The Wings of the Dove

Jul 23, 2008 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Soooo you guys, I think missed that day in English Lit 101 when we talked about Henry James, because to me he’s always been one of those authors you merely know OF, and who is important in some vague way but you couldn’t possibly say how, who is not really relevant in our 3G world except for the fact that Merchant Ivory makes mad bank off of this lace-petticoat-and-social-graces kind of thing. But for serious you guys, why did no one never tell me that Henry James is a GENIUS?! I mean, why is th...more Soooo you guys, I think missed that day in English Lit 101 when we talked about Henry James, because to me he’s always been one of those authors you merely know OF, and who is important in some vague way but you couldn’t possibly say how, who is not really relevant in our 3G world except for the fact that Merchant Ivory makes mad bank off of this lace-petticoat-and-social-graces kind of thing. But for serious you guys, why did no one never tell me that Henry James is a GENIUS?! I mean, why is this not more widely discussed? Like how after reading him you can never look at a conversation in the same way because he is absolutely devastating in creating and describing and codifying how a mood can shift from sentence to sentence, how he who actually walks you from glance to glance? Like how the plot of this book, so languid to start, coils you into a tighter and tighter spring up until the very last sentence? Like how he doesn’t so much describe things themselves as describe the light that falls on them, how it's not just what his characters say but what they don't, and how he’s totally bitchin’ at telling you about the silences? I mean, really:

“Her welcome, her frankness, sweetness, sadness, brightness, her disconcerting poetry, as he made shift at moments to call it, helped as it was by the beauty of her whole setting and by the perception at the same time, on the observer’s part, that this element gained from her, in a manner, for effect and harmony, as much as it gave – her whole attitude had, to his imagination, meanings that hung about it, waiting upon her, hovering, dropping and quavering forth again, like vague faint snatches, mere ghosts of sound, of old-fashioned melancholy music.”

This is just one of many, many passages that I wanted to rip out and rub all over my body. It is also one of many, many passages that took me about three readings to understand. This is one of the most difficult books I’ve ever read – I am depleted; I feel like I’ve been lobotomized circa 1906. I can’t even begin to quantify the absolutely brick-like character of this text – though homeboy loves commas and sub-sub-clauses like nobody’s business – but I have also never read a “difficult” book or a “classic” that is so sentence-for-sentence rewarding as this one. I want to write a check to the estate of this man. I can't even ridicule the really pretentious critical edition with douchbaggery essays titled like “Henry James: Art and Thought” because dear god, I give - I GET it. Henry James is a genius.
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Oct 28, 2012 David rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gives new meaning to the expression "adventures in reading." The famous style of the late novels--the monster sentences with multiple subordinate elements that snake their way through paragraphs extending for page after page after page--will try your patience and reward your attentions--and yet frequently frustrate your best attempts at comprehension. I found the experience altogether fascinating, both in its challenges and its rewards--and there were wonderful rewards, passages and situations t...more Gives new meaning to the expression "adventures in reading." The famous style of the late novels--the monster sentences with multiple subordinate elements that snake their way through paragraphs extending for page after page after page--will try your patience and reward your attentions--and yet frequently frustrate your best attempts at comprehension. I found the experience altogether fascinating, both in its challenges and its rewards--and there were wonderful rewards, passages and situations that moved me to tears and to laughter both. The problem of the style remains just that--a problem, and one that reading should not try to make disappear too quickly, whether in the negative mode of curt dismissal (which renders curiosity about the style pointless) or the positive mode of effusive admiration (which renders curiosity needless). (Cf. reviews other readers have posted on Goodreads.)

I found it interesting to observe the ghost of Hawthorne in the way James manages his narrative. As in The Scarlet Letter, the surfaces of conversation and social action are mere occasions that serve to confirm the slow deep movement of motive and feeling that James is at such pains to render in that so frequently maddening prose. There are episodes between Kate Croy and Densher that in many ways recreate those between Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale; and Jane Austen reappears in certain of James' situations and plot devices--the secret engagement between Kate Croy and Merton Densher replays, and in interesting ways revises, the secret engagement of Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax in Austen's Emma. (The impecunious Kate Croy is as emphatically active and morally implicated as the equally impecunious Jane Fairfax is passive and morally blameless.)

