Featured Reading Guide
Henry James
Isabel Archer s main aim in life is to protect her independence. She is not interested in settling down and compromising her freedom for the sake of marriage. However, on a trip around Europe with her aunt, she finds herself captivated by the charming Gilbert Osmond, who is very interested in the idea of adding Isabel to his collection of beautiful artworks
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topAbout the Book
Isabel Archer s main aim in life is to protect her independence. She is not interested in settling down and compromising her freedom for the sake of marriage. However, on a trip around Europe with her aunt, she finds herself captivated by the charming Gilbert Osmond, who is very interested in the idea of adding Isabel to his collection of beautiful artworks
topHenry James interview/review
topStarting Points for Discussion
- Henry James opens The Portrait of a Lady calling it a ‘simple story’. What does he mean by this – is he merely being disingenuous?
- Henrietta Stackpole says that Isabel has ‘got new ideas over here’, referring to how she has changed her views and ideals since she left America. How does James juxtapose the ideas and morals of the Old and New Worlds?
- ‘I try to judge things for myself; to judge wrong, I think, is more honourable than not to judge at all. I don’t wish to be a mere sheep in the flock.’ Is Isabel actually in a position to make her own decisions, or is it merely the illusion of choice?
- Many of James’ characters in this novel have grand ambitions: Isabel her desire for personal independence; Madame Merle her lust for success; Gilbert Osmond his need to be distinguished. What is James’ opinion of ambition?
- Why does Isabel marry a man who she herself claims is a ‘nonentity’?
- Much has been made about James’ decision to have Isabel return to Osmond at the end of the novel – some say it is anti-feminist, others say it is conforming to the conventions of the time. Discuss what would have happened if Isabel had not gone back, and how differently we would see the rest of the novel.
- The Portrait of a Lady hangs on the characterisation of the heroine Isabel Archer. What do you think of Isabel? Do you sympathise with her?
- Are Gilbert Osmond and Madame Merle evil or merely selfish? Discuss in relation to characters in other books you have read.
- To what extent would you say The Portrait of a Lady is a tragedy?
- How relevant do you think the issues of this novel are for women today?
Other Books by Henry James
The Awkward Age
The story of young Nanda Brookenham’s struggle to preserve her honesty in the…
The Bostonians
The Golden Bowl
The Portrait of a Lady
Isabel Archer s main aim in life is to protect her independence. She is not …
The Turn of the Screw and …
A young governess is sent to a great country house to care for two orphaned …
The Wings Of The Dove
In this extraordinary variation on the theme of the eternal triangle, Henry …
What Maisie Knew: and The …
Caught in the crossfire of her parents acrimonious divorce, witness to their…
Suggested Further Reading
- The Master (2004) ~ Colm Toibin: Booker-shortlisted novelisation of James’ life and in particular his years living in Rye. Sharply imagined and very vivid, it deals both with James’ complicated emotional life, and the process of writing.
- Author, Author (2004) ~ David Lodge:
- The Line of Beauty (2004) ~ Alan Hollinghurst: Booker-winning novel widely praised as Jamesian in its language; the central character is also writing a PhD on Henry James.
- The Year of Henry James: The Story of a Novel (2006) ~ David Lodge