The Portrait of a Lady (Royal Collector's Edition) (Case Laminate Hardcover with Jacket)

by Henry James

Overview

The Portrait of a Lady is the story of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer, who in affronting her destiny, finds it overwhelming. She inherits a large amount of money and subsequently becomes the victim of Machiavellian scheming by two American expatriates. The story follows the free-spirited Isabel as she loses her freedom, despite suddenly coming into a great deal of money, and becomes ground in the very mill of the conventional.

The Portrait of a Lady is one of James's most popular long novels, and is regarded by critics as one of his finest. Like many of James's novels, it is set in Europe, mostly England and Italy. Generally regarded as the masterpiece of James's early period, this novel reflects James's continuing interest in the differences between the New World and the Old, often to the detriment of the former. It also treats in a profound way the themes of personal freedom, responsibility, and betrayal.

This case laminate collector's edition includes a Victorian inspired dust-jacket.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781774761878
Publisher:	Royal Classics
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Pages:	532
Sales rank:	787,185
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.31(d)

About the Author

Henry James (15 April 1843 - 28 February 1916) was an American-born British writer. He is regarded as one of the key figures of 19th century literary realism. He is best known for a number of novels showing Americans encountering Europe and Europeans. His method of writing from a character's point of view allowed him to explore issues related to consciousness and perception, and his style in later works has been compared to impressionist painting. His imaginative use of point of view, interior monologue and unreliable narrators brought a new depth to narrative fiction. James contributed significantly to literary criticism, particularly in his insistence that writers be allowed the greatest possible freedom in presenting their view of the world. James claimed that a text must first and foremost be realistic and contain a representation of life that is recognisable to its readers. Good novels, to James, show life in action and are, most importantly, interesting. In addition to his voluminous works of fiction he published articles and books of travel, biography, autobiography, and criticism, and wrote plays. James alternated between America and Europe for the first twenty years of his life; eventually he settled in England, becoming a British subject in 1915, one year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916.

Date of Birth:

April 15, 1843

Date of Death:

February 28, 1916

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Place of Death:

London, England

Education:

Attended school in France and Switzerland; Harvard Law School, 1862-63