LitPicks - September '09

Henry's Ladies: Many of Henry James's stories follow the lives of wealthy young American women—vibrant, intelligent yet untested innocents who find themselves up against a rigid, even duplicitous society. Two of his most famous novels here center on those heroines —while a fictionalized biography explores the real-life women who inspired them.

A Lighter Touch | Wonderfully Written | Great Works       



Daisy Miller
Henry James, 1878
80 pp.

A novella and possibly the most accessible of James's works, Daisy Miller brought the author fame...along with a bit of controversy. There was the charge that its heroine was "an outrage on American girlhood"!

Daisy epitomizes the James heroine—a young, fresh American woman on European soil, who defies strict social conventions, sadly to her own detri-ment. We witness a class of wealthy Americans who have lived so long in Europe as to become Europeanized; in other words, they eschew the ideals of an open, egalitarian society in favor of a rigidly hierarchical one. Know your place—and behave accordingly.

The very proper Mr. Winterbourne first meets Daisy (yes, pay attention to the symbolic nature of the names!) in Switzerland where he is smitten by her beauty and intrigued by her frankness. She's a charming flirt, alarmingly so—but does she knowingly flaunt the rules of proper society or is she simply oblivious to them? It's unclear. Winterbourne meets up with Daisy again in Rome, but by now she is a pariah in society.

It's uncertain what Winterbourne wants with Daisy; he himself is unsure. And her behavior remains a mystery. I think book clubs will have wonderful discussions parsing Winterbourne's desires and psychology—as well as the impetus behind Daisy's actions. Ultimately, we wonder, is it Daisy's story...or Winterbourne's?

See our Reading Guide for Daisy Miller.

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The Master
Colm Toibin, 2004
464 pp.

By Molly Lundquist
A beautiful work! The title, by the way, refers to James's moniker. He became known as "The Master" due to the precision and elegance of his style and the complex, hidden depths of his characters—mysterious beings who are never quite knowable..not unlike we beings in real life.

Toibin has taken the many biographies of James and fashioned a poignant novel, a psychological study much like James's own novels. In doing so, Toibin permits us entry into the privileged lives of a very thin slice of American and British society—the rich and famous and accomplished, very much the people James wrote about.

Toibin shows us how James drew upon his experiences and the people he knew, how he worked those experiences over, gave them body, and created his stories. This ground has been covered before, but perhaps not so intimately as it is here.

James was close to three women in particular, two of whom ultimately he let down when they most needed his friendship. Sadly, he could let no one come too near his core nor demand too much of his affections. Toibin suggests that James, attempting to deal with his guilt, molded some of his most famous heroines in these women's images, as tributes to their memory.

I really love this work, though it can be a slow read with little plot. I suggest reading this work in tandem (over two months...or three) with James's fiction—especially one or both of the books recommended here. The Turn of the Screw is also wonderful.

Be sure to see our Reading Guide for The Master.

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The Portrait of a Lady
Henry James, 1880-81
656 pp.

By Molly Lundquist
Portrait is James's most famous work, and Isabel Archer his most famous heroine. This is Henry James at his best. (Jamesian scholars would rise up in arms at that, but they won't be reading this, I can assure you.)

We follow a beautiful, intellectually gifted young American woman, who longs for experience of the wider world, especially the world of Europe. A large inheritance offers her the freedom she needs to gain the experience she wants.

But inexperience breeds innocence and innocence can lead to naivety—and naivety is dangerous. Traveling to Florence, Isabel's friend Madame Merle introduces her to Gilbert Osmond, a man of refined and sophisticated tastes. Intelligent as she is, Isabel is too trusting—unable to grasp Osmond's true nature or the true nature of his friendship with Madame Merle. Nothing is quite what it seems, and Isabel is no match for the pair who easily manipulate her to their own ends. Not until it's too late does Isabel realize how much of her treasured independence she has sacrificed—and what it has cost her.

Very much a Jamesian theme, this novel pits the open innocence of Americans against the deca-dence of Europeans. We also see how someone young and unformed—viewing life through the prism of a romantic imagination and believing in the right to individualism—becomes a victim of her own willfulness.

It's a chilling, wonderful story! And the big question for discussion groups is why Isabel makes the decision she does at the end. I'll say no more so as not to spoil the read. You might also show clips from the 1996 film version with Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich. (No, do not watch the film in lieu of the book.)

Check out our Reading Guide for The Portrait of a Lady.

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