Daisy Miller

by
Henry James

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Daisy Miller

by Henry James

3.30 · rating details · 6,687 ratings · 468 reviews

Traveling in Europe with her family, Daisy Miller, an exquisitely beautiful young American woman, presents her fellow-countryman Winterbourne with a dilemma he cannot resolve. Is she deliberately flouting social conventions in the way she talks and acts, or is she simply ignorant of them? When she strikes up an intimate friendship with an urbane young Italian, her flat ref...more

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Published January 1st 2005 by Phoenix mass market p/bk (first published 1878)

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Apr 18, 2010

Elizabeth rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, in-by-of-the-americas, reviewed, in-italy

What would Daisy Miller have to do in today's society to be talked about the way she was in this book? I expect there would be more than a little public nudity involved. Probably a DUI arrest, maybe some time doing community service. Rehab. Her own reality show and line of hand bags. Even then, she wouldn't be snubbed by society because at that point, she'd be famous, and however much individuals might disapprove now, we love our celebrities. Perhaps there are small groups, here and there, where...moreWhat would Daisy Miller have to do in today's society to be talked about the way she was in this book? I expect there would be more than a little public nudity involved. Probably a DUI arrest, maybe some time doing community service. Rehab. Her own reality show and line of hand bags. Even then, she wouldn't be snubbed by society because at that point, she'd be famous, and however much individuals might disapprove now, we love our celebrities. Perhaps there are small groups, here and there, where she wouldn't be welcome, where they would shun her, and make her miserable for her behavior, but not the social elites that we see on the CW. Imagine snubbing Lindsey Lohan? She's just go cry to Oprah or Barbara or someone, making you look like the monster who didn't care for a poor, confused girl (even when that girl is what, almost thirty).

It is hard for me to imagine what this book must have been like when released. Now, I'm annoyed by the ending, since it would be unnecessary today, and I'm annoyed by the stress on how innocent and delicate Daisy is, like a flower in her white dresses and smiling face. Henry James had to demonstrate that those who turned against Daisy were in the wrong, despite her manners and behavior, and he did it by making her more sappily innocent that Frances Hodgson Burnett's women, which I really hadn't thought possible.

I cannot criticize him for it; it's an excellent little book. I am simply struggling to imagine it. He seemed to be beating the reader about the head with his point (I got it, James, the first four times you said it); in a novella, that's pretty hard to take. It would not have been received so easily by his contemporaries. The new American woman (or "girl" as he kept calling her, and I kept getting ick-ed out by these men who were so interested in someone who sounded like a little girl) must have been a shock to that society. The Buccaneers, which is also about the new generation of American women, with their money and expected freedoms, and set at the same time as Daisy Miller wasn't published for another sixty years.

Does this mean I have to think better of Paris Hilton? Do I have to think of her as pushing the boundaries for future generations of American women and I just don't appreciate the change she's bringing to our society? I guess I never cared about her before. I think of advances for women being in the areas in the workplace and freedom of movement and over our own bodies, education. I didn't think stick-figures carrying dogs and forgetting their underwear were really doing anything for women's liberation. I'm not sure that I do now either but it is a question worth asking, and I appreciate James for doing it. I wonder what the suffragettes thought Miss Daisy Miller?(less)

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Sep 21, 2011

Henry Avila rated it

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Daisy Miller,(real name Annie)is making the Grand Tour of Europe.With her timid mother and rambunctious, nine year old brother ,Randolph.The American teenager,is from a rich Schenectady,New York family, the father remained in America, taking care of business.She's a great flirt, which the Victorian Era Europeans, are shocked!Going on walks with men ,unchaperoned!They say, she's gone too far.At a Swiss hotel,by Lake Geneva,Frederick Winterbourne,an idle expatiate,of well to do Americans,meets ...more

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Aug 13, 2007

Yulia rated it

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a flimsy glance of an unintriguing character. i couldn't feel sorry for her; she seemed too frivolous to pity. and the double standard at the end is rather heavy-handed.

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Jan 21, 2008

Fred rated it

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This little story catalyzed a lot of late 19th century debate about American values and European values and--particularly--the confident, un-blushing American girl who is not inclined to conform to the snobbish tastes and attitudes of the upper class people she meets as her family becomes wealthy.

"Daisy Miller" became a debatable type of American girl, Daisy Millerism a controversial kind of topic.

Contemporary readers should give some thought to how Daisy's majo...moreThis little story catalyzed a lot of late 19th century debate about American values and European values and--particularly--the confident, un-blushing American girl who is not inclined to conform to the snobbish tastes and attitudes of the upper class people she meets as her family becomes wealthy.

"Daisy Miller" became a debatable type of American girl, Daisy Millerism a controversial kind of topic.

Contemporary readers should give some thought to how Daisy's major sin against expatriate society is that she spends time with and values the company of local people. Compare Winterbourne abroad, spending time only with people of means and breeding, to Daisy, who chooses to spend a lot of her time with Mr. Giovanelli, who is not--as Winterbourne's friends say--a treasure hunter but really a respectable and clever Italian man of modest means. (Daisy does not choose to spend to with scoundrels and criminals and men of low character, though Winterbourne's set sees her that way.) And then think about how middle class American kids backpacking around Europe and staying in hostels are Daisy's descendants, mixing and mingling with the local people because that's who interests them. And think of how in some ways contemporary horror movies about American kids running into trouble Europe--the Hostel films, for example--echo Daisy's troubles. The kids are too bold, brash, and confident, interested in local culture but on their own terms, and they run into trouble because of it.