I was struck how, like his brother William, Henry James is at bottom a depth psychologist of extraordinary orginality and penetration. Is part of the trouble this book gives us that so much of what it psychologically finds as it investigates the case of Kate Croy, Merton Densher, and Milly Theale does not conform to our assumptions, expectations, and understandings about how characters are supposed to think and feel and act, in novels or in life? At the end, there remain passages that elude me--James' perceptions remain beyond me at many points. Yet the book offers a multitude of satisfactions--it is, after all, a first-rate romantic thriller, full of suspenseful episodes and populated with a cast of fascinating characters whose intrigues are fascinatingly presented and developed. As so often in literature, the greatness of this work resides as much or more in its difficulties and strangenesses as in the sweets--and they are many--it serves up for our taste.(less)

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Mar 26, 2009 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindred-characters

Henry James is infuriating. His evasiveness is infuriating. His endless digressions, clause upon clause, are infuriating. Deciphering the text requires so much concentration, you'll ultimately feel that, rather than experiencing the story, you're floating along above it. He reinforces that impression in often forsaking description for reflective analysis. In effect, even that which isn't "spoken" somehow feels spoken. -- But don't let any of that dissuade you.

This is a work of genius. Henry Jame...more

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Feb 11, 2008 Michele rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People with a lot of time and a dictionary

Shelves: proud-i-slogged-through-it

I swear I will read Henry James before I die. It might take that long for me to finish this book, considering I have to read each sentence at least 3 times.

2/9/08 Just picked it back up from the library. Renewed twice and still only got to page 308.

2/10/08 Could he be any more verbose?

2/11/08 On page 375, and finally something is starting to happen. The man is a master of motive and character study, once you can figure out what he's actually saying.

2/18/08 I'm down with the system, and this bo...more

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Oct 16, 2007 Mary Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bookgroup

Unknown page:
"Did she know?"
"I think you know what she knew."
"I knew something, but not what you knew of what she knew. I still don't know."
"I know."
"So she knew something."
"Yes. We all knew something."

OK. We’ve established that everyone knows. But what do they know? James uses a very oblique writing style. This style seems to say so much without saying anything at all. Very little is crystal clear in this book, to the extent that when Kate actually directs Densher in her plot, the directness of...more

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May 09, 2012 Trina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I sat down yesterday afternoon and finished Wings of the Dove, and ended up admiring it SO much. I didn't so much love it as admire it. I skimmed ahead to the Venice parts which is why I wanted to read it in the first place, and they were lovely, but then I got into the characters again and finished the whole thing. I knew the plot, which isn't complicated, but it was portrayed so much more subtly than I had imagined, with absolutely perfect word choices. There are only two men in the story, and...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Israel Weber rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: the-list

There's nothing pleasant about giving a book, any book, 1 star. If for no other reason, I feel like a lot of time, especially in this case as this isn't a small book, has been wasted.

"Scanned" may be a better shelf to place this book. I'm not a typical scanner, but after 400+ pages, I felt I had earned the right. I didn't know or want to know the characters by that point, nor did I care about the storyline. I simply wanted to finish WOTD and start my next and likely last James novel, The Boston...more

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May 19, 2008 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am in love with Henry James. Every sentence makes you stop, pore, and muse! The book is 500 pages. I wish it were a million....

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Sep 09, 2009 Yulia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Well, I finished it and I didn't even skim one passage, though there were countless sentences that, no matter how many times I read them at whatever angle and no matter how sincere my desire to understand, had absolutely no meaning to them whatsoever. Often this was caused not by subtlety or for suspense, but but because of simple misuse of pronouns. (Who's thinking this of whom? Ah, never mind. I must have an inferior intellect to care for such details.)

Others are merely clotted arteries of met...more Well, I finished it and I didn't even skim one passage, though there were countless sentences that, no matter how many times I read them at whatever angle and no matter how sincere my desire to understand, had absolutely no meaning to them whatsoever. Often this was caused not by subtlety or for suspense, but but because of simple misuse of pronouns. (Who's thinking this of whom? Ah, never mind. I must have an inferior intellect to care for such details.)

Others are merely clotted arteries of metalanguage, suggesting, it was as though, somehow, upon reflection, one could surmise the undeniable but fleeting truth of what she had guessed and know it was how she had been meant to understand it all along.

Other passages, however lofty their intention, remind you that James is writing of an experience he himself has never had but has only considered from every possible theoretical guise. So as not to spoil anything, I won't mention what it is (and who in this book ever mentions anything directly, except at parties where anyone can overhear?), but suffice it to say, much of his ability to keep so much on a pedestal results from his having lived so pinched a life.

