A review by emleemay
Washington Square by Henry James

4.0

“If you are going to be pushed, you had better jump.”

Almost everyone in this book is awful, but I... think I liked it?

I read Henry James once, years ago, and I picked [b:The Turn of the Screw|12948|The Turn of the Screw|Henry James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567172392l/12948._SY75_.jpg|990886], which turned out to be a bad decision. It put me off for a long time. I also hear that James gets a little more experimental in his later works, delving into that stream-of-consciousness style that has never really floated my boat, which might explain why I heard a lot of complaints about him from English students at university.

[b:Washington Square|133954|Washington Square|Henry James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1309286618l/133954._SY75_.jpg|3319458], however, is more of a straight-up drama, that sees familial duty clashing with a potential romance. It's like Austen, but infinitely more depressing. Maybe more like Edith Wharton. Here, James' heroine is the well-meaning, plain and rich Catherine Sloper. She falls deeply in love with a charismatic and broke young man called Morris Townsend, whom her father is convinced wants Catherine for her inheritance. He refuses to give his blessing to their engagement so Catherine must decide whether to remain loyal to her father or follow her heart.

This is considered a classic, but don't believe for a second it's not a total soap opera. Between Dr Sloper going to interrogate Morris's sister, and Catherine's Aunt Lavinia setting up secret meetings to advise Morris how to manipulate the doctor, Catherine is just pulled from one drama to the next. The doctor's self-righteousness, his coldness, and his inability to respect his daughter's feelings, make him an infuriating character. And Aunt Lavinia seriously needs to mind her own business!

It's a short read, but all the characters are very well-drawn and nuanced. Even if they are insufferable. I enjoyed how James explored all their personal motivations but left a lot open to interpretation. I am still not sure what message, if any, he wished to impart with the novel's conclusion, but I do think I am ready to take on [b:The Portrait of a Lady|264|The Portrait of a Lady|Henry James|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1502148606l/264._SY75_.jpg|1434368] now.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube