Daisy Miller

Henry James

Jan 2006 · Alcazar Audio Works · Narrated by Bobbie Frohman

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.

About the author

Henry James, American novelist and literary critic, was born in 1843 in New York City. Psychologist-philosopher William James was his brother. By the age of 18, he had lived in France, England, Switzerland, Germany, and New England. In 1876, he moved to London, having decided to live abroad permanently. James was a prolific writer; his writings include 22 novels, 113 tales, 15 plays, approximately 10 books of criticism, and 7 travel books. His best-known works include Daisy Miller, The Turn of the Screw, The Portrait of a Lady, The Ambassadors, and The American Scene. His works of fiction are elegant and articulate looks at Victorian society; while primarily set in genteel society, James subtlely explores class issues, sexual repression, and psychological distress. Henry James died in 1916 in London. The James Memorial Stone in Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, commemorates him.