The rest of the novel is characterized by constant evasion, unceasing fogs, and unverifiable rumors. If this were a Harlan Coben novel, it would be titled Don't Tell Her. This is most aggravating in Milly's visit to the great doctor, where nothing as tawdry as a medical exam takes place, or in book 8 chapter 1 where Aunt Maud and Susan Stringham discuss Susan's own meeting with the great doctor, with discretion best suited for those in a witness protection program.

And may I ask, if James is such a master at characterization, why must he clobber the reader by introducing characters as representing something larger than themselves (Merton as the embodiment of intellect, Kate of life, and Susan of culture) and then fail to support such claims with the characters' own decisions and behaviors? In fact, how can the greatest literary critics not be bothered by how every James character speaks with the same voice and possesses the same ever-comprehending and analytical mind that considers all nuances of each sentence in mere seconds (over the course of several pages) before coming up with precisely the right thing to say?

Yet, despite the repeated reminders of what is so exceptional about the lead characters, why can I not understand why Merton is so alluring to Kate and Milly or why Kate if she is so beautiful and brilliant, is courted by only two men in London? What did Isabel Archer (of Portrait of a Lady) have that Kate lacked? It's one thing if it were made a point that others were interested but were kept away by Aunt maud, who had decided for Kate that she should only consider Lord Mark. But even if this is the case, Kate has the freedom the roam about the city and meet whomever she likes (as she did Merton), so the Rapunzel theory doesn't quite fit.

I just don't know what to make of this book. It frustrated me so intensely and its supposedly brilliant ending was so out of character--for Merton because he'd do anything for Isabel, for Isabel because she was never the jealous type--yet the shocking last line was also so ploddingly built up to for hundreds of pages that it was hardly a dramatic slap, that all I can feel right now is that the movie was much more satisfying and fixed many of the problems in the book. There, I said it.

P.S. I do respect James for having admitted disappointment in this book and thinking it didn't live up to what he had wanted it to be in terms of characterization and plot, so some credit must be given to him for that.

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I wrote to a friend, "I don't think I'll ever be one of those James fans who think his writing genius and are blind to his impossible evasions and taking ten pages to convey what can be expressed in one, but I do find myself now able to get through the dull passages so I can appreciate the moments when things click together. And there is a mental challenge (worthy or not) in figuring out what the heck he's trying to say. So I enjoy putting up with him--for now. That said, I do need frequent breaks from him and alternate a chapter of his with several from a book with sparse and clean writing. Reading him is akin to going antiquing: you can find very valuable pieces among lots of junk hidden beneath decades of dust. And I may want to bring a piece home, but I'm not inspired to cramp my home with these purchases or stop dusting so as to romanticize my apartment. How's that for praise?"
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May 30, 2009 Rebecca rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, faves

An utter fave novel and heroine. Love and betrayal with HJ motifs of victimised innocence and triumph without attainment. Gotta love the sex 'n' death symbiosis.

*likes 'em melodramatic*

HJ's liberality with commas does make the writing feel a bit like hyperventilation. But what's more romantic than being in love with a memory. ;)

*applauds etherealised gal's revenge*

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Mar 17, 2009 Kendall rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I could not finish this book - I wanted to finish it so badly but I found myself dreading reading it on the train. I figured my commute is rough enough, why make it miserable? I wanted to like Henry James so badly, but I guess he is not for me. Basically I needed a translator in order to understand any of the sentences despite the fact that they are written in English!!! Oh my goodness, reading a sentence over and over again still did not get me anywhere. The plot is great, but really I wish I c...more

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May 13, 2013 Leon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Confronting a Bronzino portrait in an English country house, a young American heiress comes face to face with her own predicament. For Milly Theale, who seems to have the world before her and at her feet, is fatally ill. Eager for life, eager for love, she embarks on her European adventure, warming to the admiration of her new friends Kate Croy and Merton Densher. But Merton and Kate are secretly engaged, and come to see in this angel with a thumping bank account as a solution to their own prob

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Confronting a Bronzino portrait in an English country house, a young American heiress comes face to face with her own predicament. For Milly Theale, who seems to have the world before her and at her feet, is fatally ill. Eager for life, eager for love, she embarks on her European adventure, warming to the admiration of her new friends Kate Croy and Merton Densher. But Merton and Kate are secretly engaged, and come to see in this angel with a thumping bank account as a solution to their own problems. For the remarkable Kate, scheming, passionate, poetic, also wants to live...

