Henry James

I have never been able to get my head around Henry James.I read him in my early 20s and then re-read him in prison.  I made notes on him and will print them when I can. Meanwhile, I offer up Susan L. Mizruchi's The Best of Henry James from the Millions site as a mea culpa of sorts. 

I have read three of the works she listes. I must agree with her on what she writes here about The Portrait of a Lady - a novel whose effect I haven't forgotten for all it not being a novel that should hold my attention.

Having spent the last few years rereading most of James in preparation for writing my book, I consider The Portrait of a Lady his most perfect novel. It is the ultimate account of how to choose a partner, or how not to, and the novel remains as relevant today in our era of online dating as it was when it was first published. The story of Isabel Archer is James’s first great treatment of the “international theme,” the depictions of Americans going abroad to discover the world and themselves, which became his trademark. Portraying a young American full of promise, possessing looks, intelligence, and idealism, who is brought to England and invested with a fortune by relatives, the novel explores what happens to a woman who is given the freedom to realize her deepest aspirations.