n  Four Portraits of a Noveln

An Interview with Sigmund Freud circa 1911

Vell, zis book by zis man--vhat vas his name? Henry James--vas very very interesting. He is obviously a deeply conflicted individual. Quite clearly an invert filled mit self-loathzing, desiring ze men und at ze zame time hating himself for doing zo. Ve haf ze heroine of ze novel, Isabel Archer, who is pursued by two men: both of zem handsome, manly (vun of zem is efen called Goodwood) and very rich. Both of zem prepared to gif her her freedom after she marries zem. Zis kind uf man, he does not exist in ze 19th century. Zey are razther ze product of James’s fantasies of ze men zat he desires but cannot haf.

Zo she rejects zem for an artiste, Gilbert Osmond. But vat does she find? Zis artiste is effete und in love mit all zings beautiful und artistic. He is not a real man, but only a simulacrum of vun. James vud haf us see zis effete artiste (so very like James, no?) as evil. He seeks to destroy Isabel, zis woman who can attract zese beautiful men, by crushing her under ze veight of convention. He vants her to be ze perfect vife, to behave exactly as ze rules of society demand. He is ze superego crushing her id.

She tries to escape him but ven her suitor comes for her, ven he embraces her and kisses her, she fears him, or rath-zer Goodwood’s “hard manhood”. Of course, James’s inverted desire cannot be fulfilled, zo, completing ze zircle of self-loathzing desire, she runs back to her effete husband.

An Interview with Bruno Bettleheim circa 1977

Well, this novel is quite clearly a fairy tale, and has all its classic hallmarks. We see the young heroine, Isabel Archer: the youngest of three sisters, and the prettiest and cleverest of the lot. Her father dies and so she sets off on a journey to find her fortune. She is assisted in this by her aunt, Mrs Touchett (playing the role of the fairy godmother).

On her journey, she meets a witch, Madame Merle (it is no surprise that her name sounds like that great wizard of legend, Merlin). She also meets three suitors: Caspar Goodwood (On one level, he is bronze for he is described as brown. On another, he represents money: “Caspar” means treasurer or keeper of the treasure), Lord Warburton (Both silver, and power-–“burton” meaning “fortified tower”), and Gilbert Osmond (Gold--he is described as a gold coin; while poor, as an artistic soul he is able to see beyond surface appearance).

Like all fairy tale heroines, Isabel has to make a choice among the three, and as in all classic fairy tales, she chooses the gold. As in all classic morality tales, she chooses that which is the least superficial. However, in her choice, she is influenced by Madame Merle, our witch, who helps Osmond to appear more attractive to Isabel.

All fairy tales are, as I discuss in my book, n  The Uses of Enchantment The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Talesn, to teach children valuable life lessons. James himself refers to his novel as a fable in his preface. But what is the lesson to be learnt? The ending certainly makes us think that it is not that Isabel’s desire for flight, for independence is a good thing, since flying too close to the hot Caspar Goodwood, she feels herself burnt. Is the lesson then not to want too much independence? To accept the strictures of the upper class? Is this why James says that it is after all her suffering, she finally becomes a lady?

An Interview with Robin Leech circa 1985

Welcome to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Today, we visit the lovely Italian home of rich American heiress, Isabel Archer. Located in sunny, fabulous Rome, Isabel’s home is decorated with only the most stylish and tasteful of things. Isabel and her husband, Gilbert, host the most sought after soirées among the rich set. Paris Hilton eat your heart out. And what does it take to live like this? A stunning US$7 million!

An Interview with yours truly circa 2009

Meh. When all’s said and done, while this portrait of a lady may certainly have depicted Isabel in all her enigmatic glory, like a Carravaggio or a Rembrant, the background landscape is so dark and blurred with smufato that she seems to exist in a vacuum. The other characters are practically caricatures, and the patriarchal society of the 19th century is completely absent. Ultimately, this depiction of an heiress was just airless. Wharton’s n  The Age of Innocencen does a far better job of depicting the marriage market and the corrupting and stifling effects of rigid social convention at the fin de siècle. So, yeah, meh.

