The Prince

by Dinitia Smith

A modern retelling of The Golden Bowl by Henry James for fans of Sally Rooney and Kate Atkinson. 

From their grand mansion on the Upper East Side to their magical private island in Long Island Sound, everything points to the Woodford family as being perfect and idyllic. Why, then, is there such tension in the air?

Enter Federico, a penniless Italian prince who is about to marry Emily Woodford, the only child of the family’s widowed patriarch, Henry. When Emily's beautiful, enigmatic childhood friend, Christina, appears on the scene as a guest at their wedding, trouble begins, for she and the Prince once had a passionate affair. Henry, however, is also enchanted by Christina. Now both Emily and her father must face a new reality, and learn whom they can, or cannot, trust.

Genres: Retellings, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Adult

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2022

About the author

Dinitia Smith is the author of four novels, The Hard Rain, Remember This, The Illusionist, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and most recently, The Honeymoon. Her stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Hudson Review. She has won a number of awards for her writing, including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Until recently, Smith was a cultural correspondent for the New York Times, specializing in literature and the arts. She has taught at Columbia University and New York University. She currently lives in New York.

Reviews

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frederico is an impoverished Italian prince and the book starts with Frederico signing a prenuptial agreement with the Woodford's lawyer. Frederico is set to marry Emily Woodford, the daughter of an extremely wealthy and powerful businessman, Henry Woodford.

Frederico and Emily are married soon but not before they meet Christina - Emily's school friend and Frederico's ex. Christina is at the wedding too and Henry is struck by her beauty and nature. In a twist of fate, Henry ends up marrying Christina. Now Frederico and Christina are in frequent contact as in-laws, but will they be able to overcome their passionate feelings for each other? Frederico, in the meantime, is feeling increasingly emasculated by Emily and Henry. Will his resentment make him take the wrong decision?

This book is based on Henry James' The Golden Bowl which I haven't read. So, I had no point of reference (though I did a quick bit of online research). But I feel the author hit the nail on the head.

I always vehemently oppose infidelity in marriage. But in this book, I couldn't get angry at Frederico and Christina. What they did was wrong but what else could they have done? I found myself justifying their affair and I think this is one of the author's successes.

I also loved the writing. It was reminiscent of the literature of the 20th century (the original book was a classic). The book was a beautiful character study and I love character studies.

A quick read with sensual writing (no erotic scenes), this book will remain in my mind for quite some time.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read that 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 was a modern retelling of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙡, I had to do a little research; I had never heard of the 1904 novel by Henry James.

A penniless Italian prince marries a wealthy New York Widower’s daughter.

An old childhood friend. A past love affair.

It all becomes a tangled mess: friends and lovers, lovers and family. 𝘕𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺.

If you love entangled relationships and flawed characters, you will enjoy the elegance of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞. It is, in a sense, a character study. Why do these characters do what they do, make the choices they make? I was intrigued. Although I had expected some grand, dramatic climax, instead, it ends in a realistic fashion leaving you to ponder, once again, the underlying motives and desires of these characters.

Thank you to @meryl_moss and @booktrib for this gifted copy.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Woodfords, a wealthy family centered around father Henry and daughter Emily, have been each other’s worlds since the death of their matriarch. But when Emily marries Italian prince Federico, all bets are off as Christina, a childhood friend of Emily and former lover of Federico, re-enters the scene and captures Henry’s heart. In a home full of secrets, who can you trust?

I liked this book. While I have never read Henry James’ Golden Bowl, the inspiration for this book, I still felt I could enjoy it without knowing the story in advance. It was a domestic drama filled with secrets. I liked the multiple POVs because you get to hear from each of the main characters (plus a family friend), which keeps you informed of their intentions and inner monologue. It felt that we, more than any other person in the book, had the closest to the full picture.

I will say, I felt it had a slow start, but picks up as the drama heats up. While I was a little frustrated with the ending, I understand. I think the description is accurate and that folks who like Kate Atkinson will like this book. This could also be a great book club book because I can see this book generating a ton of different opinions.

Thanks to NetGalley and Arcade for sharing this e-arc with me. All opinions my own.