This edition of James's poignant and dramatic novel is based on the revised New York Edition. The cover pictures the Bronzino portrait which is the focus of the key scene in the book.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Amazon.com Review

The Wings of the Dove is a classic example of Henry James's morality tales that play off the naiveté of an American protagonist abroad. In early-20th-century London, Kate Croy and Merton Densher are engaged in a passionate, clandestine love affair. Croy is desperately in love with Densher, who has all the qualities of a potentially excellent husband: he's handsome, witty, and idealistic--the one thing he lacks is money, which ultimately renders him unsuitable as a mate. By chance, Croy befriends a young American heiress, Milly Theale. When Croy discovers that Theale suffers from a mysterious and fatal malady, she hatches a plan that can give all three characters something that they want--at a price. Croy and Densher plan to accompany the young woman to Venice where Densher, according to Croy's design, will seduce the ailing heiress. The two hope that Theale will find love and happiness in her last days and--when she dies--will leave her fortune to Densher, so that he and Croy can live happily ever after. The scheme that at first develops as planned begins to founder when Theale discovers the pair's true motives shortly before her death. Densher struggles with unanticipated feelings of love for his new paramour, and his guilt may obstruct his ability to avail himself of Theale's gift. James deftly navigates the complexities and irony of such moral treachery in this stirring novel.

Review

'Prunella Scales's cultivated tones are well matched to the cadences of Jamesian language. In some of his scenes of satrirical observation her delivery of dialogue cleverly highlights a gentle but piercing wit.' Herald 19/3/98 ''Listeners are likely to be drawn into the novel and rewarded for having chosen the aural route as opposed to the more arduous, printed path. James's dense style is leavened when read aloud. This makes the descriptive passages more evocative and the dialogue more active and convincing.' Observer 8/2/98

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May 01, 2013 Esdaile rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-50-favourite-novels, my-1-00-on-a-desert-island, my-library, i-more-or-less-could-retell-the-plo

This book is extremely demanding. It takes no prisoners so far as investment of time and energy is concerned. The plot is simple, its presentation convoluted and at first seems attenuated by its minimalisation. Minimilasation of what? Of pandering to the reader's need for action, for immediate comprehensibility. Just as the protagonists need time to understand one another, especially since all the charcaters tend to stop in mid sentence, hesitate, break off, hint instead of being overt, pause an...more This book is extremely demanding. It takes no prisoners so far as investment of time and energy is concerned. The plot is simple, its presentation convoluted and at first seems attenuated by its minimalisation. Minimilasation of what? Of pandering to the reader's need for action, for immediate comprehensibility. Just as the protagonists need time to understand one another, especially since all the charcaters tend to stop in mid sentence, hesitate, break off, hint instead of being overt, pause and imply so the reader needs time and patience too to grasp the implications of what is said. Clearly, this novel will displease many people for this reason. This book works, if one will allow it, as an encomium for the civilized understatement, more being in what is left unsaid than in what is actually said. Much is so understated that for a modern reader it may be that one overlooks some information entirely. This novel requires sober and concentrated reading, which our age hardly allows many of us. Nevertheless, I found this novel more rewarding than the chatter and crudities of most social occasions, which I sometimes compelled to attend and try to avoid as much as I may. The selfishness and singlemindedness of the characters and their interraction si one of discretion and courtesy, but there is much at stake. The book retains its mysteries. I am not entirely clear about the outcome and I am not sure if the readre can be and what exactly is the shame which pursues Kate Croy's father?
The novel is undoubtedly one of the most astonishing accomplishments of nineteenth century English language literature. Can anyone recommend a book of critical essays on this novel? I feel that I have only scratched its surface.
It is delightful to be among the characters of this book and forget for some hours what seems to be an inexpoorable rising tide of mediocroity and tastelessness in what unfrotunately poses with some success as the "real world", with which this novel is stylistically if not morally, quite incompatible.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 David rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Wings of the Dove Henry James (1902) #26

June 8, 2007

This has to be the worst book that I have ever read. Well, maybe not ever, but definitely the worst one yet on this list (and there have been some that have sucked mightily). How this book made the list, I have no idea, but it has rattled my already shaky faith in the validity of this list. I suspect that it has something to do with one Mr. Gore Vidal, who, judging from the little blurb on the back of the dust jacket of the copy that I hav...more The Wings of the Dove Henry James (1902) #26

