The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
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The Portrait of a Lady
Henry James Collection
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The Portrait of a Lady - Background and Resources
This review by Hermoine Lee of Michael Gorra's 2012 biography of James may be of interest. Contains SPOILERS:http://gu.com/p/3a84g
This review discusses whether Portrait of... is a Great American Novel (SPOILERS):
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles...
James lived the last 18 years of his life at Lamb House in Rye which has an interesting history, as does Rye itself, the place of the Romney Marshes in Dickens' Great Expectations:http://www.ryemuseum.co.uk/lamb-house/
Madge wrote: "This review by Hermoine Lee of Michael Gorra's 2012 biography of James may be of interest. Contains SPOILERS:http://gu.com/p/3a84g
This review discusses whether Portrait of... is a Great America..."
I found both to be useful reviews -- but would recommend only after having read the novel if at all concerned about spoilers. If not concerned, they may suggest things to watch for and to ask if one agrees or feels the same.
Here is a review of a biography of Henry James's two less well known brothers, Robertson and Garth Wilkinson (Wilkie):http://www.newcriterion.com/articles....
Their service in the Civil War and involvement in abolition causes are believed to have been of significance on their sibling James, although in what ways seems to be widely debated.
When James was born in 1843, the United States had 26 states. By his death in 1916 there were the 48 states that would be longstanding. The Civil War is usually dated as 1861-'65, as Henry James reached young manhood.
His philosopher/psychologist brother William published The Varieties of Religious Experience in 1902.
I still haven't read enough of Henry James's biographies to have a sense of the impact of the father on the thinking of his sons, but my sense is that it was considerable.
His father was very religious and joined the Swedenborg cult. One biographer described him as 'obnoxious' and another said he was 'domineering' so I guess that must have had an affect on his children.This last paragraph of this article refers to James' unusual narrative style:
http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit0...
Madge wrote: "His father was very religious and joined the Swedenborg cult. One biographer described him as 'obnoxious' and another said he was 'domineering' so I guess that must have had an affect on his child..."He apparently was also wealthy, and hence afforded his children considerable access to the world, to education, and to sophisticated living.
I find Millicent Bell's
Meaning in Henry James
a most useful, approaching indispensable, resource in reading Henry James. The 43 page chapter on Portrait of a Lady is titled "Isabel Archer and the Affronting of Plot." Already underlined and annotated in my copy, I finished here with my first reading of PoaL and may start there with this second reading. But, in looking tonight at the section on "The Aspern Papers", which I did not use at the time discussed fairly recently on-line, maybe on the Victorians board, I realize that the usefulness of comments may mingle between works. (That one touches on James and Hawthorne, perhaps of interest to those of you who got to THoSG.) There is also a 40+ page opening section "Henry James and Narrative Meaning," which I have hardly scratched. (Yes, I am sure it might have been useful to have started there. [g])
I'm debating if I want to read this. His long passages of stream of consciousness and 2-page sentences turned me off to Wings of the Dove years ago, and I've read only his shorter works since. How do they compare?
Rochelle wrote: "I'm debating if I want to read this. His long passages of stream of consciousness and 2-page sentences turned me off to Wings of the Dove years ago, and I've read only his shorter works since. How ..."PoaL is much easier reading than WotD, if that matters (for one thing, far fewer obscure or ambiguous antecedents). I'm not sure trying to understand the heroine is any easier.
I understood Wings only 30 years later, when the film was made. And it was considerably more terse than the book. I've viewed it 4 times.I'll join you with a downloaded edition.
Rochelle wrote: "I understood Wings only 30 years later, when the film was made. And it was considerably more terse than the book. I've viewed it 4 times.I'll join you with a downloaded edition."
Good! Look forward to having you join the conversation. Been awhile since we have been in a common one, Rochelle.
For anyone who's read George Eliot's Daniel Deronda (published 1876), it's interesting to know that its heroine, Gwendolen Harleth, is supposed to have provided the model for Isabel Archer. James refers to Eliot's work in his preface, and the critic F R Leavis says categorically in The Great Tradition: "Isabel Archer is Gwendolen and Osmond is Grandcourt - the parallel... is very close and very obvious." There are certainly many affinities between Isabel Archer and Gwendolen, but I think James's character is a more subtle and sympathetic take on the self-assured Gwendolen, who is also seeking her role in life and who ends up in a loveless marriage. Gwendolen has great faith in her own beauty and ability but little of Isabel's yearning for knowledge or curiosity about others.