Of course, James doesn't run blame in one direction in "DM"; Daisy's overconfidence and naivete are not the only factors contributing to her fate. Winterbourne and his people antagonize and irritate Daisy so much that she disregards even their good advice (about, say, staying out of the Colosseum). And Winterbourne never gets around to admitting to himself that he likes Daisy very much more than he likes the upper class women who scare him with their threats of social ostracism. He never notices how Daisy's interest in culture is tied not to snobbish intellectual achievement but to understanding how people relate to and care about things. E.g., Rome comes alive for her when Giovanelli explains it, and the Chateau de Chillon is interesting only when Winterbourne--rather than the dry, dull tour guide--is explaining it. (For his part, Winterbourne is constantly hoping that Daisy's lapses from social propriety mean that she will yield up her person to him in some naughty way, and he even makes arrangements for that sort of thing at Chillon. Contrast to Giovanelli.)

So it's a godo story, and it's short, and it deals with James's great Americans-scandalizing-Europe theme, so if you think you'd like to try out some Henry James, it's a great place to start.(less)

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Jan 17, 2009

Lavinia rated it

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Shelves: 2009, fiction

I really don't get why Americans consider Daisy Miller as an offense to them. She's so innocent, free-spirited, bold and eager to know the local people. Because Giovanelli is anything but below her 'status' and it's quite obvious he's not after her money. The real offense would be Winterbourne; He's American but he's so much European by now, he's too mannered, he looks for the most sophisticated circles a.s.o. So in the end he's the loser in this Jamesian eternal battle: Europe VS America.

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Aug 29, 2008

Dawn Michelle rated it

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Recommended to Dawn Michelle by: Read about it in "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azir Nafisi

This was a weird little book. I don't know what else to say about it.
This book is about Daisy Miller, a young girl from America who is exploring Europe with her mother (who seems painfully shy) and her completely out-of-control brother.
Daisy is a sweet girl, with "grand" idea's and is unconcerned with convention and gossip. She does things frequently that are very inappropriate without seeming to care.
She meets a young man (Winterbourne) who she seems to bewitch from ...more

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Jan 22, 2012

Artemisia rated it

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Quello che ho pensato leggendo Daisy Miller è stato: oh, ma Daisy sembra davvero uno dei personaggi secondari di Jane Austen. Uno di quei personaggi che l'eroina di turno deve sempre impegnarsi a salvare, una ragazzina troppo sconsiderata, immatura, impulsiva, indecorosa, per sopravvivere nell'Europa décadent. In una parola, troppo americana. <br />Sia chiaro, non che Daisy non sia affascinante. Ha tutto lo charme di una donna intelligente, è bella di una grazia luminosa, e ha cura del proprio f...moreQuello che ho pensato leggendo Daisy Miller è stato: oh, ma Daisy sembra davvero uno dei personaggi secondari di Jane Austen. Uno di quei personaggi che l'eroina di turno deve sempre impegnarsi a salvare, una ragazzina troppo sconsiderata, immatura, impulsiva, indecorosa, per sopravvivere nell'Europa décadent. In una parola, troppo americana. <br />Sia chiaro, non che Daisy non sia affascinante. Ha tutto lo charme di una donna intelligente, è bella di una grazia luminosa, e ha cura del proprio fratello ma - purtroppo - non di se stessa. Come Isabel Archer, altra eroina di James, la ragazza si avvia verso la propria distruzione sia fisica che morale senza rallentare la corsa. Daisy è intelligente ma immatura, non ha coscienza, è una creatura che sceglie di rinnovare la propria libertà nel posto e nel momento sbagliato. Qui - come dirà la zia del protagonista - la cattiveria di Daisy sta nella sua volgarità, e l'indecenza nella sua sconsideratezza. Nel suo concedersi ad accompagnatori troppo intimi e di dubbio gusto, da Eugenio a Mr. Giovanelli, l'italiano effemminato che getta un'ombra di disgusto su tutti gli italiani, con la sua teatralità, i suoi fiori ogni giorno diversi all'occhiello, colpevole di aver accompagnato sulla via verso il baratro Daisy. Non ha agito per fermarla, è stato indolente, questa è la sua colpa, sebbene ci abbia riscattati nel non aver tentato di rovinarla del tutto. "Era la ragazza più innocente che io abbia mai visto" dira a Mr. Winterbourne, il rappresentante della moralità made in una Ginevra calvinista a cui poi farà ritorno, dimentico di Daisy, l'unico uomo degno di esser chiamato tale all'interno di questo racconto: amor cortese, sollecitudine, ma anche la giusta dose di sfrontatezza, il tutto esplificato in dialoghi perfetti.<br />A questo punto potreste chiedervi perchè due stelline dunque, perchè solo due? <br />Forse sono stata troppo critica, e forse ancora la mia lettura è stata troppo veloce. Ma a pelle non sono riuscita ad apprezzare questa eroina così sconsiderata, la cui fine è troppo simile a quella di Marguerite Gautier, la signora delle camelie, non tanto nel comune, fatale destino di malattia quanto nella redenzione finale, nel forzare tutto su questa innocenza , questa verità incomunicabile, sempre, sempre preservata, sempre mantenuta intatta anche durante (e nonostante) la rovina.(less)