June 8, 2007

This has to be the worst book that I have ever read. Well, maybe not ever, but definitely the worst one yet on this list (and there have been some that have sucked mightily). How this book made the list, I have no idea, but it has rattled my already shaky faith in the validity of this list. I suspect that it has something to do with one Mr. Gore Vidal, who, judging from the little blurb on the back of the dust jacket of the copy that I have, thinks that Henry James is the be-all to end-all of modern literature. If I ever see Mr. Vidal (and I don’t even know if he is even still with us), I will be bound by honor to kick his ass for making me read this book. There are two more books of Mr. James’ on this list, and I hope that they are significantly shorter than this one. I own a handsome copy of The Ambassadors, and was quite proud of obtaining it before reading this book. Now I think that I might use it to soak up some oil stains in my driveway. At least it’s only just over 300 pages long.
To the book – James spends a huge amount of time being so descriptive about pointless things that the reader is left without a clue as to what is happening in the book, or who anyone is, or what he or she is even dong there. When I first discovered that I didn’t know what was happening in the story (and that I couldn’t relate with any of the characters), I thought that maybe I was too unlearned to understand James’ writing. After 40 or 50 more pages, I realized that the problem didn’t lie with me (or my lack of understanding, cognition, intelligence, ect..), it was just that the writing sucked. And sucked it did. For 700+ pages that dragged on and on.
I am happy to report that I only paid a dollar for my copy of this book, which was withdrawn from the Conroe, Texas library, possibly in fear that it might, by some strange literary osmosis, make all the other books on the shelf suck as well. It had only been read once, by some unfortunate soul who was a sloppy reader and had spilled soup or something on the pages and had only made it to page 100 or so before either personally returning it to the library, or having it returned to the library by some friend or family member after prying it from the dead, cold hands of a reader that had eaten poison to relieve the painful existence that their life had become after reading part of this book. I digress…
It only took 540 pages of agony for this book to get in the least bit interesting. Kate Croy appeals to Merton Densher (yes, Merton), her lover (of a Nineteenth Century sort), to marry her dying rich friend Milly so that when Milly dies, Merton will inherit her money and can then be “eligible” to marry Kate. Densher acquiesces to Kate’s proposal only if she will sleep with him that night, which she apparently does.
There was a time in this novel, around page 585, which I briefly took interest in both the books plot and it’s characters, but I quickly lost interest again. I had, after all, just figured out that Mrs. Stringham was Susan Shepherd, and that led me to assume that Mrs. Lowder, i.e. Aunt Maud, was Maud Maningham, a fact that should have been made clear at the onset of the book. Suspense in writing should not come from figuring out to whom the author is referring to unless they are some kind of spy, double agent, or in some alternate reality. Thanks for the clarity, Henry.
Looking back, I should have known that a book whose main character (or one of them) is named “Merton” would spell trouble. What the hell kind of name is Merton, anyway? Austrian? Dutch? I do know that Merton Densher comes close to sharing with Dick Diver the most unfortunate name in literature. Come to think of it, I want my dollar back.

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A (although referred to off-handedly), T, N
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May 31, 2012 Smcleish rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally published on my blog here in December 1999.

Henry James is generally reckoned to have had a late burst of creativity out of which came The Wings of a Dove, The Ambassadors, and The Golden Bowl. This may be the case, but I suspect that his earlier works are more frequently read today.

The title, and a fair amount of imagery in the novel, comes from Psalm 55. That psalm speaks of the experience of terror, and the desire for wings to fly to the place of shelter. (This is, in the original,...more Originally published on my blog here in December 1999.

Henry James is generally reckoned to have had a late burst of creativity out of which came The Wings of a Dove, The Ambassadors, and The Golden Bowl. This may be the case, but I suspect that his earlier works are more frequently read today.

The title, and a fair amount of imagery in the novel, comes from Psalm 55. That psalm speaks of the experience of terror, and the desire for wings to fly to the place of shelter. (This is, in the original, distinctly spiritual rather than just a banal idea of physical escape; the presence of God is the place of shelter, and the dove symbolises the Spirit of God.) James secularises the idea, transforming it to fit his story.

The dove, in the novel, is a rich young American women, Milly Theale, who travels to Europe when she is diagnosed as suffering from an incurable disease. There she meets the Englishwoman Kate Croy, and they become friends. Kate has a lover, Merton Densher, but they are unable to marry because neither has any money. The opposition of Kate's relatives means that their engagement is a secret, and Kate conceives a calculating and unpleasant plan. Densher will pretend to fall in love with Milly, to inherit her money so that their marriage can take place.

