The Portrait of a Lady
About this ebook
“A fairy tale in reverse.” -The Sunday Times
Henry James’s The Portrait of a Lady is regarded as one of the towering works of Victorian literature; an exceptional examination of the disparate nature between Americans and Europeans, and the divides between contentment and money. Isabel Archer, one of the most compelling heroines of American literature, is at the center of this moving story about the manners and mores of 19th Century life.
The Portrait of a Lady opens as the beautiful and fiery American Isabel Archer travels to England to visit her wealthy Aunt Touchett. She is introduced her Uncle Touchett, her cousin Ralph, and the local nobleman, Lord Warburton, who wastes no time in asking for Isabel’s hand in marriage. In character with Isabel’s independent spirt, she refuses the proposal, and while on a trip to London receives a second proposal from an American suitor; once again, she refuses. When she learns that her uncle is deathly ill, Isabel returns to the Touchett home, where she inherits a great fortune following his death. Traveling to Italy with her Aunt as a great heiress, she is introduced to Gilbert Osmond, a self-centered and calculating American expatriate. Despite the warnings from her family and friends, Isabel falls for Osborne and in turn is pulled the darkness of deception. The Portrait of a Lady is a tragic yet humane masterpiece of American literature.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Portrait of a Lady is both modern and readable.
About the author
Henry James (1843-1916) was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and non-fiction. He spent most of his life in Europe, and much of his work regards the interactions and complexities between American and European characters. Among his works in this vein are The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Ambassadors (1903). Through his influence, James ushered in the era of American realism in literature. In his lifetime he wrote 12 plays, 112 short stories, 20 novels, and many travel and critical works. He was nominated three times for the Noble Prize in Literature.
