The Portrait of a Lady

By: Henry James

Narrated by: John Wood

Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy the freedom that her fortune has opened up and to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors, declaring that she will never be wed.

It is only when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the cultivated but worthless Gilbert Osmond that she discovers that wealth is a two-edged sword. She becomes a victim of her own provincialism and the scheming of her friends, learning only too late that there is a price to be paid for independence. A tragic tale of love and betrayal, it still resonates with audiences today.

With its subtle delineation of American characters in a European setting, The Portrait of a Lady is considered the masterpiece of the first phase of James's career and arguably his most popular story. Within it we find a reflection of James's interest in the differences between the New World and the Old, often to the detriment of the former.

A film adaptation was made in 1996 by New Zealand director Jane Campion, starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, and Barbara Hershey.

Narrator Biography

Having begun his career on stage, John Wood spent seven years in television before eventually playing lead roles in Tom Stoppard's teleplays in 1967. After two Tony nominations for his performances in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Sherlock Holmes, he won the award for Best Actor for his role in Stoppard's surrealistic farce, Travesties, in 1976. He also had a long career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and continued his theatre work in both America and the UK, eventually receiving a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1997 for his role in Stoppard's Invention of Love.

In 1996, Wood performed in BBC Radio 3's audio production of Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw and in 2010 he narrated audiobook The Portrait of a Lady with Audible Studios. His appearances in feature films have included Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and, later, television appearances have included Foyles's War (2004) and Lewis (2007). In 2007 he was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Real fine lady, who's that lady?

A work of wonder displaying the naivete' and mistakes of youth and some Americans' missteps in life choices that were driven by gullible and romantic notions of and in Europe. The novel still feels fresh and timely.

I was driven from this novel, after beginning it a few years back, by both its bulk and by my dislike of Washington Square (see, if you will, my caustic review of both the book and the author). I am pleased to have returned to The Portrait of a Lady, so that, finally, I can appreciate the depth of character and psychological acuity of Henry James' writing.

As much as I disliked Washington Square (and was unimpressed by his novella The Beast in the Jungle), I prized this esteemed classic of fiction.

Great read, good reader

What did you love best about The Portrait of a Lady?

James' insight into human motivation for action or inaction. Also his beautiful use of language and his subtle humor.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Portrait of a Lady?

Isabel's moments of self reflection are beautiful and often heartbreaking, especially near the end of the book when they are more pointed and more painful.

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

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, the book is quite long and dense. I preferred to listen, take a break, then continue or even re-listen to passages.

Any additional comments?

On the whole I liked John Wood's reading. He gets it. My one complaint is the way he handles young women's voices. They sound like mock children. This is especially a problem with this book as I feel the listener needs to somewhat fall in love with the protagonist to really understand the book.

Best audible recording I’ve ever heard

John Wood’s sense for the subtleties of tone and syntax in James brings life to each of the sentences he reads. A masterpiece of a recording; adequately nuanced for someone as fine as James. A 24 hours blissfully spent.

An American Jane Austen

I have read a few Henry James before but it was this book that really made me aware of the fact that he was the male, American version of Jane Austen but without the wit and insight.

The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of manners, of might bes and being careful of what you wish for. After several books recently I am beginning to wonder how the institution of marriage survived the Victorian times - none of them have been happy and most of the husbands were monsters, this marriage was another to add to the list.

I enjoyed it but it was very slow - beautifully slow in its accuracy to describe fully a room, a look or a thought but it did mean that the action was subdued, almost to the speed of molasses!

My biggest criticism of the book however was the narrator. John Wood is a lovely narrator and I hope to hear him again, but he was completely wrong for this book. Its an American view of English and ex-patriate life in Europe, to have it read by an Englishman who can't do an American accent or a woman's accent without it sounding like he's in drag, was very disappointing.

I felt mean giving this book only four stars but unfortunately that's all it deserved.

Classic story with detracting narration

What did you love best about The Portrait of a Lady?

"Portrait of a Lady" provides rich detail in both settings and character development. The concept of living behind such a veil of propriety and ritual is foriegn to us in current times, but the nuances of freindship, love and relationships is still interesting and relevant today.

How could the performance have been better?

Mr. Wood's voice, while deep and appropriate for the male character, fell short of enjoyable for the female parts. Also, his frequent swallowing, throat clearing and lip licking were quite obvious and distracting. Sounds that might not be noticed on the stage or film, are quite annoying in the audio version of a work. I purchased this version of the book because it had the highest ratings, but I would take a sample listen to others before purchasing.

Superb narration

I think James would have approved of this performance. The sound quality is a little off -- it picks up too much of the narrator's natural swallows and tongue movement -- but that can be overlooked in the instance of such fine acting.

Excellent narrator!

I love the combination this book with the narrator. great writing with perfect pitch narration

Fantastic Narration and Wonderful Story

This made me remember why James in my favorite author. There is so much texture and feeling. I am right there, in the time period and in the place with the incredible narration. Although it is quite long, it seemed to pass so quickly that I want to hear more.

Enjoyed hearing it

A little slow but amazing literary read. I wished the story would finish differently Thanks

I will reread one day to better know James

There was a moment in this book when I told my husband that I didn't like the book at all. And later on, there was a moment when I felt it was my favorite read of 2019! In the end I realize that Mr James was an artist, and that Colm Toibin was spot on when he calls James The Master. So why were there those moments when I disliked it? I think it is because the book isn't an easy read. It is smart and intricate and difficult. I needed to stay in the story without any distraction.

This book feels very modern despite the fact that it was published in 1881.

What I loved most:

1. Isabel Archer
James gave us a book about a beautiful and strong American woman who is visiting her wealthy relatives in England. She values independence above everything else and rejects marriage proposals by two suitors. She inherits a fortune and is looking towards a solitary life in which she isn't burdened or controlled by a man. But she is manipulated into marrying ...

2. Gilbert Osmond.
He is one of the most hateful, arrogant, sinister, spiteful and intriguing antagonists I have read in a long time. He makes the book much better.

This duo of headstrong woman and sickening, obsessive man is what made me love the modern book The Pillars of the Earth. I think that the duo of Isabel and Gilbert is quite similar to Aliena & William Hamleigh. (I know the comparison may seem odd, but I loved both duos in the same way.)