[Kaitlyn'sLittleLibrary]

This was an average story about people of average emotional depth having an averagely-exciting affair.

The two surviving members of the Woodford family, father Henry and daughter Emily, are rich. Italian Prince Federico is not. The marriage between Federico and Emily Woodford seems ideal — she gets a title, he gets her family money. Between Emily’s attachment to her father and Federico’s dependence on Woodford money, however, their partnership starts to fray. The return of Christina, Emily’s childhood friend and Federico’s secret former lover, only wears even further on a relationship that’s already wearing thin.

A blurb for this book claims that’s it for fans of Sally Rooney; personally, I think the writing style, although minimalistic and quiet, more closely resembles that of mid-1900s classic authors like Hemingway or Steinbeck. There’s something a bit antique about this book, despite it being set in the present, that I don’t think will fit quite right with the Sally Rooney crowd.

That being said, the writing style is close and intimate — the characters are clearly the focus, more than their world or the wealth that surrounds them. To the right reader, this might be appealing. To me, it felt like the characters were walking through blank space.

Additionally, the characters seem distant. There are few emotional moments and no drama at all. Everyone is reserved and withdrawn; if not for the multiple POVs, it would have been impossible to know what anyone was thinking.

Overall, this was a quiet book about remarkable people (a prince, an heiress) engaging in a remarkable activity (cheating) in an unremarkable way. The novel’s writing and atmosphere are coherent and clearly are meant to serve a purpose, but I think suffocated this story a bit too much for my taste. It was not a bad book by any means, but it didn’t hit home for me either. Perhaps fans of 20th century American classic literature will like this better than I did.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prince by Dinitia Smith. Thanks to @merylmossmedia for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A modern retelling of The Golden Bowl, we look at a wealthy, naive woman, her father and the prince that comes between them.

This book definitely kept my interest. The anticipation slowly builds until you know it has to come to a head. I was expecting a pretty wild climax, but that wasn’t the case. The story and ending unfolds genuinely and without unrealistic theatrics. While I expected a bit more fire at the end, I appreciate what the author did and enjoyed the story. It was a fast read and entertaining. I wish I had read The Golden Bowl already!

“He was a prince in the modern world, but with none of the pretensions of a prince, and a deep uncertainty.”

The Prince comes out 3/1.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would compare this book to the old adage of watching a train wreck. You know you shouldn't but you just can't look away. The characters in this book were really not good people. I knew from the beginning where the plot was headed and I read on. I couldn't look away.

This book centers on a wealthy family where the daughter and an impoverished prince from Italy fall in love and marry. Everything might have stayed beautiful and glorious if one of her school friends hadn't been a previous mistress of his. Unable to let him go, Christina keeps showing up in an effort to tempt Federico. She eventually goes so far as to marry his father-in-law, Henry in order to always be around.

The story is basically about the machinations of these four people: Emily, her father, Henry, her husband Federico and his former lover Christina. It's quite juicy and a bit irritating. I was flatly infuriated at some of the blatant disrespect that occurred. That said, it was a book and it had a story to tell. And I read it until the very end because I was mesmerized. That's the sign of a good story....like it or not.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

[Edward Champion · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a card-carrying Henry James hater, I have to say that this novel was a lovely surprise and is especially effective if you are familiar with that infamous bloviator. Smith takes the framework of THE GOLDEN BOWL and recasts it for the modern age. Reading this, it's very clear that Smith is madly in love with Henry James. She emulates his sentences (although these are mercifully brief), adds some character motivations that eluded James (but that may be categorized as too explicit by James purists), and even throws in a pregnancy for good measure. One of my chief complaints about THE GOLDEN BOWL is that James writes as if his characters think ONLY of the two marriages that are at the center of his "masterpiece." Well, that's not the case here. And, as such, Smith manages to make the characters her own -- often with good humor -- while honoring how James might be reworked in the 21st century.

[Wally Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the pleasure Dinatia Smith’s novel The Prince offers is comparing her work with Henry James’s The Golden Bowl to see where it resembles the original and where Smith has diverged. I suspect James lovers will malign the book because follows the original so closely.

