The Portrait of a Lady Vol 1
by Henry James
'The Portrait of a Lady Vol 1' Summary
Isabel Archer, from Albany, New York, is invited by her maternal aunt, Lydia Touchett, to visit Lydia's rich husband, Daniel, at his estate near London, following the death of Isabel's father. There, Isabel meets her uncle, her friendly invalid cousin Ralph Touchett, and the Touchetts' robust neighbor, Lord Warburton.
Isabel later declines Warburton's sudden proposal of marriage. She also rejects the hand of Caspar Goodwood, the charismatic son and heir of a wealthy Boston mill owner. Although Isabel is drawn to Caspar, her commitment to her independence precludes such a marriage, which she feels would demand the sacrifice of her freedom.
The elder Touchett grows ill and, at the request of his son, Ralph, leaves much of his estate to Isabel upon his death. With her large legacy, Isabel travels the Continent and meets an American expatriate, Gilbert Osmond, in Florence. Although Isabel had previously rejected both Warburton and Goodwood, she accepts Osmond's proposal of marriage, unaware that it has been actively promoted by the accomplished but untrustworthy Madame Merle, another American expatriate, whom Isabel had met at the Touchetts' estate.
Isabel and Osmond settle in Rome, but their marriage rapidly sours, owing to Osmond's overwhelming egotism and lack of genuine affection for his wife. Isabel grows fond of Pansy, Osmond's presumed daughter by his first marriage, and wants to grant her wish to marry Edward Rosier, a young art collector.
The snobbish Osmond would prefer that Pansy accept the proposal of Warburton, who had previously proposed to Isabel. Isabel suspects, however, that Warburton may just be feigning interest in Pansy to get close to Isabel again, and the conflict creates even more strain within the unhappy marriage.
Isabel then learns that Ralph is dying at his estate in England and prepares to go to him for his final hours, but Osmond selfishly opposes this plan. Meanwhile, Isabel learns from her sister-in-law that Pansy is actually the daughter of Madame Merle, who had had an adulterous relationship with Osmond for several years.
Isabel pays a final visit to Pansy, who desperately begs her to return someday, which Isabel reluctantly promises to do. She then leaves, without telling her spiteful husband, to comfort the dying Ralph in England, where she remains until his death.
Goodwood encounters her at Ralph's estate and begs her to leave Osmond and come away with him. He passionately embraces and kisses her, but Isabel flees. Goodwood seeks her out the next day but is told she has set off again for Rome.
The ending is ambiguous, and the reader is left to imagine whether Isabel returned to Osmond to suffer out her marriage in noble tragedy (perhaps for Pansy's sake), or if she is going to rescue Pansy and leave Osmond.
Book Details
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
Related books
La Fée des Grèves by Paul Féval, père
Dans le roman envoûtant "La Fée des Grèves" de Paul Féval, père, une histoire captivante d'amour, d'intrigue et d'aventure se dévoile dans le décor de...
An Eye For An Eye by William Le Queux
The enigmatic protagonist, John Mallathorpe, finds himself entangled in a web of treachery that spans continents and transcends time. When a series o...
A Queen by Ottilie Wildermuth
Delve into the captivating tale of a young woman's remarkable journey to queenship in Ottilie Wildermuth's timeless classic, A Queen. Set against the...
The Wings of the Dove, Volume 2 by Henry James
The Wings of the Dove is a 1902 novel by Henry James. It tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her...
Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by George MacDonald
Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood is a realistic, largely autobiographical, novel by George MacDonald. It was first published in 1871. The original edition w...
Flemington by Violet Jacob
In the quiet English village of Flemington, secrets and passions simmer beneath the surface. Violet Jacob's Flemington is a classic English novel tha...
Lost Illusions: Two Poets by Honoré de Balzac
In the captivating world of Honoré de Balzac's Lost Illusions: Two Poets, we are introduced to the contrasting lives of two aspiring poets, Lucien Cha...
David Elginbrod by George MacDonald
David Elginbrod is an 1863 novel by George MacDonald. It is MacDonald's first realistic novel.
The Four Stragglers by Frank L. Packard
Amidst the fog-shrouded streets of a sprawling metropolis, four strangers find themselves thrown together by a twist of fate, bound by a shared secret...
Clean Break by Lionel White
In the heart of the city, a meticulously planned heist is about to unravel, igniting a storm of crime and deceit. "Clean Break" by Lionel White thrust...
Reviews for The Portrait of a Lady Vol 1
No reviews posted or approved, yet...