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Jan 04, 2010

Karen Powell added it · review of another edition

Daisy Miller is the story of a naive young woman and the head-over-heels man who chases her. Daisy is an interesting character who seems to be way before her time. In her society, her vivaciousness, recklessness and trust in strangers earns her the scorn of the well-to-do. In today's world, Daisy would be a youtube star and have her own reality dating show. Yet unlike today's 15 minutes of fame seekers, Daisy has an innocence about her that leads her to be unable to comprehend why her behavior s...moreDaisy Miller is the story of a naive young woman and the head-over-heels man who chases her. Daisy is an interesting character who seems to be way before her time. In her society, her vivaciousness, recklessness and trust in strangers earns her the scorn of the well-to-do. In today's world, Daisy would be a youtube star and have her own reality dating show. Yet unlike today's 15 minutes of fame seekers, Daisy has an innocence about her that leads her to be unable to comprehend why her behavior should bother anybody. The novella strongly suggests that she is the result of bad breeding, through the character of a dotty, unconcerned and helpless mother and an absent father.[return]The novella's hero, Winterbourne, comes off like the disillusioned lover who suffers under the whims of Daisy. However, it is interesting to note that the beginning and end of the novel finds him rumored to have women on the side. Even Daisy deduces in Vevey that he has another women. Whether Henry James recognized this double standard is difficult to say. Winterbourne's aunt does lament that men can walk about the streets alone but women cannot, yet she does not question this doctrine. It seems the author frowns upon Daisy's behavior, judging by the fate he prescribed for her, having her die while realizing her folly. Yet Winterbourne has no growth at the end; he is back to where he started, adrift in Geneva. [return][return]I think Daisy's ultimate folly is her lack of cleverness. She is too open to hide what she thinks and feels, which works against her. Others try desperately to warn her, but she sees no sense in denying herself fun and pleasure. It is interesting that while she doesn't "get" society, she still hurts from realizing that she has been completely cut off from it. A clever girl would have been discrete, but Daisy is too open for that. It is clear after being introduced to her family that she was not raised with any sense of propriety and education. Thus, it is hard to completely condemn her, when her earnestness keeps her chaming, and away from being a succubus.[return][return]Winterbourne comes off as immature as Daisy, yet he escapes unscathed, perhaps because he gets reeled back into society when he casts off his obsessive love. The character is not as fleshed out as, say Age of Innocence's Archer, but goes through the same repressed emotions. Like Archer, Winterbourne has a taboo love for one unacceptable to society, and gives her up to remain a respected part of that society. But unlike Archer, Winterbourne is flat and only seems to come alive when around the Millers in Vevey. In Rome, he becomes an obsessed, jealous version of his Vevey self, but still Daisy's defender until his run-in with her at the Coliseum. After Daisy's death, he becomes flat again. Condemn Daisy as her society or author might, she has this power to bring Winterbourne (whom she rightfully called "dull") alive.[return][return]What to make of her recklessness, then? Having her succumb to the fever after realizing Winterbourne is no longer her admirer seems awfully dramatic and soap opera-ish. It seems to say that once you are fully cut off from society, you might as well die. This suggests that Daisy's independence was only sustainable if there were admirers around her. Perhaps, like a flower, she thrived on love and positive emotions. These things taken away, she finally shriveled up and died.(less)

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Feb 04, 2012

Victoria Olsen rated it

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It's hard to call anything by Henry James a quick and easy read, but this story may come closest. It's beautifully contained and concise: the aptly name Winterbourne meets a charming American girl in Rome, flirts with her, condemns her careless behavior, and regrets it after her death. That's it. We're always in Winterbourne's head and perspective so we're never quite sure of Daisy ourselves, not even at the end when Winterbourne decides that all along she was too innocent to understand the whis...more

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Feb 03, 2012

Derek rated it

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Daisy Miller was my first foray into Henry James and, contrary to all of the sorta-negative things I'd heard, I found it surprisingly readable and enjoyable. It's not the type of book I'd recommend to anyone, nor is it one that I could see myself revisiting any time soon, but there were enough pleasures sprinkled throughout this extremely brief narrative to keep me interested.

Admittedly, I'm not the ideal reader: I don't tend to care to read about the indolent wealthy (an infatuation...moreDaisy Miller was my first foray into Henry James and, contrary to all of the sorta-negative things I'd heard, I found it surprisingly readable and enjoyable. It's not the type of book I'd recommend to anyone, nor is it one that I could see myself revisiting any time soon, but there were enough pleasures sprinkled throughout this extremely brief narrative to keep me interested.

Admittedly, I'm not the ideal reader: I don't tend to care to read about the indolent wealthy (an infatuation with The Great Gatsby notwithstanding), and overlong sentences can only hold their charm for me for so long (a love of DeLillo's Underworld nevertheless), and the Americans abroad storyline I find a little tiresome (even if Tender is the Night is something in the neighborhood of a masterpiece). But James brings these things together in a way that was irresistible, primarily because Daisy herself is such an electric, enticing character whose next move is impossible to predict. James characterizes her relationship with Winterbourne beautifully, and it is a testament to the book's staying power that anyone who has been to a party where you tried to attract the attentions of a much-cooler-than-you member of the opposite sex can relate to James' narrative.