(And, yes, no need to point out that Paris Hilton was no celebrity in 1985. It's called artistic licence. LOL!

I'd give it two stars, but the depiction of Isabel's thoughts was a true tour de force, especially considering how innovative this was when it was written. So, that brings it up a notch to three.)

I loved getting into Isabel's conflicted mind, her persuasions and her light switches turning on and off for reason. I can relate to that. I get goosebumps, or the shivers, when I can get that feeling outside. Like a soullish thing rubbing up against my skin. Ever feel like there could be ghosts? The freedom in already having lost feelings. Don't know what to do and need to get out, like Isabelle. I don't know what I think about the ending. Henry James could give judgementaly prickish endings to his stories. That gives me a panic attack. Oh well. I'm in it for the long haul-ass with Isabelle. Henry James is a terrific writer and also bad for my soul sometimes. Wanting something and finding out it is wrong. Turning over the new leaf and there's a big ass roach underneath it. Hatefulness...

اواسط کتاب فکر میکردم خوب میشه اگه همینجا ادامه ندم چه دلیلی داره این همه طولانی شدن
و چقدر خوب که به این احساس غلبه کردم تازه بعد از تموم شدن این حس میاد سراغ ادم که زیادم طولانی نشده و انچه که باید بود.

سفر با ایزابل ،زنی که بیشتر از اینکه باهوش و زیبا باشه بقیه بهش اینو القا کردن پراز تجربه برای آموختن بود.

کاش در طول داستان در کنار بررسی بعد احساسی و ازدواج ایزابل به سفرهاش و مدیریت پول باد اورده اشاره میشد.

——دربسیاری مواقع در زندگی ما باید حاضر باشیم که هیچ کس را خشنود نکنیم، حتی خودمان را——

The ancient Greek tragedian Euripides popped up in my mind while reading Henry James' (1843-1916) masterpieces Daisy Miller and The Portrait of a Lady. (*) Readers of Euripides’ work have to ask themselves whether Euripides was a misogynist or if he showed true sympathy for the Athenian women who suffered from the rigorous patriarchy in Athenian society. I, on my part, was astonished by Euripides’ portrayal of women and their oppression and I came to the conclusion that Euripides indirectly criticised Athenian male society. Having read the mentioned two works by James, I’ve had the exact same feeling. The way he describes Isabel Archer’s succumbing to moral and social conventions is compelling and leaves the reader with an uneasiness that I have seldom encountered in Victorian Literature. In James’ notebooks from probably late December 1880, early January 1881 he writes:

“The idea of the whole thing is that the poor girl, who has dreamed of freedom and nobleness, who has done, as she believes, a generous, natural, clear-sighted thing, finds herself in reality ground in the very mill of the conventional.”

The Portrait of a Lady is first and foremost a psychological portrayal of an "intelligent but presumptuous girl” (p. 634) of the 19th century whose decisions differ greatly from what the reader (at least the modern reader) would expect from a lady with such characteristics. Even though the romantic settings in Florence and Rome are inspiring and enthralling they are not really important to the story and the plot itself is far from being spell binding. James notes in his preface to the New York Edition of 1908: "The result is that I’m often accused of not having a “story” enough. I seem to myself to have as much as I need – to show my people, to exhibit their relations with each other; for that is all my measure.”

Having said that, it requires the mastery of one Henry James to make his readers stick to the more than 600 pages without hesitation. The omniscient narrator carefully describes Isabel’s marriage without being melodramatic and its presentation is therefore much more realistic and modern than in other Victorian novels, such as those by Charles Dickens for example. I was deeply touched by James’ awareness of women’s struggle in those days. When I mention ‘women’s struggle’ I have to point out, however, that Henry James’ portrays exclusively women of his social class (at least in the two books I read) and I can imagine why: One cannot describe a social and cultural milieu with such perfection without observing meticulously the immediate environment one lives in. In my opinion he knew exactly what he was writing about (James apparently took his inspiration for Isabel’s character from his cousin Milly Temple) and he showed immense respect and sensibility towards his literary characters, not only towards Isabel, but also towards minor characters who are all portrayed with care.