According to her agent, Smith is the author of four earlier novels, The Hard Rain, Remember This, The Illusionist, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and most recently, The Honeymoon. “Her stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Hudson Review. She has won a number of awards for her writing, including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Until recently, Smith was a cultural correspondent for the New York Times, specializing in literature and the arts. She has taught at Columbia University and New York University.”

In The Prince, Smith has changed the names, moved the action from London to New York and a private island off the coast of Long Island, and changed the date from 1904 to the (pre-Covid) present. Otherwise, the story is the same.

Obscenely rich Emily Woodford has fallen in love with virtually penniless Prince Federico Pallavicino. A year before meeting Emily, Federico had enjoyed intimate relations with virtually penniless Christina who broke with him because he would not marry her. Coincidentally, Christina is an old, close childhood friend of Emily.

Federico and Emily marry and have a child. Emily, who has been close—perhaps too close—to Henry her 61-year-old, widowed father, encourages him to marry Christina, who like Emily is in her late twenties. Henry does marry Christina and you just know there’s trouble ahead.

Alone together in Henry’s mansion on the East Side, cannot resist one another. Besotted to the degree they will have sex against a Central Park tree, they resume their affair midway through the book. They are able to maintain their secret for a time, but events conspire against them.

Prince Federico is not malicious. He finds his title almost an embarrassment. He has no realistic career ambitions; he and friends formed an unsuccessful rock band in Italy. He was happiest coaching a soccer team of Roman street urchins—and seeing him do so was a reason Emily was attracted to him.

His father-in-law found him a position in a New York bank where his title was used to impress potential clients. “In the intervals between meetings, he sat in his office staring at the rooftops, or tried to teach himself about the stock market, but he’d never know enough to be of real use to Ricardo [his immediate boss]. He watched Italian soccer on his computer, quickly switching to another screen when the secretary came in. Sometimes, he’d fall asleep, then force himself awake and there would be a bitter taste in his mouth.”

Emily has been sheltered, although Smith writes, “Anyone would have been charmed by Emily’s natural beauty, her radiance, her bright, eager manner. Everything about the young woman belied her wealth. She seemed entirely unaware of her beauty and there wasn’t a hint of snobbery in her.” Federico meets her and her father at a Rome dinner party. The next night, he invites her to dinner. The third night he takes her back to his place and they make love. I don’t think that’s the way it happens in Henry James.

Christina has a hippy mother and no money. She is trying to finish her degree, working in a vintage clothing store. “Christina observed her mother coolly, pragmatically, and didn’t complain about her except to remark ruefully on her latest escapades. Christina had an utter lack of self-pity, a cool self-confidence . . . She never complained, and went about her day with energy and forcefulness.”

In some ways, Henry is the most admirable and interesting character in the novel. The family’s
money is old money, so old and so immense Henry does not have to demonstrate how rich he is. He trained as a lawyer and spent his years working pro bono for worthy clients who could not have afforded him. The first chapter in The Prince is a scene in which Federico is signing a generous pre-nuptial agreement, one Henry had offered, one that will leave the prince a very rich man should the marriage fail.

The family money came out of the coal mines, railroads, and blast furnaces that built a West Virginia town that now, with the steel industry gone to Asia and the coal played out, is polluted and decaying.

Henry plans to revive the town with an art museum built around his personal collection.
All the family’s wealth, of course, will not protect them from their histories and their characters. And while Henry James may persuade readers of the situation’s plausibility (Colm Tóibin called The Golden Bowl James’s best work), it’s much more difficult for Smith. I do not see what Emily sees in Federico; he seems shallow and aimless.

I’m not convinced, given what we know about Henry, that he would marry a girl forty years his junior. I know it happens, but not between Henry and Christina.

Finally, that Federico and Christina would risk the economic wrath of the family and Federico risk losing contact with the daughter he adores by resuming sexual relations seems to this prudent reader virtually unhinged. But that may be the point.

