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.

brutal and bloodless

Every ten years or so I read one of James' novels, hoping it will "take," but I'm still not a fan. His fiction is so dispassionate that I find myself baffled by his characters. The heroine, Isabelle, is more self-possessed and self-aware than any 23-year-old I've ever known. Men are so crazy for her that they follow her across oceans and continents--the last time I saw such single-minded devotion was in "There's Something about Mary". With all this going for her, why doesn't Isabelle smell a rat when the creepy Osmond starts courting her? Why isn't she clued in by the fact that none of her friends like him--and that his unfortunate daughter, Pansy, is reminiscent of a character out of the Ghastlycrumb Tinies? The last third of the novel is more engaging; there's a discursive section on Isabelle's attraction to Osmond (which John Wood reads beautifully), and I found myself more involved with the characters after I had some of their history. If you are a James fan, give this one a try. If you're hoping to be converted, I don't think this audiobook will do it.

Breathtaking

One can learn psychology and sociology from this book, while swimming in its warm and enticing waters.

My first Henry James

This was the first book I read by Henry James. I wasn't blown away but I liked it. The mix of American & British characters drew me in to the story. The timeframe was never really established. I would have liked to have known more about that to get a better sense of the placement.

Fiction of beauty and depth!

Loved it. Great fiction psychological and feminist for the era in which it was written.

Freedom succumbs to duty, love to yearning.

The Ambassadors was one level of masterwork. The Wings Of A Dove, quite another, but this, a most accessible and poignant masterpiece will stay with us for the ages.

Beautiful

The character development is amazing and the story captivating. The narrator does a wonderful job.

Excellent Performance!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Portrait of a Lady to be better than the print version?

I loved hearing this audio book read, and I think it is easier to listen to a book like this than read the print version.

What does John Wood bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He expresses the real emotion behind the characters and sets a good mood and tone for the book.

Masterful narration of the Master's finest

I hadn't read Portrait since I was about Isabel Archer's age. I'm now in mid-life, and the story and its takeaways resonate even more: there are things we have to give up if we are to live a principled life. Then again, the contemporary feminist in me screams at Isabel to bend so she doesn't break. There are so many psychological insights here; James was so far ahead of his time and so sympathetic to women's inner lives. It's an essential read -- and listen!
Wood does a really fine job with the different characters. As another reviewer noted, Wood shows a deep understanding of the plot and character, and delivers really nuanced and often entertaining performances. I laughed aloud at some of his characterizations -- Henrietta, Mrs. Touchett, and the Countess Gemini in particular. I wasn't bothered by his American accents; they are a blend of American and British English, the way expats often wind up speaking. I usually both read and listen to a novel simultaneously; Wood's performance actually added depth, humor and vigor to counter what can sometimes seem like lugubrious writing on the part of James, who is still one of my favorite authors. I just never realized he was a humorist -- even a satirist -- as well! Highly recommend this performance, especially if you are a devotée, as I am, of Victorian novels, and just can't bear one more Juliet Stephenson narration (love her, but sometimes one needs a break).

"Reading" through the classics

Pandemic hobby, going back a century or so and catching up on classic titles. Listened through Austen, Waugh, Tolstoy and Steinbeck. Henry James is credited with creating the "modern" novel. Problem with Portrait is that I didn't like any of the characters. The writing is lovely, settings lush, but characters whose dark or silly sides are showing, leaving the reader with little hope that things will turn out. Maybe this is a modern novel. But the ending is frustrating, heroine infuriating. The reader however is excellent. Kept with it but in the end was let down.

Brilliant

Henry James is not for everyone but this is his great novel and the narration by John Wood cannot be bettered - he understands the novel and brings out aspects in his nuanced delivery