James' sentences here are beautiful too, and wonderfully readable (I was worried about this after reading his obnoxious, opaque, comma-laden preface). The brevity with which James dispenses with this narrative was, I'd argue, a weakness of the book. I was hoping for a little more here, and the ending was far too tidy for my tastes. Much of this could very well come from my lack of familiarity with novellas, but I was left wanting more regardless. Winterbourne, as an example, is not nearly as rich a character as Daisy Miller, and given that we're seeing this world through his eyes, a greater sense of his interiority could only improve this otherwise competent effort. While not at the top of my list, I certainly look forward to exploring some of James' longer and (from what I hear) more challenging works.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012

Someoneyouknow rated it

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During the previous college term I’ve discovered some literary gems (a huge thanks to my Lit teacher!) and this novella is one of them. The true driving force of this story is the psychological ambiguity/ambivalence, so I’ll focus on the characters rather than the plot in my review.
At the beginning I found Winterbourne to be a rather interesting protagonist, the feelings he had for Daisy, his jealousy and failed attempts to understand her added spice and romance to story, made it even more...moreDuring the previous college term I’ve discovered some literary gems (a huge thanks to my Lit teacher!) and this novella is one of them. The true driving force of this story is the psychological ambiguity/ambivalence, so I’ll focus on the characters rather than the plot in my review.
At the beginning I found Winterbourne to be a rather interesting protagonist, the feelings he had for Daisy, his jealousy and failed attempts to understand her added spice and romance to story, made it even more enjoyable. Daisy’s brother was very amusing with his childish, vigorous and rogue-ish attitude towards grown-ups/life and Daisy’s mother is certainly not your typical Victorian conservative woman who guards her daughter’s good reputation and dreams about finding a wealthy match for her. Instead, she’s a physically frail woman and her weak health strongly affects her attitude towards children and other people : her illnesses make her emotionally exhausted, shy and somewhat self-centered and thus she isn’t strict with her children and lets them have their own way. It’s obvious that these characters are genuinely interesting, three-dimensional and make up some of the components that resulted in this marvelous story, but for me it was Daisy Miller who stole the show in this novella.
One of the roots of my fascination with Daisy stems from my utter adoration of Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone With the Wind” (I know, how wrong of me!) and certain similarities between the two. Since I’ll probably never get around to writing a “Gone With the Wind” review, I might as well compare the two of them here.
One of the reasons why both Scarlett and Daisy appeal to me so much is because they are both rebels, they reject social conventions of their time period and make a decision to do what they want to even if it scandalizes their society. They’re both feisty, stubborn and outrageous in their own way : Scarlett by running her own business in such an unthinkable time period and Daisy for carefree attitude towards men and class distinctions. I feel that S. & D. both have a strong modern feel, they belong more in the late 20th/21st century, judging by their lifestyles and opinions. But the fact that they lived in the 19th century makes their characters shine brightly and stand out.
Other things that Scarlett and Daisy have in common are that they’re both confident, at ease in the company of men and aware of their attractiveness. While Scarlett tries to manipulate and use men for her purposes, Daisy seems to truly enjoys male company and attention because they are less judgemental than women and more fun to be with. They’re also both undereducated, have little interest in culture/art, but their naivete/simple-mindedness is part of their charm.
Admittedly, Daisy is much less hypocritical than Scarlett was, especially at the beginning of the novel. Unlike the latter, Daisy doesn’t feel the need to lie and act like someone else to get what she wants. In my opinion, the way she always speaks her mind is endearing and brave, it adds an exotic flavor to her physical beauty and enhances her magnetic attractiveness in Winterbourne’s eyes. Here she is, an orchid among field flowers, blossoming to the fullest in the cold winter of her society’s rigorous restrictions.
Both Scarlett and Daisy are very psychologically complex characters, but in a different way. One crucial difference between “Gone with the Wind” and “Daisy Miller” is that we’re explicitly informed by the author about Scarlett’s motivation, the change of her character is followed very closely and by the end we really feel like we know her well unlike in the novella where the author does a great job to confuse the reader as to Daisy’s real feelings. What I particularly like is how every scene brings out something new in Daisy’s character, sometimes a trait or a mannerism that seems contradictory with her previous behavior. She’s outspoken and relaxed in the beginning and seems to perceive Winterbourne only as a friend, yet in the castle we clearly see that she has strong feelings towards W. which she tries to mask with mocking sarcasm. One starts to wonder : how honest is she? Other questions arise : Is or isn’t Giovanni a distraction for Daisy, a way to forget about Winterbourne, or even a ruse to make W. jealous? Is she really unaware of her ostracism in the society? Can her escapade to the ruins of Coliseum be a not-quite-conscious expression of her death drive due to the aforementioned ostracism and loss of hope to win Winterbourne’s love?
In the end, I think H. James really succeeded in creating a character of a woman-enigma with wonderful psychological complexity, an ambiguous yet charming social butterfly with a good heart.

Just one thing I feel I should add : having read a couple of reviews of this book on GR, I have to say, I think it’s a mistake to try and judge Daisy by modern standards and compare her to Paris Hilton and her likes. She acts the way she does because it feels natural to her and not because she’s some attention-monger who dreams of being in the spotlight because of her “scandalous” behaviour.

And to end this review, I’ll add : I had a great time reading this book and I’m glad that this particular œuvre was my introduction to Henry James’ works.
(less)

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Sep 28, 2011

Baley Petersen rated it

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Shelves: clssic, drama, fiction, romance

>>Original Post: http://thereadersbookblog.blogspot.com/2...

Ahhh, Henry James, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... I couldn't possibly name all the things I love about James' works. Each has its own place in my heart for all different reasons. It's so hard to find writing that good anymore. And yet, I had somehow missed Daisy Miller. The young American girl for whom the book is named is one of the most alluded-to characters in fiction. On a bit of a whim I decided to pi...more>>Original Post: http://thereadersbookblog.blogspot.com/2...