Nevertheless, The Prince an interesting novel and well worth reader attention. If nothing else, it may send readers to the original, the way a movie adaptation will send views to the book. Not a bad result.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Prince, Dinitia Smith
The more things change, the more they remain the same. Themes from a well-known classic, “The Golden Bowl”, written by Henry James more than a century ago, are made pertinent today in this new version written by an author that brings them into the 21st century. She proves they are still relevant. Wealth vs. poverty, strength vs. weakness, loyalty vs. infidelity, compassion vs. indifference, kindness vs. cruelty, retribution vs. forgiveness, all subtly vie for space between the pages.
Dinitia Smith has surrounded the characters with modern day issues in order to place them into our current time frame. Issues like art, immigration, the environment, tolerance, and loyalty are concerns of the very wealthy, very important, Henry Woodford. To him, appearances are also of the utmost importance, and he values manners and good breeding. When an Italian prince, Federico Pallavicino, with dwindling fortunes and nothing to recommend him but his title, is introduced to Henry’s daughter, Emily, a soft spoken, unassuming but beautiful and agreeable young woman, by Jean Gavron, whose biggest client is Henry, is it a match made in heaven or is it a match based on convenience and good fortune?
Henry Woodford is a remarkable man. He is not only a man with vast wealth and property, he is also kind. As a lawyer, he did pro bono work for immigrants. Prince Federico is also kind and compassionate. He coached a soccer team of migrant children. Emily Woodford is a young woman who appreciates that kindness, but is also one of the idle rich. Still, she can solve all of the problems of the prince, who finds himself the object of her love. He also believes that he is in love with her. There is one catch. The prince had already been introduced to Christina, another beautiful young woman, by the very same Jean. Christina was also Emily’s good friend. So, the plot begins to thicken.
Although Christina and Federico had been involved in a passionate love affair, it had ended. Should the prince tell Emily about his former relationship with her friend Christina or keep it a secret? The situation grows far more complicated when Jean, once again, makes another match. This time she reunites Emily’s father Henry, with Emily’s friend Christina. She does not reveal any former relationships to any of them, as she makes these matches. Does Christina still carry a torch for Federico? While reading this novel, two thoughts came to my mind. One, was “what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” and the other was that “no good deed goes unpunished”. As these characters roam through the pages of the novel, the reader is drawn into their inner thoughts, but the characters are very careful to conceal them from each other.
This is a great book for a discussion group. How does one feel about May/December relationships? How does one feel about temptation and infidelity? Who should be blamed for the infidelity, the one tempting or the one tempted? How does one feel about marriages of convenience? Do the characters have legitimate reasons for their behavior, be it well-meaning or cruel? Are they conniving or innocent? Does anyone deserve forgiveness? Should they tell the truth or keep confidences? Does the reader have to like the characters to enjoy the story? What makes a true friend? Was the relationship between father and daughter too close, and therefore, was it the harbinger of the relationship that would develop between the father and the daughter’s friend? What was the real meaning of the vase, a possible lachrymatory? Was it a foreshadowing of the cracks to come in relationships? Is revenge ever justifiable?
So, while the book is written about another book and is therefore familiar, it gives rise to far more profound questions and thoughts than one would think. It raises so many discussion ideas and issues to think about. For certain, broken promises and choices we make will always be germane. Is it best to deal with them with vengeance or with grace?

[M. K. French · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Woodford family is rich and wants for nothing. The penniless Prince Federico is about to marry Emily Woodford, the only child of Henry Woodford. At the wedding, Emily's former friend Christina arrives as a guest. She once was Federico's lover and catches Henry's eye. Who can the Woodfords trust?

Federico is culture-rich and monetarily poor, so he's more than willing to sign the prenup without arguing. Henry is full of life and intimidates others without even meaning to, maneuvering through New York City's elite with the expectation that everything will go as he expects it to. Everyone tries to make him happy, eliding over details he wouldn't want to acknowledge. Emily takes her wealth for granted and is almost too innocent. In comparison, Christina is mercurial and mercenary, and from the start, I didn't like her. She makes choices and blames others when it doesn't turn out the way she wants, and she only cares about her own desires. Out of these characters, maybe Emily was the one that I liked best, but ultimately, I didn't really like any of them.

