Portrait of a Lady

    Written by Henry James

    Narrated by Juliet Stevenson

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous- spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming but rootless Madame Merle.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNaxos Audiobooks
    Release dateOct 16, 2016
    ISBN9781843799566
    Author

    Henry James

    Henry James was born in New York in 1843, the younger brother of the philosopher William James, and was educated in Europe and America. He left Harvard Law School in 1863, after a year's attendance, to concentrate on writing, and from 1869 he began to make prolonged visits to Europe, eventually settling in England in 1876. His literary output was both prodigious and of the highest quality: more than ten outstanding novels including his masterpiece, The Portrait of a Lady; countless novellas and short stories; as well as innumerable essays, letters, and other pieces of critical prose. Known by contemporary fellow novelists as 'the Master', James died in Kensington, London, in 1916.

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    Reviews for The Portrait of a Lady

    4.5/5

    60 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I didn't know if I would like this novel, but I am very glad I read it. Although the ending is heart wrenching it is a superb work of literature.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      He is a wonderful writer The ending was bad
    • 5/5
      Truly an incredible performance by Juliet Stevenson, bringing SUCH specific and nuanced life to these characters.
    • 3/5
      Juliet Stephenson is impeccable, as always. James is not nearly the artist here that he was to become in later years with the last 4 novels. His plotting and dialog, though much more active and thick in this book than the more figural, interior landscape exploration of his later works, does not deliver the hearty rewards that a master of the popular (versus rarified) 19th century novel can (e.g. Balzac, Dickens, Hugo). His heroine is likely the most vexingly obnoxious, counterproductive poor judge of character that has ever strolled the pages of 19th C print. The tome drags on and on and ends on a senseless quasi- cliffhanger. At least there's the idea that she sacrifices herself to fulfill her promise to the child by going back to Rome.