This work goes straightforward to my ‘favourites shelf’ and deserves my highest rating. It is an outstanding masterpiece by an outstanding author and I am eager to read more by him.

(*) I choose the Penguin Classics Edition for my reading of The Portrait of a Lady edited and with an Introduction and Notes by Philip Horne. The text reprinted in this edition is the book edition of 1882 and not that of the revised 1908 New York edition.

„тя обичаше само приятните усложнения“

Портретът на една дама или история на една самозаблуда – вземете което искате от двете за централно в романа и няма да сбъркате. За първи път чета книга на Хенри Джеймс и съм поразена от размаха му в едновременното изграждане и разплитане на човешките характери, в психологическото разнищване зад всяко действие и реплика. Което всъщност е интересно, защото въпреки изчерпателния характеров анализ на героите, така и не успях да си обясня главната героиня до самия край.

Зад пространното изложение се крие много семпла история – младата aмериканка Изабел Арчър е самопровъзгласен идеалист с много високи изисквания към себе си и другите и с високи духовни стремежи. Попадайки в Англия, скоро Изабел се оказва богата наследница, която най-накрая може да осъществи желанията си да пътува и опознае живота, а предложенията за брак от английски лорд и американски предприемач са само досадни подробности по пътя. Изабел подлага на жесток критичен анализ всичко и всички около себе си, осланяйки се на абстрактни понятия и книжни идеали, затова не е никак чудно, че попада в капана на първия срещнат пресметлив хитрец. Но и нещастието като такова не е достатъчно да разтърси нашата героиня, която търпи един отровен брак като съзнателно самонаказание.

„Портрет на една дама“ ме вбеси с главната си героиня, която, въпреки бавното си отърсване от илюзиите, не претвори това отърсване в действие. Може би е нечестно да я откъсвам от контекста в края на 19 век, но литературата познава далеч по-действени героини от този период. Иначе идеите в романа и тяхната трактовка ми допаднаха - за това доколко наистина притежаваме себе си, за силата (или слабостта), която ни предоставят многото пари, за лесните заблуди на интелекта.

Мъжките образи, особено този на братовчеда Ралф, са далеч по-симпатични. У Ралф изкристализира перфектният джентълмен на епохата – ироничен викторианец с много умело прикрито зад цинизъм благородство на характера.

Любопитни са и паралелите между Англия и САЩ от това време – разбиранията за прогрес, за добро прекарване на времето и идеята за добрия гражданин явно са били предмет на горещ дебат и постоянни сравнения от двете страни на океана.

За предпазливите към „тежките класики“ е добре да се уточни, че Хенри Джеймс пише напоително само в един аспект – в описанието на човешките характери. Но това е напълно достатъчно, за да е брилянтен.


„…най-голямата ценност в човека е жизнеността“

„Да помогнеш някому да осъществи добрите си пориви – какво по-благородно от това?“

„Но нима това, че притежаваш големи качества, е било някога гаранция за човешко щастие? Нима историята не бе изпълнена с примери за гибелта на ценни хора? Не беше ли по-вярно, че човек страда повече, ако притежава по-големи духовни ценности?“

“The great thing is to love something.”

Set in England and Italy, The Portrait of a Lady is the story of Isabel Archer, a young, beautiful, strong-willed and free-spirited American.
She is proud to be independent and has plans for the future. She wants to make something of herself. She wishes to travel the world and see everything there is to see. And when she inherits a great sum of money from her uncle, she realizes there is nothing to hold her back from fulfilling her dreams.
But life has other plans for her.

This is a story about choices and consequences; about honoring promises and about decency and integrity as opposed to perfidy, vanity and conceit.

There is no such thing as an isolated man or woman; we’re each of us made up of some cluster of appurtenances. What shall we call our ‘self’? Where does it begin? Where does it end? It overflows into everything that belongs to us – and then it flows back again.

Un'americana in Europa
Isabel, "inquadrata nella cornice (...) della porta, colpì il giovane come un bel ritratto di signora".

