lovebird9's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
nataliejm's review against another edition
3.0
this was ROUGH for the first third but it definitely picked up around the halfway point. Charlotte and Maggie were such interesting characters.
msbedelia's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't care enough about any of these characters to make the drama interesting enough. In some ways, Maggie's "victory" of becoming the woman her husband loves and respects is a cool plot line and even done well. But the reality is, Amerigo seems to me to offer nothing except a pretty face and a title I find meaningless, so the victory rings pretty hollow. My distaste for this makes me wonder if I will still like James's Portrait of a Lady if I ever read it again, or if what I found emotionally impactful as a teenager will seem hollow due to my own lack of respect for the social constraints and beliefs of the time.
As an aside, the anti-Semitism in the book did not enhance my enjoyment.
As an aside, the anti-Semitism in the book did not enhance my enjoyment.
natepeplinski's review
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
rwhitney22's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alixiroflife's review against another edition
2.0
Lol I can't believe I'm giving Henry James 2 stars but honestly I DNF'ed this after 200 pages. Normally I can tell pretty quickly when I don't want to read a book, but The Golden Bowl does draw you in. The characters are really compelling, and the dialogue is fantastic... when there is dialogue. But the rub is that I really could not handle the densest and most convoluted prose I've read since reading Judith Butler lol the paragraphs of the characters' streams of consciousness are just way too much. IMO, it detracted from the otherwise good character development and plot. I love a plotless, vibe-heavy book but jeez dude we don't need CONSTANT musing on the nature of humanity and crap like that.
jessielikeslemons's review against another edition
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
melindamoor's review against another edition
3.0
ETA:
Well, Henry James was either a freaking genius totally beyond the praise or criticism of lowly, unworthy readers, like yours truly
OR
a self-indulgent, pompous ass and I, for one, am still yearning for a chance to be able to travel back in time and throw this book at his self-indulgent, pompous head!
Even though I am presented with the subconscious of the characters to an almost painfully detailed degree, yet I feel totally detached from them. Whether it is the language or the literary technique or my misguided attempt to "bond" with the characters on some level to be able to care for them or at least to understand them a little, I find it impossible.
It's like looking at a grand, gorgeous aquarium with splendid, majestic, colourful fishes swimming around, but even though you try to take in & delight in all the details, you have to realise that you just can't, because the water is muddled or the glass containing them somehow magnifies & distorts your view and you get a splitting headache by looking through it too long.
Let it be said that this time, HJ did not irritate the hell out of me, which is a huge improvement!
Original review:
Dear Henry James,
after all these years I still cannot decide if it's just me or you or the both of us (aka the fault in our stars).
Maybe we met in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe there will come a time when a possible reunion ends in desperate hugs and tears & the question of "why did we waste all those precious years?" arises.
I don't know ... Let's give our relationship another try in 2019.
Yours in obfuscation,
Melinda
Well, Henry James was either a freaking genius totally beyond the praise or criticism of lowly, unworthy readers, like yours truly
OR
a self-indulgent, pompous ass and I, for one, am still yearning for a chance to be able to travel back in time and throw this book at his self-indulgent, pompous head!
Even though I am presented with the subconscious of the characters to an almost painfully detailed degree, yet I feel totally detached from them. Whether it is the language or the literary technique or my misguided attempt to "bond" with the characters on some level to be able to care for them or at least to understand them a little, I find it impossible.
It's like looking at a grand, gorgeous aquarium with splendid, majestic, colourful fishes swimming around, but even though you try to take in & delight in all the details, you have to realise that you just can't, because the water is muddled or the glass containing them somehow magnifies & distorts your view and you get a splitting headache by looking through it too long.
Let it be said that this time, HJ did not irritate the hell out of me, which is a huge improvement!
Original review:
Dear Henry James,
after all these years I still cannot decide if it's just me or you or the both of us (aka the fault in our stars).
Maybe we met in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe there will come a time when a possible reunion ends in desperate hugs and tears & the question of "why did we waste all those precious years?" arises.
I don't know ... Let's give our relationship another try in 2019.
Yours in obfuscation,
Melinda