Thank you so much! Your suggestions are "spot on". I've read them all (many times) and my two favorites are The Ambassadors and The Awkward Age. Every time I reread The Awkward Age I get something new and different from it. That's the beauty of Henry James' novels. Again, thank you !!
I read ‘Washington Square’. The movie broke my heart. I read ‘Portrait of a Lady’ too. Reminded me of Edith Wharton’s novels. I was discussing Henry James with a friend and he said, “Nothing happens!” I’ve been reading books by Liane Moriarty. I just discovered her. I thought of my friend’s line in relation to her books. I suppose it’s the journey and not the destination with some authors.
I'm 2/3 through Portrait of a Lady and have bought a copy of Wings of the Dove. I'm determined to be on the right side of this divide, one page, one chapter, one book at a time.
That was lovely, and full of splendid advice. James is America’s greatest writer after Melville. I would jettison the early James altogether, and go straight to POAL, and then sink into the the three ‘impossible’ majors, Wings of a Dove, the incomparable The Ambassadors, and the wicked The Golden Bowl.
It can be interesting to find little references to Henry James’ characters in Wharton’s novels. In “The Portrait of a Lady” James’ main character is Isabel Archer, a young American woman visiting Europe. She’s hungry to seek out what the “Old World” has to offer. In “The Age of Innocence”, which was written a couple of decades later, Wharton flips the name of her protagonist to Newland Archer. And he too is seeking what the Old World is about in the personage of Ellen Olenska who is out of reach. With her novel “The Custom of the Country” Wharton seems to pick up and expand the story of “Daisy Miller” with the headstrong and avaricious Undine Sprague. So far, my favorite James novel is “The Wings of the Dove”. He is a master at creating characters who are champion manipulators of others.
I love Daisy Miller. I've written 3 essays on Daisy Miller while at university. If it wasn't for Daisy Miller, I'd never even attempt Portrait of a Lady. Never. And did have to put it down due to time constraints, but I will pick it up again. I'm still shocked a man wrote it. Reminds me a little bit of The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth- my favourite American novels and I'm not American. They are timeless. They are about American and yet not.
Hello. I just picked up my first Henry James novel. I liked the look and font of the vintage paperback of The Ambassadors so I bought it. It sounds like I picked up one the ‘impossible’ novels. But I read Joyce Ulysses, so how impossible can this one be? Just started yesterday, read the preface written by Henry James and was hoping you could summarize what he’s saying. Seems a bit difficult to comprehend and thought there must be a problem with the translation. …wait a minute, this was written in English.
I have read some Henry James. However I read wings of the dove in college. Impossible is a good word. One sentence being a paragraph long with no punctuation. Liked the story but reading was truly painful
![[Part 1] ทารกน้อยถูกทิ้ง👶 หญิงชราเก็บขวดขายเลี้ยงดูเขาจนโต #โลกการละคร](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nPTDvFCExks/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you so much! Your suggestions are "spot on". I've read them all (many times) and my two favorites are The Ambassadors and The Awkward Age. Every time I reread The Awkward Age I get something new and different from it. That's the beauty of Henry James' novels. Again, thank you !!
Well, I definitely watched to the end. I think the strategy is sound and I enjoy the "new to you" focus on backlist titles. Thanks
I read ‘Washington Square’. The movie broke my heart. I read ‘Portrait of a Lady’ too. Reminded me of Edith Wharton’s novels. I was discussing Henry James with a friend and he said, “Nothing happens!” I’ve been reading books by Liane Moriarty. I just discovered her. I thought of my friend’s line in relation to her books. I suppose it’s the journey and not the destination with some authors.
I am loving these new videos!!
Wonderful! I love Henry James.
Thanks, Ann! Smart and fun!
Good advice! I just re-read The Bostonians, which I love. There's a rhythm there that I missed on my first read. I'll try an impossible one next.
Love the encouragement Ann, ordering Washington Square now
I'm 2/3 through Portrait of a Lady and have bought a copy of Wings of the Dove. I'm determined to be on the right side of this divide, one page, one chapter, one book at a time.
I read Portrait of a Lady in college. It was good!
Okay, I read the three easy ones; now onto Portrait of a Lady. Thanks Ann!
Film adaptations of James's work sometimes stick out to me more than the reading experiences. But one of my favorites was The Spoils of Poynton
That was lovely, and full of splendid advice. James is America’s greatest writer after Melville. I would jettison the early James altogether, and go straight to POAL, and then sink into the the three ‘impossible’ majors, Wings of a Dove, the incomparable The Ambassadors, and the wicked The Golden Bowl.
I love James. Good advice.
It can be interesting to find little references to Henry James’ characters in Wharton’s novels. In “The Portrait of a Lady” James’ main character is Isabel Archer, a young American woman visiting Europe. She’s hungry to seek out what the “Old World” has to offer.
In “The Age of Innocence”, which was written a couple of decades later, Wharton flips the name of her protagonist to Newland Archer. And he too is seeking what the Old World is about in the personage of Ellen Olenska who is out of reach.
With her novel “The Custom of the Country” Wharton seems to pick up and expand the story of “Daisy Miller” with the headstrong and avaricious Undine Sprague.
So far, my favorite James novel is “The Wings of the Dove”. He is a master at creating characters who are champion manipulators of others.
I love Daisy Miller. I've written 3 essays on Daisy Miller while at university. If it wasn't for Daisy Miller, I'd never even attempt Portrait of a Lady. Never. And did have to put it down due to time constraints, but I will pick it up again. I'm still shocked a man wrote it. Reminds me a little bit of The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth- my favourite American novels and I'm not American. They are timeless. They are about American and yet not.
I read the Turn of the Screw and it was a good story but difficult to read.
Hello. I just picked up my first Henry James novel. I liked the look and font of the vintage paperback of The Ambassadors so I bought it. It sounds like I picked up one the ‘impossible’ novels. But I read Joyce Ulysses, so how impossible can this one be? Just started yesterday, read the preface written by Henry James and was hoping you could summarize what he’s saying. Seems a bit difficult to comprehend and thought there must be a problem with the translation. …wait a minute, this was written in English.
Henry James is my favourite male novelist.
I plan on reading Henry James' The Wings of the Dove and his best frienemy Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth for a compare and contrast
Thanks Ann 🤓 I’m going to do it!
Or you could just forget all of the Henry James and Read Colm Tóibín's The Master. Which let's face it is the best novel Henry James never wrote.
I have read some Henry James. However I read wings of the dove in college. Impossible is a good word. One sentence being a paragraph long with no punctuation. Liked the story but reading was truly painful