The scheme works, except that Densher's friendship with Milly and her gentleness and goodness mean that he is strongly affected by her death. The idea of profiting it through his deception becomes abhorrent to him. Though he did not fall in love with Milly, he is accused by Kate of loving her ghost, and she perceptively realises that the wings of the dove will always overshadow their relationship. (She was the driving force behind the whole of the deception, Densher being rather passive, like many of James' male characters.)

There are several problems with The Wings of the Dove as a novel. The plot lends itself to detailed psychological study, but James never seems to quite decide which of the three central characters he should concentrate on: Milly dies before the point where Densher is transformed mentally, he is too much of a cipher to be interesting, and Kate is not physically present for the most important part of the book, when Densher pays an extended visit to the dying Milly in Venice. James seems to be most interested in Milly, but she is a little too sweet and good, one of the last of those nineteenth century heroines in English literature.

James' treatment of the story is also very slow, over three hundred rather tedious pages being used to set the plot in motion. This has the effect of making Densher's change of heart towards the end seem very sudden, which is interesting, but it does mean that most of the book is peripheral to the psychological heart of the novel. The Wings of the Dove is based on an interesting idea, but I think it could have been better handled.(less)

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Sep 04, 2011 Patrick Karamazov rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The prose of this book is almost impenetrable. Sometimes Shakespeare seems hard to figure out, but there are whole pages of this book that are almost written in a different language-- or at least a different syntax. Henry James has the ability to write 10 pages at a time using only 5 paragraphs, 10 periods, 50 semi-colons, no dialogue, and the only nouns are pronouns.

At best though, the sentences can be beautiful and intricate and reading them can be like unwinding a strand of DNA. There's a log...more

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Jul 19, 2010 Chad rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Henry James likes to stuff as many clauses, appositives, interjections and the like into each sentence as is possible, which makes reading and understanding his text a chore. I have been accused of over-using commas myself, but I could not begin to compare with this text. See, for example, two sentences taken from early in the book when I was especially frustrated.

The woman in the world least formed by nature, as she was quite aware, for duplicities and labyrinths, she found herself dedicated t...more

Henry James likes to stuff as many clauses, appositives, interjections and the like into each sentence as is possible, which makes reading and understanding his text a chore. I have been accused of over-using commas myself, but I could not begin to compare with this text. See, for example, two sentences taken from early in the book when I was especially frustrated.

The woman in the world least formed by nature, as she was quite aware, for duplicities and labyrinths, she found herself dedicated to personal subtlety by a new set of circumstances, above all by a new personal relation; had now in fact to recognize that an education in the occult — she could scarce say what to call it — had begun for her the day she left New York with Mildred. She had come on from Boston for that purpose; had seen little of the girl — or rather had seen her but briefly, for Mrs. Stringham, when she saw anything at all, saw much, saw everything — before accepting her proposal; and had accordingly placed herself, by her act, in a boat that she more and more estimated as, humanly speaking, of the biggest, though likewise, no doubt, in many ways, by reason of its size, of the safest.

Of course, the differences between my English and idioms and Mr. James’s makes this worse. It was not uncommon for me to read a paragraph (which might span several pages) and find that while I had been lexically scanning the text, I had no idea what I had just read. This was less of a problem than might be expected because many pages go by without anything of importance happening or being said. A long story almost exclusively about interpersonal relationships can be enjoyable if the characters are interesting, but I did not find this to be the case.

I do appreciate that James took two effective and unusual risks. First, at least half of the major characters, with whom the reader would be inclined to sympathize, can be quite monstrous. Second, while I was excited just to reach the end, the ambiguous last paragraph leaves much to think about. In spite of these features, I believe I will be putting off The Ambassadors for some time.
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Apr 16, 2012 Megan Chance rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So this one falls on the upside of three for me, close to four but not quite there. Call it 3 1/2 to 3 3/4. I'm giving it a four, but ...

In the introduction, it says that James referred to his late style as sub-aqueous--that seems pretty apt to me, though I think it more like swimming through jello--you gain a hold only to realize you're sinking fast. I'm a fast reader, which is a detriment when it comes to James because EVERY WORD MATTERS, which is frankly exhausting. However, the characteriza...more So this one falls on the upside of three for me, close to four but not quite there. Call it 3 1/2 to 3 3/4. I'm giving it a four, but ...