Ahhh, Henry James, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... I couldn't possibly name all the things I love about James' works. Each has its own place in my heart for all different reasons. It's so hard to find writing that good anymore. And yet, I had somehow missed Daisy Miller. The young American girl for whom the book is named is one of the most alluded-to characters in fiction. On a bit of a whim I decided to pick up the slim novella that I purchased at a book sale some months back.

Henry James is a master at saying things without saying things, if you know what I mean. In Daisy Miller, James tells the short story of a young American woman who makes the acquaintance of a fellow American traveler, while in Vevey, Switzerland. The gentleman is Winterbourne who is introduced to Daisy by her young brother, Randolph. Winterbourne seems to be immediately taken with the beautiful young lady, despite his aunt. Winterbourne's aunt is one of a staple type of character in these old social commentary stories; Old, stolid, and wealthy, believing that the caste system is alive and well and ought to remain so. Winterbourne's aunt calls Daisy and her family every impoverished name in the book, thereby discouraging Winterbourne from making any advancements. And if that were the entire story, it would be a dull and predictable one without any real moral ending. However, we learn that it's not just dear old Aunty who is influencing Winterbourne, but Daisy herself. The innocent American girl turns out to be quite a flirt, balking at all the societally accepted norms regarding courtships. Daisy's brash dating habits and overt flirtatiousness give Winterbourne pause. And now I have to tell you ***SPOILER*** that Henry James rarely ends a short story with "...and they all lived happily ever after" and this one is no different. Ultimately, Daisy stays out one evening while in Rome with a charming Roman man, who makes Winterbourne a tad bit jealous. Daisy falls ill and dies before Winterbourne can make his move. She dies unmarried, and he never gets to tell her how much he loves her. Lose-lose.

This novella is fully titled Daisy Miller: A Study which is an appropriate title, no matter how you look at it. It is a study of the outgoing nature of innocent American Daisy Miller who gets herself into all kinds of trouble. She is the epitome of innocence in every description, but Daisy's actions are those of a woman loosing her wiles on every man in the vicinity. She makes for a perfect study of the American girl, caught between the stuffy, wealth-centric European society and the poor, working class American culture. I imagine my favorite ol' college English professor would have asked the obvious question--is Daisy truly innocent?

Daisy Miller may also be a study of romance. Things would have ended so differently if Winterbourne had only been a man of action. He lusted after her, but since it wasn't "proper", he attempted to court her in the traditional way. Courting Daisy seems like a waste of time. She's a fun-time kind of gal who just wants all the attention one can possibly lavish upon her. Winterbourne was either a weak man for listening to his aunt's advice, or he was a smart man who saw a flirt and chose not to engage her. Henry James doesn't give Witnerbourne any tags like "innocent", so it's hard to know what exactly we're supposed to think about him. For my two cents, I wanted him to take Daisy in his arms, tell her to stop behaving foolishly, and make her his wife. That probably says more about me than the book...

Bottom line? I still love love love Henry James. I do not, however, love these characters. I didn't find myself giving a fig about what happened to Daisy, and Winterbourne was such a milquetoast that I couldn't care about his future, either. I could write about all the things Henry James did right, but in light of this singular novel, I will simply say that I enjoyed Daisy Miller, but don't feel compelled to read it again.

Rating: $$(less)

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May 16, 2011

Sophia rated it

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I feel as though I return to Henry James again and again almost despite myself. James is like one of those friends you have who you're shocked to realize you still know and hang out with after ten years. You know, like that girl you looked down on in your freshman hall, but who you now meet every weekend for brunch?* If someone had told me in college, as I labored over "The Awkward Age" that I'd still be chipping away at the James cannon ten years later, I would have laughed in thei...more

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Apr 12, 2011

Vincent added it · review of another edition

A Most Common Flower
Henry James writes of the social mores of the expatriate American community living abroad in Europe in the late nineteenth century. His uses "Daisy Miller: A Study" to examine those social mores by giving the character Daisy Miller a freedom of expression and self not often seen amongst women in society of the day in Europe. He gives the reader a glimpse of how women were expected to behave. Daisy complains, “the young ladies of this country have a dreadful...moreA Most Common Flower
Henry James writes of the social mores of the expatriate American community living abroad in Europe in the late nineteenth century. His uses "Daisy Miller: A Study" to examine those social mores by giving the character Daisy Miller a freedom of expression and self not often seen amongst women in society of the day in Europe. He gives the reader a glimpse of how women were expected to behave. Daisy complains, “the young ladies of this country have a dreadfully poky time of it,” and Winterbourne lets Daisy know that, “flirting is a purely American custom; it doesn’t exist here” (251). In America I'm sure Daisy would have by some degree been view in almost the same way for her immodesty and lack of self censorship. Daisy's family fortune is that of new money which can explain her unsophisticated airs. Daisy Miller lives her life with capricious abandon regardless of how it affects others and is viewed by others. I think James does a great job of using Daisy as a study. I'm still uncertain how I feel about Daisy. Is she just a wealthy young woman in the prime of her life with independences and a zest for life, wanting to experience all she can in beautiful Europe or is she just an annoying self centered twit that deserves what she got?
When Daisy and Winterbourne meet he is intrigued by her innocents. Was the innocent show for Winterbourne? She speaks of a good teacher in Boston, Mrs. Sander and says, “perhaps you know her” and then she mentions an English lady they met in the cars, Mrs. Featherstone and says, “perhaps you know her” (225). Does Daisy really think that he might know both of these random people? “She told him she was from New York State,” and then proceeds to say, “if you know where that is” (224). Does she think this fellow American doesn’t know of New York State.
Understanding Daisy's erratic behavior is like trying to predict the wind and is difficult for both Winterbourne and Giovanelli to predict. She flirts with Winterbourne and then rebukes him. She flirts with Giovanelli but really has no further intention for him. Winterbourne is perplex in understanding if it is innocent naivety or experienced calculation that Daisy flitters about with. I think Winterbourne is attracted to the uniqueness of Daisy's manner. Obviously she is like no other woman he has met. I have to question if his interest would follow through to a serious relationship and marriage. There is another woman in Winterbourne’s life only alluded to in this story; the older Woman in Geneva. I'm not sure if when it came down to getting serious with Daisy that he would be ready for the change in status. Giovanelli on the other hand, seems to me, ready to do what he would have to get his hands on new American money. It appears that he is not as interested in Daisy as with the easy money she may bring. He has no regard to her reputation or health and has her out late at night, the worse time for Roman fever. He says, “for myself, I am not afraid” (258).
The ending of this sorry is sad. For her expression of freedom and disregard of social mores she puts herself in jeopardy by being out late at night with the threat of Roman fever. Here her innocents and ignorance shows. It is more important for her “to see the Colosseum by Moonlight” than to consider the threat of Roman fever (258). Daisy lives her live to the fullest. She never held herself back and has Winterbourne reevaluating his own views even after her death.
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Mar 26, 2011