It's interesting to note that Gwendolen has a younger sister called Isabel, described as an inconvenient child, "always listening and staring and forgetting where she was." And Gwendolen is an archer: two archery contests play pivotal parts in Daniel Deronda. The name Gardencourt in Portrait of a Lady also seems to me to echo Grandcourt. Leavis thought it very unlikely that James consciously used Gwendolen as a model, but I suspect none of this is accidental - Henry James was too careful a writer for that.
DD is a book which I know much better than P of a L, so I look forward to seeing how the comparison between the two heroines works out.
Emma wrote: "For anyone who's read George Eliot's Daniel Deronda (published 1876), it's interesting to know that its heroine, Gwendolen Harleth, is supposed to have provided the model for Isabel Archer. James r..."Fascinating. Although my group here read Daniel Deronda quite recently, I had no idea of the connection between the books, and don't (yet -- we're still in early chapters of PoaL) recognize GH in IA, but I'll look for it.
Thanks so much for the information!
From a search "Henry James Prenology":http://books.google.com/books?id=ttGY...
Seems to relate more directly to The American , but may have some tidbits of interest on the struggle at the turn of the century of European culture versus American provincialism.
I put something on phrenology and Henrietta on anotheer thread last night.
Madge wrote: "I put something on phrenology and Henrietta on another thread last night."You prompted me to go find this information, Madge. I needed to tighten the connection between James and phrenology -- the broad acceptance of those theories still troubles me.
He was just a man of his time Lily. See my post on 8-14.
Bell speaks of the impact of Emerson, Eliot (both DD and Middlemarch), and Hawthorne on James's thinking and representation of Isabel. I don't think I would have seen any of those without her prompting. Emerson seems to tie into the questions about freedom and independence that James frames in the character of Isabel -- to what extent is the American illusion of potential (such as Isabel personifies?) a dream and to what extent is it bounded by the past and by social conventions and.... (Having just finished Corrigan's So We Read On, I find myself reminded of Fitzgerald's theme of dream and potential supported by money -- in a once untainted place of nature?)
This reviewer of PoaL calls James a ' master of terror':((SPOILERS)
http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/58387/
Madge wrote: "This reviewer of PoaL calls James a ' master of terror':(http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/58387/"
Thanks, Madge, what an interesting article (though beware anyone who hasn't finished the book, as it contains spoilers). I've never thought of terror as an aspect of James's writing (except maybe in the Turn of the Screw) but I shall now be reading PoaL with new eyes..
Thanks for the heads up re spoilers Emma.
And The Beast in the Jungle and The Jolly Corner. I've read the first.
Was in a lecture this morning on the painter John Sargent which made a point several times of HJ's support of him and his work. This afternoon, I see a reference to the same on HJ's Wiki entry. Given John Sargent's deep acceptance in America (both portrait commissions and museum acquisitions) and today's reputation in the transition to modern art (what is the use of paint, anticipating the moderns), it struck me as another example of HJ's sometimes uncanny artistic sensibilities.http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/lady_...
Lady Agnew of Lochnaw
http://jssgallery.org/Thumbnails/Sarg...
http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/Mrs_C... (eg, the paint usage on her skirt)
Our lecturer considered the murals at Boston Library a career misstep; she spoke highly of his watercolors and showed us a few slides of them.
HJ's essay on Sargent in Harpers, October, 1887
http://jssgallery.org/Essay/Harpers_J...
The essay above may say if this has any relationship to our text. Haven't read the article yet myself.Portrait of a Young Lady by John Singer Sargent
Thanks Lily, I see the portrait of Madame Ramon as being more like the young ladies in PoaL, about which James writes:'The most brilliant of all Mr. Sargent’s productions is the portrait of a young lady [Madame Ramon Subercaseaux], the magnificent picture which he exhibited in 1881;....
http://www.jssgallery.org/Paintings/M...
(I don't know how to post the image:()
Madge wrote: "Thanks Lily, I see the portrait of Madame Ramon as being more like the young ladies in PoaL,..."Thx, Madge. Although Madame Ramon certainly could be an image reminiscent of Isabel herself, for some reason the painting brought Harriet Stackpole to mind.
Madame Ramon Subercaseaux
Our lecturer yesterday encouraged the group to visit any museum that might do a retrospective of Sargent. She pointed out that a number of his paintings remain in private collections, but sometimes are on loan for these special shows. (Restoration work can be one offer a museum makes in return for showing a work for a period. One is expected to be in NYC in 2015, probably for that reason.)
Oh yes, I hadn't thought of Henrietta the bluestocking!Sargent is a charming proto-Impressionist. Couldn't quite go all the way with it.