Romanzo ambientato negli anni '70 dell'Ottocento fra Inghilterra e Italia, si presenta bellissimo per stile, struttura narrativa e approfondimento psicologico, tutto pervaso da quel sottile senso dell'umorismo, tanto diffuso nella letteratura inglese, ritmato sull'arte della conversazione che spesso caratterizza il romanzo britannico. Un testo per chi ama il piacere della lettura di alta qualità.
Comprendiamo come l'americano H. James apprezzasse talmente la cultura inglese da trasferirsi in Inghilterra e assumerne la nazionalità.

Chi ha letto lo splendido "The Master" di Toibin, documentato romanzo biografico dedicato a Henry James, sa come la figura della protagonista di "Ritratto di signora" sia stata ispirata dalla figura dell'amata cugina dell'autore, tanto desiderosa di viaggiare per l'Europa, sogno irrealizzato per la prematura morte in giovane età.
Lo scrittore pare abbia voluto 'risarcirla' dandole le parvenze del personaggio di Isabel, una ragazza americana che invece in Europa giunge e dove si dispiega interamente il suo futuro.

Isabel, dunque, arriva in Inghilterra accolta dalla facoltosa zia in una magnifica dimora con esteso parco.
La giovane era sempre stata considerata "l'intelletto", ma anche una persona (troppo) originale.
"Ella aveva un desiderio insaziabile di pensare bene di sé", riteneva che "fosse necessario essere fra i migliori" , "aveva una speranza infinita di non dover fare mai nulla di male" e amava molto la propria indipendenza.
Con queste premesse, non c'è da stupirsi che tutti si chiedano che cosa farà della sua vita e a quali vertici sarà capace di giungere, tanto più che H. James la rende pure ricchissima.

La vicenda si sposta poi a Firenze e a Roma, dove Isabel verrà a contatto con l'alta società degli stranieri, fra gran dame e uomini raffinati.
Il paesaggio italiano è descritto meravigliosamente, con pennellate di generosa fascinazione. Non manca però qualche stoccata : un colto straniero, imbevuto di estetismo, sostiene che "l'Italia, comunque, aveva guastato molta gente; lui stesso (...) riteneva che sarebbe stato un uomo migliore se non avesse trascorso lì tanta parte della sua vita. Faceva diventare pigri e dilettanti e mediocri; non offriva nessuna disciplina per il carattere".

L'ultima parte del libro, in particolare, presenta sviluppi di altissima abilità letteraria. 'Tutti i nodi vengono al pettine' in modo , nel contempo, inaspettato eppur convincente : ciò che solamente un grande scrittore riesce a realizzare.

Le "Portrait de femme" est le chef-d'oeuvre d'Henry James, le plus important romancier américain pour la periode entre la fin de la Guerre de secession (1861-1865) et la première grande guerre. Ce roman raconte l' histoire d'une jeune héritière qui se fait prendre par un chasseur de fortune. L'idée est très simple voire banale. Le brio est dans les détails.
L'héroine Isabel Archer est aimée de quatres hommes. D'abord il y a Gilbert Osmond un être tout à fait abject qui l'épouse pour son argent. Il y a Ralph Touchett, l'alter ego d'Henry James, qui a les sentiments les plus délicats et les plus purs envers Isabel mais qui est trop bon pour ce monde et meurt à la fin du roman. Viens ensuite, Lord Warburton qui a des intentions honorables britanniques envers elle et Caspar Goodman qui a des intentions honorables américaines. Lord Warburton a le bonheur de finallement jeter l'éponge. Le pauvre Goodman persiste et est train de souffrir au dernier paragraphe du roman parce qu'Isabel l'a encore une fois fuit.
Henry James est la voix d'une époque révolué où les États-Unis etaient à 100 pourcent anglo-protestants et que les seules personnes de couleur vivaient au sud da la ligne Mason-Dixon. Ligne (39°43′15″ N). Il a fait partie d'une genération des Nouvelle-Anglais qui sont allés en Europe afin de devenir artistes. (On pense notamment aux peintres Mary Cassatt et Henry Whistler; aux architectets Louis Sullivan et William Jenney; et aux écrivains Edith Wharton et à la limite T.S. Eliot)
Les rapport sociaux entre les membres de la noblesse anglaise et les patriciens de la Nouvelle-Angleterre constitituent un des thèmes dominants de l'oeuvre d'Henry James. Personnellement je m'en sacre royallement et c'est pourquoi je ne lis jamais plus qu'un roman d'Henry James sur dix ans. Pourtant, il faut reconnaitre que dans le "Portrait de femme" Henry James se sert brillament de ce thème qui normallement m'agace profondement. C'est l'obsession avec la mode de vie de la noblesse anglaise qui pousse le vilain du roman à tous ses actes déloyalles.
Le "Portrait de femme"livre incontournable pour tous ceux qui veulent connaître l'histoire de la littérature américaine.

