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
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
The Freelands by John Galsworthy
It is a captivating novel that explores the themes of family, love, and social change. This book takes readers on a journey through the lives of the F...
The Crack of Doom by Robert Cromie
This is a captivating novel that delves into the realms of science, morality, and the unforeseen consequences of mankind's quest for knowledge. Publis...
What Maisie Knew by Henry James
When Beale and Ida Farange are divorced, the court decrees that their only child, the very young Maisie, will shuttle back and forth between them, spe...
A Sicilian Romance by Ann Radcliffe
The Marquis Mazzini's daughters, Emilia and Julia, are beautiful and accomplished young ladies. Julia quickly falls in love with the young and handsom...
Colin: A Novel by E. F. Benson
In the charming world of Colin, secrets are woven into the very fabric of society, and behind the veneer of polite society lies a web of hidden desire...
The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain
The Mysterious Stranger is a novel attempted by the American author Mark Twain. He worked on it intermittently from 1897 through 1908. Twain wrote mul...
Against the Grain, or Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans
À rebours (French pronunciation: [a ʁ(ə).buʁ]; translated Against Nature or Against the Grain) is an 1884 novel by the French writer Joris-Karl Huysma...
The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope
The Prime Minister is the fifth in Trollope's series of six Palliser novels. With Phineas' difficulties resolved, Trollope introduces new characters....
Samson Agonistes by John Milton
Samson Agonistes is a tragic closet drama by John Milton. It appeared with the publication of Milton's Paradise Regained in 1671, as the title page of...
Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon
Brewster's Millions is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. It was adapted in...
Reviews for The Real Thing
No reviews posted or approved, yet...