Madge wrote: "Sargent is a charming proto-Impressionist. Couldn't quite go all the way with it."Our lecturer devoted two lectures to him in a series that has been on her choices -- usually she focuses on a museum or genre or period. Very enthusiastic about Sargent -- indicated his rejection of full-hearted impressionism as his friends encouraged, especially after his mismanagement of presentation at the Salon in Paris. Apparently his work is compared with Velasquez. Our lecturer and the site above comment on the modern turn of his poses and the clothing of those who sat for him. James apparently aided him in making contacts in Newport. Isabella Stewart Gardner was one of his subjects and her family supported his work. (The museum bearing her name is in Boston and is one of several in the area with his works.) Gardner was not a ravishing classic beauty, but had a slender waist that Sargent highlighted with her long strand of natural pearls.
Our lecturer also indicated Sargent's work foreshadowed the modern emphasis on the paint (later extreme example, Jackson Pollock, but she named an earlier artist of whose name I'm uncertain). She remarked one could take a section of the dress skirt in a painting like the one I put in the post @24 (as a link) and have a modern abstract.
Madge wrote: "This review by Hermoine Lee of Michael Gorra's 2012 biography of James may be of interest. Contains SPOILERS:http://gu.com/p/3a84g
This review discusses whether Portrait of... is a Great America..."
Seth comments on Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/list_...
Msg 9 of topic The Ending -- I didn't figure out how to capture the link for the specific message.
I don't understand what you are getting at above or the link's relevance?
Madge wrote: "I don't understand what you are getting at above or the link's relevance?"Just an add to the info you gave us. Seth wrote:
"There is a book by Michael Gorra called 'Portrait of a Novel,' that explores Henry James's life and how he came to write 'Portrait of a Lady.' In it, he spends a chapter on the ending that I found to be extremely insightful. For anyone who's read "Portrait," or who's interested in Henry James, I can't recommend the book highly enough."
Another worthwhile link that I found while going through that site was to James Woods's review in The London Review of Books: (definitely has SPOILERS)
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n19/james-wo...
The letter at the end is humorous -- at least I found it so.
That is an ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT review by James Wood (ex of the Guardian). Thanks a lot Lily. Must see if Gorra's Portrait of a Novel is on Kindle. Yes, that was a funny letter:)
Madge wrote: "That is an ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT review by James Wood (ex of the Guardian). Thanks a lot Lily. Must see if Gorra's Portrait of a Novel is on Kindle. Yes, that was a funny letter:)"You are most welcome! Glad I found it. Gorra's book is on the Kindle -- I ordered both a Kindle and a hard copy yesterday -- on a first read of a bio that long, I like to be able to hop, skip, and jump, and I find that hard to do with an ebook. But I also want to be able to quote from it, and that is so much easier from electronic form.
James Wood can be as pompous as HJ, but he still is one of the good critics out there.
Hope others eventually get to that letter! ;-0 lol
Gorra is a bit too expensive for me Lily, please share any titbits you find!
Thanks for that article by James Wood, Lily - it really is excellent, especially on the voyeuristic aspect of all the onlookers in PoaL. Made me think again about Ralph's role in the book.
He was also very good and amusing on Jame's (over)use of metaphors.
http://www.giovanniboldini.org/74392/...
This portrait of artist Lawrence Alexander (Peter) Harrison by Giovanni Boldini matches my concept from James's descriptions of what Osmund might have looked like.
Or perhaps Bernard Berenson, with his wife Mary as Madame Merle, given that Villa Il Tatti was reported as being a 'rich vein for James' novels'?http://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Autho...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/itatti/...
http://itatti.harvard.edu/berensons
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mar...
Madge wrote: "Or perhaps Bernard Berenson, with his wife Mary as Madame Merle, given that Villa Il Tatti was reported as being a 'rich vein for James' novels'?"I don't know how to use that second link, Madge. (It shows me a cell phone screen. What do we choose?)
James doesn't give Isabel the skills or interest or personality to be a scholar like Mary Berenson, but perhaps a Madame Merle, as you suggest? I'll have to relook at MM's descriptions in the text.
Hmm -- the linkage to Berenson leads to another tantalizing relationship:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_da...
"...Greene would spend millions of dollars not only buying but selling rare manuscripts, books and art. She has been described as smart and outspoken as well as beautiful and sensual. While she enjoyed a Bohemian freedom, she was also able to move with ease in elite society, known for her exotic looks and designer wardrobe...."
The second link was a painting of Berenson, don't know what happened.Yes Mary could be a Madame Merle but it was such a 'bohemian' set up it could have been anybody!
