Dimensions
130 x 198 x 33mm
Determined to devote herself to the pursuit of knowledge and personal independence, the bright, young American Isabel Archer spurns marriage proposals from both the entrepreneurial Bostonian Caspar Goodwood and the handsome English peer Lord Warburton. Her path of enlightenment through Europe becomes skewed, however, first by an unexpected inheritance and then by the selfish machinations of her artful new friend. Struggling to make the best use of her intellect and her fortune, Isabel becomes the prey of the unscrupulous, and is forced to confront a horrible truth: her confidence and courage have been used against her.
A masterpiece of psychological and social examination, 'The Portrait of a Lady' established James as a major novelist and added a new dimension to the image of the fascinated American confounded by the mysteries of Europe.
The most comprehensive paperback edition available, with introduction, notes, text summary, selected criticism and chronology of James's and times.