Henry James' great masterpiece, now in a stunning Penguin clothbound edition des
igned by the acclaimed Coralie Bickford-Smith. When Isabel Archer, a beautiful,
spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expe
cted that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does n
ot hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors.
Then she finds herself irresis
tibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a
rich prize waiting to be taken. In this portrait of a 'young woman affronting he
r destiny', Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a stor
y of intense poignancy.
This edition is based on the earliest published copy
of the novel: this is the version that was read first and loved by most readers
in James' lifetime. It also includes an introduction, notes and other editorial
materials by leading James scholar Philip Horne. Henry James was born in 1843 in
Washington Place, New York, of Scottish and Irish ancestry.
In addition to m
any short stories, plays, books of criticism, autobiography and travel, he wrote
some twenty novels, the first published being Roderick Hudson (1875). They incl
ude The Europeans, Washington Square, The Portrait of a Lady, The Bostonians, Th
e Princess Casamassima, The Tragic Muse, The Spoils of Poynton, The Awkward Age,
The Wings of the Dove, The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl. Philip Horne is Pro
fessor of English at University College London.