Federico has no sense of self and has trouble staying idle, but can't turn his energy to anything truly productive. The start is a slow, meandering one, full of details before months spin past with an odd languidness, time passing, and blurring. Confrontation is in ellipses and half-spoken truths mixed with half lies. When the betrayals happen, it's an emotional car wreck in slow motion that left me tense and biting my nails. It's such an unpleasant feeling, and knowing the characters are living that day in and day out is unbearable. The Prince is a novel focusing on emotional nuances, and strength comes in the most unassuming ways. It's brilliantly written. Still, I'm glad that I don't know any of them in real life.

[Wildernest · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄, 𝐛𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐚 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐁𝐎𝐖𝐋, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧! 𝐆𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲!

The plot is indeed timeless - a young woman from a massively wealthy “old money” family, an impoverished prince, and a star crossed love story. Smith’s writing is spellbinding, lyrical and engaging; it is impossible to not be enraptured by this deliciously angsty romantic tale.

The Italian prince, Frederico, falls in love with a young American heiress, Emily, the daughter of a wealthy widower,Henry. Emily and her father are extremely close, having lost the matriarch of the family years earlier.

The story begins with Frederico signing prenup documents in the family law office, days before his and Emily’s wedding…

All would have been well and good but for Emily’s childhood friend, Christina, who shows up at the wedding. It just so happens that Frederico and Christina had once been lovers in Italy! She wanted to get married and have babies, he rejected her, claiming that as he was impoverished he couldn’t support a family. Christina was left heartbroken, utterly devastated.

Petite shocker - it was the same family friend, Jean, an art expert, who introduced Frederico to both Emily and Christina - she did not disclose to Emily the secret of Frederico’s prior romance when Christina showed up at the wedding.

The plot thickens. Frederico and Christina remain infatuated with each other. Meanwhile, Emily’s father is falling for Christina. The plot thickens.

My gratitude to NetGalley, Dinitia Smith, and Skyhorse Publishing Arcade, for the opportunity to read this delightful e-ARC in exchange for my honest and wholly independent opinion.

[Kelly Heslip · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a modern retelling of the Henry James Classic "The Golden Bowl," The Prince reads just like a classic. The writing style really had me feeling like I was transported to a different time, although, the setting is modern day New York and Italy.

Frederico is a prince, in name only. There are no lands, and definitely there is no money. He has connections which lead him to meet Emily, a wealthy American. He has recently recovered from a heated relationship, so rebound has its name all over this. And money does not hurt. The Woodford family, although filthy rich, do not act like the filthy rich. They are kind and very generous, helping Frederico take care of his ailing mother and aunt back in Italy.

Frederico and Emily get along very well, but when his ex shows up for the wedding and reveals that she and Emily are old school buddies, things become tense. The meeting is brief since Christina still lives in Italy, but after a few years of blissful marriage and a child, she returns.

Christina becomes a part of the family. When an affair begins, relationships are strained. The entire family tip toes around each other, trying to keep or deny secrets. Dinitia Smith does an excellent job of bluntly telling the Woodford family saga, triumph and tragedy. The struggles that each character experiences are deftly revealed and makes the reader either love or hate the person. The reader is either rewarded or disappointed with the ending, but either way, it is satisfying.

Thank you to Arcade and NetGalley for the digital ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Federico the Italian prince marries into the Woodford family, a stiflingly intimate household of two: 27-yr old Emily and her dad Henry. The Woodford's astounding wealth came from West Virginia town of Woodford founder Ephraim Consider Woodford, who'd built steel mills, coal mines, railroads and ships. The story opens with preparations for Federico and Emily's wedding, attended by Emily's half-Italian friend Christina Verano, so beautiful she ends up marrying her father. I haven't read The Golden Bowl, which this book is a modern adaptation of. So I don't know if I'm mad at Dinitia Smith or Henry James for the two-dimensionality of some of the characters, or the bad choices that they make, or the way Emily is described entirely in small, birdlike, child-sized, short, demure terms whereas Christina is all slender, tall, long-necked, thin, in comparison. There a lot of things that Smith gets right in the re-telling, I like her use of technology, social media and slang in different languages; but then I felt the fact that neither Emily nor Federico work at all just didn't work in a present day context. While parts of this story didn't seem super realistic to me, the ending really did.