In the introduction, it says that James referred to his late style as sub-aqueous--that seems pretty apt to me, though I think it more like swimming through jello--you gain a hold only to realize you're sinking fast. I'm a fast reader, which is a detriment when it comes to James because EVERY WORD MATTERS, which is frankly exhausting. However, the characterizations in this book are fantastic. Kate Croy and Merton Densher are two of the best characters I've read: their fatal flaws--what makes them themselves--force them into actions that have terrible consequences for them emotionally. Milly Theale, however, was a cipher to me. People kept saying how "stupendous" she was, and it wasn't just one person, so I had to imagine it must be true, but I never saw it. She hardly says a word throughout. Milly was at her most stupendous at the end, when her actions can be interpreted in several different lights. I always find moral ambiguity fascinating, and there's a ton of it here if you can get past the circular, drowning writing style.

Though I enjoyed the introduction (and when did it become the style, btw, for introductions to tell one the ENTIRE story? I always save them to read for last because clearly they don't want to wait for me to discover what happens on my own--the very reason I read a story), the footnotes and asterisks in this edition are sometimes laughable. Try this one, for example: Following the sentence "But this imagination--the fancy of a possible link with the remarkable young thing from New York--had mustered courage: had perched, on the instant, at the clearest lookout it could find, and might be said to have remained there till, only a few months later it* had caught, in surprise and joy, the unmistakeable flash of a signal." The asterisk footnote says: "The 'it' refers to Mrs. Stinghams' imagination."

No. Really. This is not the only footnote like this. I found them mostly amusing but unnecessary and sometimes actively annoying.

The characters--James's strength always--completely captivate. But ... there are often too many notes.(less)

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Dec 20, 2010 Veronica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Veronica by: Modern Library's 100 Best Novels

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was worried that I was getting a bit soft since my last few reviews were quite favorable. Alas, I need not have worried as my review of The Wings of the Dove is not a good one.

I found myself repeatedly rereading sentences, paragraphs, even entire pages. I can usually determine if I am going to enjoy a book after the first few pages and I did not have a good first impression, but I kept hoping to “get into” the novel, to no avail. I truly did want to enjoy this book, but I’d be remiss if I were...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Martha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: f-novel, l-american, read-2005-06

An excerpt from my tearful rant upon finishing this book:

I haven’t felt this powerless since I saw Romeo and Juliet for the first time. Oh Kate. This is much more violent though, because in Romeo and Juliet you can only feel the massive primitive thump of fate and silly mistakes. Here Merton brought on such ugliness in a particular and shameless manner. I hate him. I want to form my life as the antithesis to all of his ugly temporizing values. Oh his values! I want to spit on anyone with such n

...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Sarah Callaway rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this book immediately following “Satanic Verses” and “Love Over Scotland”. It was, perhaps, the most difficult book I have read through to the end. This was written during James’ third writing phase, termed “The Old Pretender”, and although the book has achieved critical acclaim, I found it difficult to slog through, with little reward in the end. James is, of course, a psychological writer – and this book showed it; he delved into the perspectives of certain characters, but often was obl...more I read this book immediately following “Satanic Verses” and “Love Over Scotland”. It was, perhaps, the most difficult book I have read through to the end. This was written during James’ third writing phase, termed “The Old Pretender”, and although the book has achieved critical acclaim, I found it difficult to slog through, with little reward in the end. James is, of course, a psychological writer – and this book showed it; he delved into the perspectives of certain characters, but often was oblique, and failed to enlighten the reader as to what ‘her meaning’ was when “she glanced at him and immediately he comprehended her full meaning” (this is not an exact quote, but from memory) – an instance that happened on more than one occasion.

In addition to leaving the reader rather in the dark, the entire first half of the book was devoted to setting the context (mostly psychological) for the slow action that would be sparingly meted out in the second half. Now, I have no problem with books that are slow to start (most of Dickens’ works take a bit to get going, for example), however it seems rather less successful here than in other works I have read.

The work has been described by one internet blogger as ‘labyrinthine’, which, I feel, is apt. Now, it is entirely possible that in my impatience to get to the plot of the story, I neglected the artistry to some degree (of the sentences, and perhaps of the psychological build). It may also be that the impatience with which I approached the work is emblematic of the impatience in the culture in which we live. In a society in which we get nearly everything instantly and rarely have to wait, it is possible that the slow-building and subtle drama of “Wings” is lost on us. Perhaps, now prepared for the content of the story, a second reading in some years would help me appreciate it better. Also, it may benefit from the treatment which I gave “Heart of Darkness” – simply reading it aloud (which slows down the reading process, prevents skimming, and allows one to enjoy the sound and the form of the sentences before rushing on to the next).

