The Europeans (Penguin Popular Classics)
by Henry James
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 142)
Read in October, 2007
A charming bagatelle. Hardly a 'masterpiece of major quality,' as F.R. Leavis claims on the back of my edition (do other 1970s Penguins, say of Austen and George Eliot, bear pedagogic blurbs from 'The Great Tradition'?), but funny and well-executed. The American characters are a bit pallid and vague, perhaps intentionally, but the titular Europeans are brought off with great vividness: Felix Young is hilarious, particularly in his interchanges with Mr. Wentworth, and the Baroness Munster present...more
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Read in April, 2008
Clever little book by James. I am more interested since I read the essay by Richard Poirier at the end, and learned that this was one of James' earlier books although published later, and that the influence of James' feelings about Hawthornes' writing is throughout. I have never cared much for Hawthorne myself, but learning of James' specific criticisms, I found myself bristling under a supposed slight on the culture of the states as compared to Europe (I make fun of the states, not you H. James...more
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Read in February, 2007
"The Europeans" resembles, to a T, all of James' other novels. It's extremely well-written, in the near-perfect English that writers can no longer use, at the risk of sounding ridiculously old-fashioned or overly-obsessed with the language.
The story of a European brother and sister who come to visit their Bostonian cousins at the end of the 19th century, the book quickly picks up a love story. The romance, however, does not dominate the book. James constantly compares the Amer...more
The story of a European brother and sister who come to visit their Bostonian cousins at the end of the 19th century, the book quickly picks up a love story. The romance, however, does not dominate the book. James constantly compares the Amer...more
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Read in July, 2007
recommends it for:
Sleepy boy
For some reason I was expecting something dramatic to happen throughout this book. Something besides meetings for tea and discussions of wealth and the bohemian lifestyle of the young artist. It is an interesting look the mashing of two different societies and is displays wonderful usage of 19th century English that I love, however I felt it a bit slow. Hoping my next James experience is a little more positive.
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Read in March, 2008
You can hear the gears churning in this early novel, and there's way too many characters way too little time...but it's really refreshing to actually be able to see James grope toward his themes and signature style in the early works. Also, The Europeans has one of James's least celebrated or recognized but most awesome heroines in Gertrude Wentworth.
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Read in August, 2001
Date read is a total guess. A very solid and short little book by James that features his trademark "people out of their element trying to look proper" and "people who claim to be proper but aren't" style, with refreshingly clear language for the time period. Not a way to start reading James, but a good second or third book.
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zero degree of writing English style!
James is the Gustave Flaubert of the English novel!
the search for perfection in the tool at hand: in his case the English Language!
A brilliant writer needs more than surface reading and readers with a passion for style... although any reading is valid per se!
James is the Gustave Flaubert of the English novel!
the search for perfection in the tool at hand: in his case the English Language!
A brilliant writer needs more than surface reading and readers with a passion for style... although any reading is valid per se!
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این اثر میللر توسط فرشته داوران و عباس خلیلی ترجمه شده و نشر مرکز آن را در 1367 چاپ و منتشر کرده است.
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Read in January, 2008
I'd forgotten how witty and humorous James can be...but I have to admit - the triple wedding at the end was a bit reminiscent of Jane Austen.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.43 (107 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.43 (107 ratings) number of reviews: 10popular shelves
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