[Starlight Wymore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily and Federico are excited to start their new life together. Emily comes from the wealthy Woodford family. Federico is a prince. What’s not to love? Except maybe the fact that Prince Fed and Emily’s BFF, Christina, had a major thing going on back in Rome. When Christina reaches out to Emily and wants to come to the wedding, Emily says, “Sure, buddy! Can’t wait to see you. In fact, let me pay for your plane ticket!” Christina, of course, doesn’t mention she just wants to take a peek at her old boy toy. And when Emily’s dad, Henry, decides that he likes Christina, too, well, we just have the makings of a nice little pickle.

I liked the story. It’s a great story, no doubt. And Smith’s writing is mostly good. However, the dialogue was flat and forced, which doesn’t work for a story this juicy. It was good, but it could have been so much better.

Overall, I’d have to say I don’t recommend this book. It’s a retelling of Henry James’ The Golden Bowl, which is a pretty high bar. I think she could have nailed it, but, unfortunately, did not. Still an okay read, but why read this when you can read James’ original version?

Thanks to the author and Meryl Moss for this ARC in return for my honest review.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Prince" is a modern retelling of Henry James' "The Golden Bowl." In it, our hero marries a woman who is the sole daughter of a man of old family wealth. Unfortunately for the new bride, her old friend, it turns out, had a passionate affair with the groom prior to their marriage--and now being forced to move in the same circles, the old tension is back. There's another layer to the story of adultery here, but I'll not spoil it.

What's good: After a slightly sluggish start, the book moves along rapidly. While I didn't especially love any of the characters, I found myself holding my breath, waiting for the bomb to drop. And that's what the book ultimately is--holding us on the peak, making us wait to find out if the inevitable will happen. Along the way, it does make you think of the different relationships involved and the motivations of some of the characters--in this way, the book is well set for a book club selection.

What's iffier: The book hews fairly closely to the outline of "The Golden Bowl." It's been so long since I read that that, frankly, this book felt very new to me.

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing this ARC with me!

[Francis M. Prensa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not put this book down, it was so much fun to read, I think mainly because of the drama and the secrets. I never read The Golden Bowl, so I have nothing to compare this to. We meet such different characters, first is Federico, who is a broke prince from Italy, who is about to marry Emily, who comes from a really rich but not too lavish family. Her dad Henry is amazing, I mean, this man comes to NYC because of a job at a bank, and Henry is VERY generous with his gifting to the point that Federico doesn’t even have to work a day in his life. Anyway, things start to get real when his ex Christina comes into the picture and ironically she was childhood friends with his soon to be wife. THE DRAMA!!!!!!!!!!! I was here for all of it! I was on the edge of my seat, because he had a past with this woman and it was a meaningful one at least for her ad clearly for him too. The end left me hanging a little, and I had to reread it, but it was a good read. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

[Rachel B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see why the blurb compared the writing style to that of Sally Rooney. I am a huge Sally Rooney fan so I wouldn’t say it’s quite that good but I definitely enjoyed this story. It started out a little slowly but once I was hooked I couldn’t put it down.

This is supposed to be loosely based on The Golden Bowl by Henry James. I’ve never read The Golden Bowl and I’m no great scholar of Henry James but this read like a Classic, in my opinion (which is a compliment as I’ve always loved Classics). However, the remoteness between the reader and the characters that I always feel when reading a Classic doesn’t work as well for a modern story, or maybe it’s just that it was more noticeable in a contemporary setting.

I think this would make a good book club read as there is a lot to dissect and discuss and I think people could have very strong opinions about the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sally Koslow]

Dinitia Smith's elegant retelling of THE GOLDEN BOWL, one of Henry James' most acclaimed works, is a quiet book revolving around the tightly wound lives of four finely wrought characters: Frederico, a penniless Italian prince-in-name-only married to lovely but rather dull Emily, born rich thanks to her wealthy-beyond-imagination father Henry, and Christina, Emily's stunning childhood friend, who remains in love with Frederico, with whom she had a short but intense affair in Italy. The author doesn't tinker much with James' plot beyond transporting it to the present. The enjoyment of this novel is in its concentrated intensity and the beauty of the writing. In her endnote, Smith explains that the book is an homage to James, who she hopes will forgive him. I think Henry James would be pleased, proud, and amused.