Miranda rated it

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Never having read Henry James before, I expected a lot of high-flown language akin to that of Austen and the Brontes (though James was American, he was educated in Europe and remained there for most of his life). Nothing against those latter two authors, but I was pleasantly surprised to find Daisy Miller, a novella from James’s earlier period, both accessibly written and thoroughly engaging. James relies heavily on dialogue to shape his characters, and shows himself a master of realism in this ...more

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Mar 03, 2011

Sara rated it

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Recommends it for: those who like subtlety & have patience to imagine times past

Recommended to Sara by: Azar Nafisi

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Feb 26, 2011

Jarad rated it

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I couldn't get into this book - I found James' writing style to be rather lacking in the art of sentence construction when compared to the last few I read by Edith Wharton. While this is another society piece I found myself disinterested in the fates of the characters. Henry James and Edith Wharton were friends and James almost certainly influenced her writing style though from this short story I would have to say Wharton is the more compelling author.

“Daisy …. continued to present h...more

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Feb 24, 2011

Nancy rated it

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Shelves: coming-of-age, fiction, relationships

I liked James's characters a little better in this one, but am not particularly crazy about the story in general. The clash between the American and European cultures is not as subtlety drawn as in many other of James works.
I'm probably in a huge minority on this one and had read it a long time ago. I was hoping it would have gotten better as I had gotten older, but I did not find it that way. For James, I thought this a rather thin story, although likely scandalous at the time, and th...more

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Jul 01, 2010

Benji rated it

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Shelves: 2010, all-time-favorites, read-in-morocco, favorite-by-this-author, penguin-classics-list, carpe-diem

This is one of those rare opportunities when a hundred-year old book is exactly something that you have lived yourself. I know the places, I know the people, Ive lived the experience of both of the protaganists. The culture clash and the reevaluation, and the falling in love with how queer the other person is (in the archaic form of the word). Dynamite and sparks and you can't take your eyes off the person and you don't know whether to be offended or to eagerly embrace the person even more cl...more

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Jun 30, 2010

B__cherry rated it

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Another one bites the dust. Daisy Miller tells the story of the various encounters between Winterbourne, a classy american young man studying in Europe and the eponymous american girl who is...non-conventional to say the least. It's not the easiest of reads because the descriptions sometimes seem long-winded and almost pointless - how many times do you have to tell me that Daisy is the prettiest pretty that ever prettied? Also, I fail to see the charm in her, when, throughout the book, she just ...moreAnother one bites the dust. Daisy Miller tells the story of the various encounters between Winterbourne, a classy american young man studying in Europe and the eponymous american girl who is...non-conventional to say the least. It's not the easiest of reads because the descriptions sometimes seem long-winded and almost pointless - how many times do you have to tell me that Daisy is the prettiest pretty that ever prettied? Also, I fail to see the charm in her, when, throughout the book, she just seems like an immature, volatile and hedonistic young lady. Sure, she's pretty, but every time someone characterized her as "innocent", I couldn't help by chuckle, because it seemed clear to me that her every word was calculated to provoke longing in the gentleman that surrounded her. Essentially, what I'm saying is...Daisy Miller is a cock-tease.
Note this, however: even though I didn't like her, and even though I think the only reason Winterbourne kept going to her despite being shut down every time was because he thought he could tame her and transform her into the perfect girl he imagined...I liked this. I liked the story, and I liked that the characters actually brought out a reaction in me, which speaks of James' style of writing, I think. Plus, much like Winterbourne, I was indeed intrigued by her real motives and how it would unfold in the end. If you like period pieces, then this is a good one to consider.

Excerpt:

Por um instante fez uma nova pausa; olhava para Winterbourne com toda a beleza dos seus olhos francos e alegres, o seu claro, se bem que um tanto uniforme, sorriso.

- Sempre tive muita vida social com cavalheiros - afirmou.