"Portrait of a Lady" has been gathering dust on one of my tbr shelves for years because I stupidly thought it would be a chore to read. I was so wrong! I loved it! A profound novel that is riveting and brilliant with an ending that has left my head spinning.

The edition I read from was by the Easton Press. A leather (faux)-bound book the size of a phone directory with a cloth bookmark and gilt edging and illustrations inside. I suppose that is nice, but it had this most god-awful smell every time I opened the book. And every time I opened it, I wondered to what chemicals I was exposing myself to. If I drop off the face of the earth on Goodreads it is possibly due to my demise from inhaling noxious fumes from a book!!

Last week while I was waiting for an interview call from an online company that never came through (maybe they got all the English teachers they need?), I picked up a copy of The Portrait of a Lady. Perhaps it is better to say that I picked up a part of the copy. You see, I've read the darn thing so many times it has literally fallen apart. Anyhow, there I was holding a part of my copy, figuring I'll read a few pages while I wait. I ended up reading for an hour and a half (as I said the call never came through). Once again, I was caught in the magic of this book. As I was going through all the underlined parts, I found myself finding new things to underline. I don't typically underline books at all, unless they are study materials, but I suppose I made this copy a study material. What impressed me once again were the dialogues. This time around I even came up with some new interpretations so the rereading proved to be not only enjoyable but interesting. It's always thrilling when you find something new in a classic you love, isn't it?

Curiously though, I wasn't crazy about this book the first time I read it. So I can understand anyone who disliked or was frustrated with this book. If you like Henry James, you'd probably heard about this one. This is his great classic. To be honest, I don't know how I would go about recommending this one. That's probably no wonder, since I found it difficult myself the first time around. If I remember well, when I read The Portrait of a Lady, I was already set on becoming a Henry James fan but still the book was a slow read. As I said, it really grew on me with time but that first read was mighty frustrating. I can certainly see how this book can irritate or even bore someone, it is quite long and there are definitely some slow parts. However, The Portrait of a Lady is a very important novel and a very popular one. As the title says it portrays a lady (Isabel) and a fascinating lady she is. The novel is not just about Isabel, but it portrays an entire society, American and European, with much success I might add. This social portrayal is present in other James' work but here due to the lenght of the novel perhaps, the author really goes about it.

The Portrait of a Lady is really a lovely book, very intelligent, often infused with atmosphere of sophisticated sadness- or at least that was what I’ve sensed more often than not. Isabel's quest for freedom is something we can all identify with. After all, isn't the elusive freedom something we all dream about but perhaps also something that we also don't quite understand.

Even during my first (difficult) reading, I found many things in this novel that I liked, from fantastic psychological portrait of its characters to its social commentary. The story is coherent and even the minor characters are colorful and memorable. There is a lot of attention to detail in this book. Nevertheless, I have to admit that it was nerve-racking to read towards the end. As for the ending, the first time I read it, it just drove me crazy. Simply said, I found Isabel's choices frustrating. When the novel is interesting enough to make you feel really frustrated and even a bit angry, I guess that is a compliment to its writer. With time I learned to appreciate the ending a bit more. It is a tragic story, but a beautiful one. A story so much like life itself- and that is why it must remain a bit unsatisfying. In fact, I think the frustrating ending is the novel's main achievement- it shows us the fragility of life. Who among us hasn't made terrible mistakes?

Henry James would probably get on well with Thomas Hardy The Portrait of a Lady is a tragedy almost of  Tess of the d'Urbervilles proportions.