[ShanKL · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prince is a modern retelling of The Golden Bowl by Henry James, a novel I have never read. Even without understanding the context of the 1904 novel, the reader can still enjoy modern version. The Prince is a saga full of family secrets. The story alternates between character point-of-views, giving the reader a glimpse of their inner monologue and the past events that come back to haunt their present.

This novel slowly builds to a crescendo but then falls flat after revelations are exposed. This Prince is a quick read full of unlikable characters. Thank you Meryl Moss Media Group for the advance reader copy. Not sure I'd label this novel a romance.

General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction | Romance

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emily and Federico are looking forward to starting a new life together. She comes from a wealthy family, the Woodfords. Federico is royal. Who wouldn't love that? There was a big deal back in Rome between Prince Fed and Emily's BFF, Christina. Christina reaches out to Emily and asks if she can attend, and Emily says, "Sure, buddy! Looking forward to seeing you. In fact, I'll pay for your flight! ” Christina doesn't mention she just wants a peek at her boy toy. Well, we've got a pickle on our hands when Emily's dad, Henry, decides he likes Christina, too.
Quite the story.
Smith's writing is mostly good. Although the dialogue is flat and forced, which isn't right for a story this juicy.
I liked it, but it could have been so much better.

[Iphigenia]

In “The Prince”, Dinitia Smith modernizes a Henry James classic, “The Golden Bowl” by moving the setting to modern day and to Long Island. A wealthy daughter marries an impoverished Italian prince. They are happy and have a child, until the daughter’s friend inserts herself into their lives. She is a former lover of the prince, and marries the daughter’s father. Her motivations are unclear. The friend ends up resuming her affair with prince. It was hard to get into the character’s head and understand their actions, but I kept reading to find out what was going to happen, waiting for a big explosive reveal. The ending fell flat for me.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prince by Donitia Smith is the story of an
Italian Prince with a title but without wealth, a very rich American woman and her co-dependent father, plus an old lover make for some interesting situations.
I am told that The Prince is a modern day spin on The Golden Bowl, a classic by Henry James that I have never read.
Many thanks to Meryl Moss Media for the opportunity to read an early copy. I enjoy being able to read the works of authors I’m not familiar with and to read works I might not have otherwise.

[cow boy]

The Prince is a modern retelling of the Golden Bowl by Henry James, I came into this knowing very little of the original story. I personally couldn’t get into it. The authors prose just wasn’t capturing enough for me. I only got a few chapters into the story before I DNFed. This is probably the perfect book for someone, but not for me.

[Loretta Miles Tollefson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Is. An. Incredible. Book. Finely-wrought characters and beautifully written prose. I've read the Henry James novel which informs this story and this one is better. This is an exquisite novel that everyone should read, especially if they couldn't get into the James' version.

[Pamela Klurfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare for me to give a book 5 stars. Would I read it again? Yes. Do I recommend it? yes. It’s a take on Henry James’ The Golden Bowl but takes place in current day. For me, far more readable than James.

[Nichole Dathorne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually so gaggy

[Abby | abbyadores · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Prince is a modern day retelling of The Golden Bowl by Henry James, which I’d never read before, so I went in with zero expectations. It centers on a wealthy father and daughter with strong codependency, an Italian prince who marries the daughter, and a past lover of the prince. There’s a lot of entanglements within their dynamic, an affair, and a whole slew of drama that boils beneath the surface of their lives.

I will admit I was left unsatisfied by the fall-out, or lack thereof. I will say, though, that it seemed fitting for the characters and their personalities- it just drove me crazy. They speak without speaking, in hushed voices and subtleties and mannerisms they’ve been poised to mimic as rich elite people plugged into high societies and prone to watchful eyes. Unfortunately, I never fully connected with any of the characters and as a result I was dragging my feet on wanting to ever pick it up after I’d put it down.

Thank you so much to @meryl_moss for sending me this copy to review! I love branching out and this book really gave me a chance to.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loose retelling of Henry James “ The Golden Bowl.”