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A review by readingwithasha
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
What an ending!
This book is magnificent but sadly falls short of 5 stars for me because I felt like the first 3/4 of the book dragged too much for me.
The Portrait of a Lady really is just that–an incredible portrait of a bright young woman who finds herself entangled in European politics. Henry James is brilliant in his use of light and shadow to draw out the characters. You don't know what people's motivations are, how they know each other, or what they're really thinking. The somewhat fantastical biographical nature of this book allows us hear character's thoughts while still feeling like an observer. It's absolutely brilliant.
The most remarkable part is what he did with the character of Madame Merle. She goes from intriguing, to "wicked," to unbelievably sympathetic. I did not see that twist coming!
This book is magnificent but sadly falls short of 5 stars for me because I felt like the first 3/4 of the book dragged too much for me.
The Portrait of a Lady really is just that–an incredible portrait of a bright young woman who finds herself entangled in European politics. Henry James is brilliant in his use of light and shadow to draw out the characters. You don't know what people's motivations are, how they know each other, or what they're really thinking. The somewhat fantastical biographical nature of this book allows us hear character's thoughts while still feeling like an observer. It's absolutely brilliant.