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.

I loved the story but....

I was completely let down by the ending. Talk about being left to our imagination! Maybe that's what makes the story great, I finished it 3 days ago and I am still thinking about it - - And I totally disagree with any of the negative reviews about the narrator. As soon as I finished this book, I searched for others read by him! When am I going to stop wondering what happened to Isabel, Pansy, and others? How long will I grieve for sweet Ralph? Sigh ~

The portrait of a lady

Wonderful. Clever, James’s details were colorful and ample. The tension between characters were creatively anticipated.

Narration detracts from beautiful story

Mr. Woods was a wonderful actor, but his narration of Portrait of a Lady is, at best, distracting. This is one of my favorite books, so maybe, like reviewer Elinor below, I'm more picky than usual, but the frequent interruptions for episodes of panting, audible swallows, painful American accents and his unfriendly portrayals of the women made this hard going. Like other reviewers, I was particularly put off by the shrill women's voices. This isn't the first time I've been disappointed with a narration by a well-known actor. I think narration requires different skills than those of a movie or television actor.

If you can listen beyond Mr. Woods' theatrics, though, the book is wonderful. Granted, a great deal has changed for women since the book was written, and it makes it difficult for us to understand some of young
Isabelle's actions and choices. She can easily seem frivolous and overly self-involved. Maybe her experiences and challenges as a very young woman are too different from those experienced by young women today; maybe this part of the book does not withstand the test of time. But the adult Isabelle is another person altogether--along with her adult husband and friends. We've known these people, and unfortunately, we've known these situations. Henry James wrote of Isabelle with great love and sympathy. I think this book remains a classic because most readers will find the same love and sympathy.

Frustrated by the narration

I love this book, so perhaps I'm prone to being picky, but I was SO frustrated by the narration that I purchased another version just so I could continue with the book. I'm sensitive to male narrators who attempt female voices but just end up sounding shrill (it makes the female characters seem unlikeable), and this is one of the worst instances I've experienced. His Henrietta Stackpole, for instance, was so shrill & awful, I just had to turn it off. I'd recommend the Nadia May version, which I bought to replace this.

The best of everything!

What made the experience of listening to The Portrait of a Lady the most enjoyable?

This is one of the best books I've ever read by an American author, and truthfully my favorite book of all time. James' characters and scenes are described in the most heartbreakingly beautiful language.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are so many incredible character studies in this book, it's impossible to pick just one, but to witness Isabel Archer and understand her and see her go through what she does, is an unbelievable, but sad pleasure.

What about John Wood’s performance did you like?

Next to a narration by Will Patton (who does mostly contemporary American narration) John Wood is the best narrator I've listened to, just defies belief. Such emotion and intelligence in his reading. The best!

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

So enjoyable, it's long but you don't want to miss a word. I'm listening to it for the second time in a couple years.

Nicely written and narrated, poor payoff

This book is well-written. The dialog is interesting and the narrative flows. The narrator is first-rate. However, I can't say that I was able to like the main character much and I was disappointed by the ending. It's one of those non-endings that expect the reader to figure things out for themselves. I like my characters to grow. I prefer a story arc. I want resolution, darn it!

Excellent novel made even better by narration

I had never read James, had been put off by things I'd heard. I decided to try this on Audible as I do like classics in general. As voiced by John Wood, this story wad captivating- his voice is very enjoyable and he brings the characters to life and makes the story sparkle with life. Highest recommendation for this particular version - cannot fathom what some few other reviewers could mean by their detractions,

Surprising ending

This novel is wonderfully narrated. Characters really come to life. The ending seemed abrupt and disappointing. I was literally shocked when I heard “The End”.

Highly recommended

John Wood's narration is just about perfect. The "American" accents are not "realistic," but that is a minor quibble, especially as it is offset so well by the perfect rendition of the narrative voice. Wood clearly understands the arc of the novel as a whole, so each chapter, paragraph, sentence has the right tone and nuance; the little refracted ironies strewn about everywhere are nicely expressed. Best of all -- I say this without having heard other readings -- is that Wood reads slowly. He savors the words, and we have time to understand them. The production values and audio quality are fabulous. I echo Linda's comment: Please, Mr. Wood, record more James!

Distracted by the Narration

Decent story, but I ended up just reading the book myself. Next time I'll listen to the sample.