It is also worth mentioning that I have enjoyed other works by James. I have read and liked a few of his novellas, including “Beast in the Jungle” and “Daisy Miller”, as well as the full-length novel “Portrait of a Lady”. Because of my previous experience with James, my hopes were set relatively high, but I have not been put off of James by this experience, as have others.
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May 15, 2011 Delaney rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Why was he considered a great stylist? His late style is simply horrible. I recently read Sense and Sensibility, the copy of which had comments in the back by great authors. The first comment is by Henry James written in 1905, when he would have been in his "great" late style. The style of his comment is as infuriating as that in his last three "masterpieces." If the reason for developing this style was to portray the nuances of his characters' consciousness, then why would he use it to comment...more

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May 11, 2012 Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would give it 4 1/2 but I don't know how to make a half-a-star. I loved this, once I got into it (about 70 pages or so). James articulates every nuance of every gesture, facial expression and each word of every character--all the time! It's like having your heart slowed down by some kind of drug. It put me into an almost meditative state. I like early the 1900's fascination with the difference between New York Americans and the old cynical, jaded, and scheming Europeans. (Think Edith Wharton.)...more

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Feb 06, 2013 Ruth Horn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, literary-fiction, classic

First, I must say that Henry James had a very cynical view of Victorian humanity. Second, it's amazing in how little activity affluent Victorian women engaged. Third, I'm relieved that this is not considered one of James' best books.

I'd read the book as a teen but didn't remember it at all. So I chose it because it is one of the books mentioned whenever Venice is discussed (and I'm reading lots of Venice) and I wanted a very long audiobook. It was well done on audiobook, by the way. It is defini...more

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May 30, 2012 Cherylann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Henry James, the king of the pretentious run-on and realistic non-fiction, once again presents us with a tragic heiress protagonist whose money is sought by opportunistic men. Milly Theale, despite James' efforts fails to be a likable or really clear character. She remains muddled and indefinite to the end. In contrast, the much more likable antagonist Kate Croy charms and awes readers with her cool-headed manipulation and faultless etiquette. Kate, who is desperately in love with Merton Densher...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Charles Dee Mitchell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-fiction

This is the first Henry James novel I have read in a decade. I felt out of practice -- weak and flabby. It is also part of the last triumvirate of novels where his late, most oblique style is in full force. So I confess, at times I would finish one of those two-page paragraphs and not be quite sure who had decided what or what they were going to do about it.

During one dinner party scene -- I almost wrote during "one inevitable dinner party scene"-- I found myself wondering how people could be so...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: doorstops, library, american-lit, brit-lit, in-the-movies, victorians, adventure-2011, 20th-century-classics, the-stacks

Handsome Boyfriend and I are planning a two week respite on The Continent in October, moseying from Nice to Venice with stops in between. "Preparing for the trip' , HB has stocked up on new hiking and backpacking equipment appropriate for autumn weather and I on books set along our route, so as to 'work out the best itinerary.' Wings of the Dove topped all of the lists of books set in Venice, and I'd hoped to read about the scenery and learn of some interesting locales to visit in Venice while...more

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Jan 24, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have a thing for Henry James. When I read The Golden Bowl in grad school and loved it, my professor thought I was crazy. I suppose many students find him dense and confusing. But I love his style. I love the careful, layered characterizations, the detailed descriptions, and the way James' novels flow mostly from internal dialogue. His artistry is in telling the story through the consciousness of the characters. I simply love it!

p.s. I find it funny {and revealing} that his novels translated to...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Karenbike Patterson rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Henry James would not get published in 2011 as a new author. He would get a good editor. But tastes were different in the early 1900's. So, given that, I'd say the themes in the book hold true and that seems the moral issue of how far will you go and who will you hurt for money. Jane Austen would never know a character like Katy Cody who so cleverly, and without remorse, manipulates people to her ends. In the end, she walks away from a man who completely corrupts himself to do her bidding. I hat...more

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Oct 14, 2010 Andrew added it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-fiction, pre-wwii-american-fiction

God damn it, I really wanted to like Henry James. He's all extra important in American letters, but this made me weep with boredom. It's driven by characters rather than plot or description, which is normally OK. Except I didn't give a flying fuck about any of them. It's a 19th Century soap opera. And that's fine a lot of the time-- I'm down with Stendhal, Balzac, and Tolstoy-- but this was just so freakin' dull. And it's all draped in this Latinate style that seems designed to alienate all but...more

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