The American
by Henry James
'The American ' Summary
The novel is an uneasy combination of social comedy and melodrama concerning the adventures and misadventures of Christopher Newman, an essentially good-hearted but rather gauche American businessman on his first tour of Europe. Newman is looking for a world different from the simple, harsh realities of 19th-century American business. He encounters both the beauty and the ugliness of Europe, and learns not to take either for granted. The core of the novel concerns Newman's courtship of a young widow from an aristocratic Parisian family.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1877Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Author
Henry James
America, Britain
Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843, into a wealthy and intellectually stimulating family. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian philosopher and his mother, Mary Roberts...
More on Henry JamesDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
Those Extraordinary Twins by Mark Twain
"Those Extraordinary Twins" was published as a short story, separate and distinct from its origins inside Twain's "The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson"....
The Courage of the Commonplace by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
The short story of a young man who came to terms with himself and became a man on a day when he had proven to be a failure to his family, his friends,...
Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
Babbitt, by Sinclair Lewis, is a satirical novel about American culture and society that critiques the vacuity of middle class life and the social pre...
So Big by Edna Ferber
The story follows the life of a young woman, Selina Peake De Jong, who decides to be a school teacher in farming country. During her stay on the Pool...
Quentin Durward by Sir Walter Scott
Quentin Durward is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, first published in 1823. The story concerns a Scottish archer in the service of the French...
Ships That Pass in the Night by Beatrice Harraden
This short novel by Beatrice Harraden, who was known for her work as a suffragist, was a bestseller in its time. In it, teacher and activist Bernardin...
Poor White: a Novel by Sherwood Anderson
It explores the lives of the lower class in the early 20th century. Set in a small town in Ohio, the book follows the story of Hugh McVey, a young man...
The Incubator Baby by Ellis Parker Butler
What if a baby was raised in a sterile, scientific environment, devoid of human interaction? Marjorie Fielding is born prematurely and placed in an i...
The Valley of the Squinting Windows by Brinsley MacNamara
The Valley of the Squinting Shadows was the author's first novel and proved controversial. In it, he tells a realistic tale of life in a small Irish t...
The History of Mr. Polly by H. G. Wells
The protagonist of The History of Mr. Polly is an antihero inspired by H. G. Wells's early experiences in the drapery trade: Alfred Polly, born circa...
Reviews for The American
No reviews posted or approved, yet...