Character study novels are extraordinary things, the plot is mostly fairly mundane but when you get to really know the characters when they resonate with you, the personal crises they go through become fascinating because they are like people you know. It has that lovely fly on the wall appeal for nosey parkers like myself. However, it takes an immense talent to create vivid and vibrant characters that the readers would care about; this is a gift Henry James seems to have in abundance.

The story, in a nutshell, concerns a young American lady, Isabel Archer (the subject of the titular portrait), comes to England to stay with her aunt, she soon receives a vast amount of inheritance from her uncle, is proposed to by three men, and proceed to choose the absolute worst of the three. From then on her life is a 24/7 misery. If anybody shows me this micro-synopsis and ask me if I would want to read the book I’d probably tell them to eff off (in the nicest possible way of course). However, the simple storyline belies a psychologically complex and endlessly fascinating book.


Nicole Kidman Isabel Archer

At the beginning of the book, Isabel is described as “a young woman of extraordinary profundity”. Certainly, she seems to be an intelligent, lively and charismatic young lady with a strong sense of independence and seemingly indomitable will. She also has an infectious enthusiasm to experience what the world (which is her oyster) has to offer. That several men fall at her feet and practically worship her is not hard to believe. What is harder to believe is how—in spite of her wit and intelligence—she allows herself to be manipulated into marrying a total poseur. The book is an account of how her vibrant sense of independence seeps away during the course of her awful marriage. We follow Isabel’s thought processes, feeling swept along with her enthusiasm for life and crash-land with her when things go south. As Henry James puts it in his intro:

“The idea of the whole thing is that the poor girl, who has dreamed of freedom and nobleness, who has done, as she believes, a generous, natural, clear-sighted thing, finds herself in reality ground in the very mill of the conventional.”

The ending is a little too ambiguous for my taste, James seems to like this kind of WTF ending, his novella  The Turn of the Screw has an even more infuriatingly ambiguous ending which I found so aggravating I wanted to write him for a refund (hampered by the fact that I got the book for free, and James is pushing up the daisies). The ending of The Portrait of a Lady is ambiguous to a lesser degree and leaves an interestingly melancholic aftertaste.

So, yeah, read it, it’s pretty great!

__________________________

Notes
Read mostly in audiobook format, narrated by the extremely wonderful Elizabeth Klett in her melodious and expressive voice (download link). I often wondered why so talented a reader would only read free Librivox books, it turns out that she has also narrated many contemporary books for the decidedly not free Audible.com. Still, that she has read so many books gratis, for the public domain is amazing.

__________________________

The following footnotes are inspired by my dear friend Cecily. I find it very difficult to review a character novel, because I want to talk about the characters and why they are interesting. The trouble is I feel like I would have to introduce each of the character I mention, and that would be a drag for me and— I imagine—the review reader. If you have an opinion on this issue please let me know in the comments section. Anyway, Cecily has suggested several ways to integrate the character bits, which I will do in future reviews but for this one I can’t think of a suitable entry point so I’ll just shove them here in the footnotes, and I won’t introduce any of them!

Thoughts on some of the main characters

Gilbert Osmond: I wonder if he has big, bright teeth like most of the Osmonds I have seen. In the 1996 film he is portrayed by John Malkovich who doesn’t look much like an Osmond. I reckon Gilbert is not deliberately evil, I am not even sure he misrepresented himself to Isabel, she just saw some nobility in him that is not there. Silly cow.

Ralph Touchett: Capital fellow, he is the only one who loves Isabel selflessly. He is very wise, observant and witty. Shame about his health.

Lord Warburton: Nice bloke, a bit of a snob. Looking for a trophy wife I suspect.

Caspar Goodwood: Hate him, stupid stalker bastard. I don’t think leaving Osmond for him would be much of an improvement.

Madame Merle: Awesome kickass villainess who doesn’t even kick any ass and is not really all that bad. It’s not actually her fault that Isabel decides to marry that poseur, she only introduced them, she did not force the girl to marry the cad at gunpoint.

Pansy Osmond: Tragic silly kid, a total doormat.