O pobre Winterbourne estava divertido e perplexo - acima de tudo estava encantado. Nunca ouvira uma única rapariga exprimir-se daquela maneira; ou, pelo menos, nunca senão nos casos em que dizer tais coisas correspondia a ter, ao mesmo tempo, uma assaz complicada consciência delas. E no entanto deveria ele acusar Miss Daisy Miller de um real ou potencial arrière-pensée, como se dizia em Genebra? Sentinu que tinha vivido durante tanto tempo em Genebra que acabara por ficar moralmente confuso; tinha perdido o sentido correcto do jovem tom americano. (less)

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Mar 11, 2010

Lizzie Ausland added it · review of another edition

This book is nothing like I expected when I had first started reading it. I really did not like the book as I began. I thought Daisy was stupid, for lack of a better word, and too selfish to realize that her actions were very disrespectful at that time period. Personally, I do not like people like that. What I could not understand is what kept drawing Winterbourne to her; what drove him to continue trying? I could see that Daisy was very easy going and easy to talk to, but being a man of his "...more

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Mar 11, 2010

Marco Ortiz rated it

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Shelves: independent-reading

contrary to the title, the main character in this book is a man name winterborune. while in Switzerland he meets a young boy named randolph, who introduces winterbourne to his sister daisy miller. winterbourne falls in "love" with daisy and her flirtatious manner, which he uses around men. daisy loves to be around men, but even more so around american men. winterbourne goes to rome because his aunt lives there, and he also knows that daisy will be there. but instead of spending time wi...more

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Mar 11, 2010

Joe Cicero is currently reading it · review of another edition

This book id say was very interesting. A girl Daisy Miller is a rich woman from New York. She acts as a tease around men. Daisy goes to Europe with her mother and brother. He brother is very very rude and inconsiderate. He is very impolite. So they travel through Europe and she meets Winterbourne. Winterbourne then becomes very emotionally attracted to Daisy. He studies Daisy in a way that interests him. Winterbourne then moves to Rome so he can wait for Daisy and her family to arrive...more

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Feb 13, 2010

Lauren Addeo rated it

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From the start of this novella, I was very fond of Daisy Miller. She gave off the air of a strong-willed, confident woman unafraid of the harsh criticisms of others. She felt free enough to go out on excursions with the men she developed a strong liking for, even when others advised her against having such public affairs. She was witty and charming, and had a wonderful way of getting a man to do what she wished. It's not ofetn that in 19th century fiction, a woman is protrayed with such vivacity...more

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Dec 13, 2009

Glenn Hinkley rated it

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Shelves: independent-reading

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Nov 16, 2009

jess rated it

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Recommended to jess by: olympia public library

Shelves: 2009, audiobook-d, fiction

Okay I picked this up because, with only three discs, it was the shortest audiobook I could find at the library and I wanted something brief for a shortened week of commuting. I had never read Daisy Miller, not heard much about it, and I hardly feel much like discussing it now that it's over. It bored the crap out of the kid, which goes to show that none of us have any appreciation for classic literature these days. Reading this felt a lot like being back in high school english class. The langua...moreOkay I picked this up because, with only three discs, it was the shortest audiobook I could find at the library and I wanted something brief for a shortened week of commuting. I had never read Daisy Miller, not heard much about it, and I hardly feel much like discussing it now that it's over. It bored the crap out of the kid, which goes to show that none of us have any appreciation for classic literature these days. Reading this felt a lot like being back in high school english class. The language is simple, so the book is really accessible. This was perfect for an audiobook on my commute. It's easy to get lost in fancy sentence structure when you're dodging semi-trucks on a major interstate in the rain. Daisy Miller is an American tourist, traveling around Europe with her mother and young brother. She is acquainted with several Americans also living in Europe, but her flirtatious manner toward men is totally unbecoming to her social station and reveals her as a terribly uninformed, ignorant American flirt. She is young and having a good time and behaves irreverently toward the more conservative social conventions. The major plot conflicts arise from tension between new money and old, Europe and America, & women and men. Daisy Miller is something of a spitfire in a totally tedious and ignorant sort of way, defying convention, refusing to cowtow to elitism and perception, and rejecting the idea that she should "behave" in a "ladylike manner," so maybe we could like her for her resilient and resistant spirit, like a zygotic feminist. I mean, usually I do side with that kind of girl. But Daisy Miller is simpering, manipulative and she whines so much, it was absolutely impossible for me to feel sympathy for her or her bad social graces or her untimely death. She was so very unlikable, as were all of the characters, and at the end of the book I wasn't left with any sort of grand allegorical insght. I was just thinking, "GOD I would kill myself if I had to interact with people like that."
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Sep 23, 2009

Chip rated it

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I found the introduction to the novel very informative, and the footnotes quite good. Overall, this is a Victorian novel, and was blessedly short; I struggle with the stilted constructions and word choices common to these novels, which makes it difficult for me to see them through to the end. I will say that I was surprised at the almost naked sexual innuendo throughout the novel... it was as if Henry James were writing what passed for pornography in those highly repressed times. Such innuend...moreI found the introduction to the novel very informative, and the footnotes quite good. Overall, this is a Victorian novel, and was blessedly short; I struggle with the stilted constructions and word choices common to these novels, which makes it difficult for me to see them through to the end. I will say that I was surprised at the almost naked sexual innuendo throughout the novel... it was as if Henry James were writing what passed for pornography in those highly repressed times. Such innuendo would explain the novel's popularity at the time.

The introduction stresses the main theme of the novel, "new world" innocence contrasted with "old world" corruption - but I didn't see that. What I read was an almost autobiographical description of an encounter between James and an audacious young American girl in Europe, short-lived, ending when the two travelers went their separate ways. Shortly thereafter I think he heard, through the gossip grapevine, that she had died, and his passing impressions of her were thus galvanized in his mind. I believe he wrote "Daisy Miller" as much to rid himself of those impressions as to tell her story. That's why the first version of this novel is considered the best: it was closest to the memory of that meeting.