Just came across this about the Berensons:-
'He was a prodigiously sociable man — a captivating conversationalist and hugely attractive to women. Both he and his wife Mary put it about like mad, though she didn’t always get her man. Of Geoffrey Scott, with whom Mary was at one point infatuated, Lytton Strachey wrote: He remains a confirmed sodomite and she covers him with fur coats, editions of rare books and even bank notes, all of which he accepts without a word and without an erection.'
!!!
" It has frequently been noted that Isabel is modelled upon James' cousin Minnie Temple but these descriptions of Minnie bear no relation to Isabel IMO. What do others think:"Minnie had dark hair, large eyes, and a direct, unsettling gaze. She was pretty enough, but it was her animation, her wildness, and her avidity for life that made her irresistible. In one photograph, though her eyes are downcast, her face shows much feeling. Her hair has been cut close, and determination is evident in the line of her chin. In another photo, her eyes are open wide and she looks so restless and full of energy that it seems she can't sit still. She was in all things a free spirit. "........Henry James observed that Minnie was "absolutely afraid of nothing she might come to by living with enough sincerity and enough wonder."He also appreciated her "restlessness of spirit, the finest reckless impatience.'
Henry James and the 'Woman Business'... the first book to investigate his father's bizarre lifelong struggle with free love and feminism ... the book also shows how seriously he distorted the truth about the cousin, Minnie Temple ... and how indebted he was to certain American women writers whom he attacked in reviews but whose plots and heroines he appropriated in his own fiction
Wendel wrote: "Henry James and the 'Woman Business'... ... the book also shows how seriously he distorted the truth about the cousin, Minnie Temple ... and how indebted he was to certain American women writers whom he attacked in reviews but whose plots and heroines he appropriated in his own fiction..."
Okay, you got me, Wendel. I've ordered a (used) copy!
I am a little confused about the line "the book also shows how seriously he distorted the truth about the cousin, Minnie Temple." In general, writing novels is not about recreating real life people -- even if fiction often does such to a greater or lesser extent. Writing in the hands of a skilled author is much more about crafting characters that can convey the art the novelist seeks to portray.
I presume Anne Moncure Crane Seemüller may be one of those American women writers. Look forward to checking that out.
P.S. Ah, yes, Habegger apparently claims Isabel is based, at least partly, on a character in one of Crane's novels.
Looking for a bit more on Alfred Habegger, found this: http://online.wsj.com/articles/book-r...
Lily wrote: "... I am a little confused about the line "the book also shows ..."Habegger's book is not very recent and apparently did not produce much of a stir, while the blurb is indeed strange. You may have to prepare yourself for a disappointment ... I hope you'll let us know your thoughts anyway.
The wsj link is for subscribers only on wsj-europe.
Lily wrote: In general, writing novels is not about recreating real life people...Nevertheless a great many authors do recreate characters from people they have known, if only partly so as to avoid libel laws. Authors seem to be rather like sponges, soaking up the life they see around them and squeezing it out over their manuscripts, sometimes in drops, sometimes in puddles. In James' case there are sometimes crystal clear drops, sometimes muddy puddles.
I am very puzzled by the many biographical references to Isabel being modelled on Minnie because her liveliness etc does not seem to resemble Isabel at all. So is the distortion mentioned in Wendel's above quote a distortion of Minnie's liveliness and was she more like Isabel after all? (Or maybe she was bipolar?)
I can't pick up the Habegger link.
This is a review of Habegger's book which throws a little light on James supposed view of women:http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307...
It seems that the Villa Il Tatti and the Berensons weren't the only inspiration for James when writing PoaL. I have just read that Osmond and Pansy are based on the composer Francis Boott and his artist daughter Elizabeth (Lizzie) who both lived at the Villa Castellani on a hill outside Florence. Lizzie had a long love affair with another artist of whom her father disapproved. James corresponded with her over a number of years. He was living nearby when he started to write Poal.http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franci...
http://www2.cincinnati.com/cam/cincin...
Lizzie doesn't seem to be a bit like Pansy except for the unhappy love affair so perhaps there is another villa with another girl in it which I haven't yet discovered:)
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aY...
This the lovely effigy of Lizzie Boott sculpted by her husband:http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/t...
Madge wrote: "This the lovely effigy of Lizzie Boott sculpted by her husband:http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/t..."
Oh, my. Thx for the image.
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
Daniel Deronda (other topics)The Uncommon Reader (other topics)
Henry James and the 'Woman Business' (other topics)
Henry James and the 'Woman Business' (other topics)
Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Alfred Habegger (other topics)Alan Bennett (other topics)
Anne Moncure Crane Seemüller (other topics)
Michael Gorra (other topics)
Millicent Bell (other topics)
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Please post spoiler warnings where appropriate.