The Portrait of a Lady cover art

The Portrait of a Lady

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The Portrait of a Lady

By: Henry James
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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About this listen

The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous-spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming Madame Merle.

The Portrait of a Lady was an immediate success upon publication; it remains the most popular of James' longer works and is generally regarded as the masterpiece of his early period.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

Public Domain (P)2016 Naxos AudioBooks Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Italy

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A class ic English novel read superlatively well. it's easy to get lost reading Henry James' prose but Juliet Stephenson makes it so comprehensible. A most enjoyable listen.

Excellent

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wonderful narration - Juliet Stevenson at her best. the characterisation and storyline henry james at his finest . I would strongly recommend .

gripping novel

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I really wanted to like this book given its acclaim as a classic, but all I can say is, buy the abridged version if it’s available. Despite the superb narration of Juliet Stevenson (as usual) so much of this book is dull and dry, full of vague dialogue where no one seems to say exactly what they are thinking. The last quarter is much more interesting but only sheer determination got me through to the end. I enjoy reading classic novels, but unlike Dickens and Austen who infuse their stories with warm vibrant characters and subtle humour, this felt more like a lecture delivered under the thin veneer of a narrative. None of the characters are particularly likeable - Isabelle at best is frustrating (I just wanted to shake her); the reptilian, manipulating Gilbert hateful. The up-in-the-air ending has left me feeling little more than irritated.

A test of determination

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thank you. a variety of impersonations used, lovely intonation which matches the text. special listen!

wonderful

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Very well written. Excellent narration. Long dull repetitive tale. Miserable theme, wretched futility of the privileged in emotionally stunted and stifled times. Ultimately unrewarding.

well written . dull

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Juliet Stevenson read this novel with magical skill. Everything she reads is brilliantly done.
The novel is one of the great 19th-century novels and deserved a fine reading. I recommend also her reading of the novels of Virginia Woolf.

Juliet Stevenson

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this was very long winded story. it was a bit off at times to. sorry.

Ok

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An ambiguous ending, how dissatisfying. Rest of the novel is good although slightly unbelievable in parts. I adore juliet Stevensons narration usually but her French accent for pansy grated after a while. Altogether a disappointing read in the end, especially with such a long novel.... an unsatisfying conclusion.

Disappointing

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I would never be so audacious as to review Henry James but feel compelled to say that Juliet Stevenson is superb as narrator! Her American accent is not only faultless, she manages to use the particular accent of 1900 America. Wonderful!

Narrator

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Although Juliet Stevenson reads this beautifully, I could not in honesty say it held my attention. A classic it may be, but I found it achingly slow to develop and disappointing. The plot staggered along and seemed very predictable. Suspecting the ending, I researched in the Oxford Companion and confirmed my thoughts. Didn’t finish the book I am afraid to admit. Such a pity as I am sure that from a literary point of view it’s a masterpiece.

Hard going

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