That others read all kinds of symbolism into the story is all well and good, but this is nothing that complicated. It is more like a fable: boy finds rare beautiful flower and tries to protect it from the forces that would kill it (polite society, in this case). Another boy covets the flower and would have it to himself - a kind of mutual admiration/rivalry ensues, a truce formed around protecting the flower. But like with most rare and beautiful things, the frost comes early and the flower is gone, leaving the narrator with only the memory of the beauty. Moral of fable: beauty is transient and must be enjoyed in the moment, for it only exists in the moment. End of fable.

I found myself asking if I could conjure up a modern equivalent of Daisy Miller today, and immediately thought of pop-tarts Brittany Spears and Lindsay Lohan... maybe Paris Hilton... and wondered if this story could be recast and modernized using one of them. Would it still be about "innocence" versus "corruption"? Not even close. It would be an interesting exercise nonetheless. (less)

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Aug 16, 2009

Anoud rated it

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Shelves: fiction

As everyone looked down on her, she remained the same outspoken, honest and innocent girl till the last day in her life. She neither did something wrong nor did she harm anybody. However, her major sin was her extreme "spontaneity". In his Daisy Miller, Henry James presents a beautiful novella about an American young girl called Daisy.

The novella has a really simple plot. Nonetheless, the whole brilliance revolves around the main character, Daisy, and the way James contras...more

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Jul 21, 2009

Lee Razer rated it

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A 19th century tale of an innocent, brash young American girl ("very pretty" we are frequently told) in Europe who is seemingly oblivious to the strict standards of behavior that society circles expect, acting as she pleases with whom she pleases, fascinating and confusing her admirer/critic Winterbourne, and scandalizing others of her strata.

The story is more humorous than I had expected, knowing its theme and tragic end before beforehand, and I quite enjoyed it. Seeing th...more

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May 03, 2009

unnarrator rated it

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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Brujo, who's taught this novel, said, "...and Winterbourne, like the reader, doesn't know what to make of her." Whereupon I exploded:

Winterbourne doesn't know what to make of her? JAMES doesn't know what to make of her! The TEXT doesn't know what to DO with her! Winterbourne's obsessive attempt to understand merely parallels James's attempt to cope with his own refractory creation. And exactly when you've decided, okay, Daisy Miller is just an idiot—then she up and does...moreThe Brujo, who's taught this novel, said, "...and Winterbourne, like the reader, doesn't know what to make of her." Whereupon I exploded:

Winterbourne doesn't know what to make of her? JAMES doesn't know what to make of her! The TEXT doesn't know what to DO with her! Winterbourne's obsessive attempt to understand merely parallels James's attempt to cope with his own refractory creation. And exactly when you've decided, okay, Daisy Miller is just an idiot—then she up and does something startling and original. So you're all: okay then, she's refreshingly unconventional, more misunderstood than Sue Bridehead—and then she'll turn around and pop out with something just gobsmackingly trite and thickheaded.

Personally, I think James was so frustrated after a hundred pages that he realized: I just cannot stand to make a whole novel with this difficult person messing it up. And thus the text is truncated. His dispatch of her* is not, I think, the typical 19th-c. punishment of the misbehaving female character, but just a complete bewildered throwing-up-of-the-hands and running away to hide under the bedclothes, peeping out occasionally to make sure that horrid American girl is really gone.

Finally...James is TEH SARCASM and I snickered nastily aloud many times. It does my heart good to read someone whose inner constantly running social-observation ticker-tape is even less pleasant (and much more acutely and ruthlessly detailed) than mine. Best snide character ever: Mrs. Costello. Worse than Snape. I wanted to marry her.

* And also—holy murder, James, that is some ICY COLD SHIT. It gallops up onto the reader more ruthlessly than the offing of Mrs. Ramsey, even.

PS: I just read about 50 other Goodreads reviews and disagreed with every single one of them. Either they don't get it at all ("this book was boring"), because they seem perhaps to have read some other, entirely different novella than the one that just kept me up until 3 am; or they think they've gotten it, which is even worse ("Daisy Miller is a free-spirited unconventional American breath of fresh air in the tired stale world of class-bound European customs!").

I really don't understand the determination of many readers to make this be about America-vs.-the Old World, especially since the Americans are actually the ones offended by the Schenectady Millers' total lack of taste and breeding—unless this is some kind of just-add-water formula about the way the book is taught in high school and undergrad: James [droning:] is obviously all about how shocking we tacky Americans were to classy Europeans, because look, one of his novels is even CALLED The Europeans, and (bell rings) oh well we're out of time so for the next class start reading Ethan Frome.(less)

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About Henry James

Henry James, OM, son of theologian Henry James Sr., brother of the philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James, was an American-born author, one of the founders and leaders of a school of realism in fiction. He spent much of his life in England and became a British subject shortly before his death. He is primarily known for a series of major novels in which he portrayed the ...more

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Quotes from Daisy Miller

“My father ain't in Europe; my father's in a better place than Europe."

Winterbourne imagined for a moment that this was the manner in which the child had been taught to intimate that Mr. Miller had been removed to the sphere of celestial reward. But Randolph immediately added, "My father's in Schenectady.” — 4 people liked it

“The historic atmosphere was there, certainly; but the historic atmosphere, scientifically considered, was no better than a villainous miasma” — 1 person liked it

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