The Ambassadors

By: Henry James

Narrated by: Stephen Hoye

Length: 18 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

Lambert Strether, a mild, middle-aged American of no particular achievements, is dispatched to Paris from the manufacturing empire of Woollett, Massachusetts. The mission conferred on him by his august patron, Mrs. Newsome, is to discover what, or who, is keeping her son Chad in the notorious city of pleasure and to bring him home. But Strether finds Chad transformed by the influence of a remarkable woman. And as the Parisian spring advances, he himself succumbs to the allure of the "vast bright Babylon" and to the mysterious charm of Madame de Vionnet.

Public Domain (P)2010 Tantor

This can drive you crazy

Oh what a chore to keep going! This is a great book, I suppose. That is, if you like language to be a nuanced dance: " (Speaker 1) " Do you mean XYZ?" (Speaker 2): Oh! Oh! Oh!".....makes me want to shake some of these characters by the shoulders and tell them to make themselves clear and get to the point. Not my favorite Henry James book.

True exaltation, the kind that's earned

One of the greatest novels ever written. Nearly all of life is here. Struggle, doubt, beauty, hope and resolution, or, perhaps more accurately, as near as we ever come to honestly, haltingly grasping those shifting realities. Set down in language that not only deepens consciousness but expands it. This book's nagging questions and shimmering sublimities will stay with you for the rest of your days.

A Masterpiece

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is a treasure for anyone who loves the English language.

What did you like best about this story?

Given the deep, patient attention that James' prose demands, this recording is sublime. In perfectly constructed sentences delivered with Shakespearean cadence, James' insights into human nature unfold like hothouse flowers. But don't look for resolution--as in life, there are none in The Ambassadors.

Have you listened to any of Stephen Hoye’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Hoye is new to me, but I'll look for his work in the future.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

An American in Paris Gets Lost in Translation

The Ambassadors - Classic Henry James

Performance: Very good, no issues.

Content: Classic Henry James. Slow action, detailed interior discussion and a low about of dialogue compare to internal reflections. Iffy, if I would read it again.

Henry James can be hard to follow but worth it

With Henry James things move at a glacial pace. I happen to be a very fast reader and would be tempted to gobble up the plot and try to skip the delays, so having this read to me is much better as I get the full effect. For example, two people meet in a room and you are dying to know what they will say to each other, but James is slow to tell you - he meticulously describes the surroundings, the atmosphere, what the characters are thinking, etc. letting the tension build almost unbearably - and then they say almost nothing! The writing is exquisite - if painfully slow - and eventually I was just dying to know where this was going so I had to keep extending my walks so I could listen to more!

The plot involves a main character (the "ambassador") who has been sent from New England to London to bring back the family's son and heir to take up the family business back home. He slowly - and I mean slowly - discovers what the young man is up to. There are many other fascinating characters involved. A great deal of the action takes place in Paris. I won't give away any more. If you like Henry James or period pieces and have the patience to wait out a good story, you will enjoy it.

The reader does a beautiful job - no excessive acting, just beautiful reading with meaning. Perfect for this text. I'll look for more by Stephen Hoye.

Almost Unlistenable

Would you try another book from Henry James and/or Stephen Hoye?

Stephen Hoye is not cut out to read James' sentences. His delivery of each sentence is identical, in spite of distinct meanings. It feels as if Hoye experiences James' prose as a chore. I'm very disappointed, and will avoid this narrator.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Classic Jamesian intrigue and deft manipulation.

How could the performance have been better?

If Simon Prebble had read it, or someone who could contend with James' extraordinary syntax.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

The reading sparked utter annoyance - pure exasperation. How is it that, hearing the first few chapters, the producers did not hire a different reader?

Any additional comments?

Take care when assigning a reader to James. His writing is rich but demanding.

Hoo boy, that's a lotta work

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

An editor. Fewer run-on sentences. Being able to tell when the sentence is finally, dear god, over.

Has The Ambassadors turned you off from other books in this genre?

I didn't know excruciating was a genre.

What didn’t you like about Stephen Hoye’s performance?

I only speak ill of the dead.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Ambassadors?

Any sentence that uses the word "serenest" and the like. Any sentence ending in a preposition. Applying these two rules would turn this into a servicable short story.

Any additional comments?

I chose this book after finishing All the Great Prizes, the biography of John Hay. Hay was one of Lincoln's two secretaries and lived an astounding life. Henry James was one of his friends and Hay loved this book -- or claimed he did. If sincere, Hay gives bad literary advice.