The Portrait of a Lady Paperback - 1963
by Henry James, Jr.
About this book
The
Portrait of a Lady by Henry James was initially published as a serial in Macmillan's
Magazine (UK) and The Atlantic Monthly (US) in 1880–81. The story
tells of a spirited young American woman, Isabel Archer — arguably one of
Miller’s most memorable characters — as she affronts her destiny only to find it
overwhelming. The Portrait of a Lady is James’ most popular novel and is
regarded by critics as one of his finest, exploring his characteristic theme of conflict between American individualism and European social custom.
Summary
Spirited, beautiful young American Isabel Archer journeys to Europe to, in modern terms, "find herself." But what she finds there may prove to be her undoing, especially when an infinitely sophisticated lady plots against her.
First Edition Identification
Though most generally considered The Portrait of a Lady to have been published simultaneously in the United Kingdom and the United States, controversy surrounds the true publication history. Macmillan (London) published the first UK edition of the book in three volumes in November 1881, just as the story was concluding its run in the eponymous house monthly magazine. However, Macmillan’s second edition — its first single-volume edition — was not published until June 1882. In the mean time, Houghton, Mifflin, and Company (Boston) published the first US and first single-volume edition, which became available on November 16, 1881, though the date on the title page states 1882.
Details
- Title The Portrait of a Lady
- Author Henry James, Jr.
- Binding Paperback
- Language EN
- Publisher Signet Classics
- Date December 1, 1963
- ISBN 9780451507389