Title: The Portrait of a LadyAuthor: Henry James (1843-1916)
First Published: 1881
My Edition: Bantam Classic (seen at left)
Pages: 625
Other Works Include: Roderick Hudson (1876), The American (1877), The Europeans (1878), Daisy Miller (1878), Washington Square (1880), The Bostonians (1886), The Princess Casamassima (1886), The Tragic Muse (1890), The Spoils of Poynton (1897), What Maisie Knew (1897), The Turn of the Screw (1898), The Awkward Age (1899), The Wings of the Dove (1902), The Ambassadors (1903), and The Golden Bowl (1904).
I pulled this off the shelf the other night and Matt told me the woman on the cover looks like a vampire. I doubt that James wrote about vampires in Europe, but I've been surprised by classics before. :) And now that Matt pointed it out, I catch this lady staring at me. I suppose it is time to pick this up and read it before I give myself nightmares.
I am slowly discovering James' work. I wouldn't have picked up another title by him so soon (I read Daisy Miller as book 94), but this is a title on my 2011 TBR Challenge List. I figured it was about time.
That isn't the only reason, of course. I think I am developing a literary crush on James, and I want to make sure it isn't a farce. This will be the third title by him that I am reading for this challenge, and since it is a far longer piece than the other two I've read, it'll be the test.
If you are curious, here are my posts on Washington Square, which was book 21 off my list:
And here are the links to my thoughts on Daisy Miller, book 94:
What have you read by James?
GIRL. I LUURRVVEE me some Henry James, and this one is my favorite so far (though I also luurrved THE TURN OF THE SCREW- so creepy). Go forth and heart his face.
ReplyDeleteI've never read Henry James, although I want to. I think I'll start with The Turn of the Screw.
ReplyDeleteI've only read one work by James, "Washington Square", which I enjoyed. The prose was simple, but the themes were powerful and still applicable today. The characters were very well defined - you could put yourself in their heads... and some of their thoughts were vile, which was intriguing.
ReplyDeleteMy review here:
http://eclectic-indulgence.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-washington-square-by-henry-james.html
Eclectic Indulgence
I haven't read any James so far. Maybe I'll pick up one of his books on January.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your thougts on this one.
I read this one earlier this year. I think it has a lot in common with The House of Mirth, but I loved Mirth more. Portrait is beautifully written, but I got so frustrated by some of the character choices.
ReplyDeleteI've only read Daisy Miller by James so far. I'm planning to read The Portrait of a Lady in 2012. Can't wait to read your thoughts on this one!
ReplyDeleteI need to read some James. Clearly.
ReplyDelete