
The Real Thing
by Henry James
'The Real Thing ' Summary
The narrator, an unnamed illustrator and aspiring painter, hires a faded genteel couple, the Monarchs, as models, after they have lost most of their money and must find some line of work. They are the "real thing" in that they perfectly represent the aristocratic type, but they prove inflexible for the painter's work. He comes to rely much more on two lower-class subjects who are nevertheless more capable: Oronte, an Italian, and Miss Churm, a lower-class Englishwoman.
The illustrator finally has to get rid of the Monarchs, especially after his friend and fellow artist Jack Hawley criticizes the work in which the Monarchs are represented. Hawley says that the pair has hurt the narrator's art, perhaps permanently. In the final line of the story the narrator says he is "content to have paid the price—for the memory".
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1892Genre/Category
Tags/Keywords
Authors

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...
Books by Henry JamesDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Uther and Igraine by Warwick Deeping
The story revolves around the lives of King Uther and Queen Igraine, who are the parents of the legendary King Arthur. The book is set in ancient Brit...

The Storm Of London by Fernande Blaze De Bury
Our clothes tell our story. They reflect our rank, have to suit a perfect event, and much more. But what happens when they disappear? Sounds frighteni...

Kaleri-orja by Heinrich Zschokke
Set in 17th-century France, "Kaleri-orja" is a touching and evocative novella that tells the tragic tale of Leonardo, a young man whose life is irrevo...

Alexander's Bridge by Willa Cather
Alexander's Bridge is the first novel by American author Willa Cather. First published in 1912, it was re-released with an author's preface in 1922. I...

The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins
"Everything in life has a price. May be, telling a Secret has the highest. However, not telling may be worse. What will Sarah choose? will she tell th...

The Roll-Call by Arnold Bennett
"The Roll-Call" is the sequel to the Clayhanger trilogy. This book concerns the young life of Clayhanger's stepson, George. George Edwin Cannon (he qu...

Cousin Betty by Honoré de Balzac
La Cousine Bette is an 1846 novel by French author Honoré de Balzac. Set in mid-19th-century Paris, it tells the story of an unmarried middle-aged wom...

The Spoils of Poynton by Henry James
The Spoils of Poynton is a novel by Henry James, first published under the title The Old Things as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly in 1896 and then a...

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...

One Basket by Edna Ferber
This sparkling collection of 7 short stories by Ferber includes some that are considered her all time best like The Woman Who Tried To be Good and The...
Reviews for The Real Thing
No reviews posted or approved, yet...