Leon Edel

A brash American expatriate confronts the profound differences between the Old and New Worlds in this classic tale.
Soon after wealthy businessman Christopher Newman decides to leave America for a life of leisure in Europe, he becomes acquainted with Claire de Cintré, a beautiful widow whose family—the Bellegardes—are mainstays of the French aristocracy. Determined to win Claire’s affection, Newman befriends her...

First published in 1903 in serial form, Henry James' "The Ambassadors" is the story of the middle-aged and naïve Lewis Lambert Strether, who travels to Europe at the behest of his widowed fiancée to find her supposedly wayward son, Chad Newsome. Mrs. Newsome fears he has fallen under the spell of a sinful woman and Strether must rescue him. With the intent of bringing Chad back to America and to his post at the family business, Strether encounters...

The Portrait of a Lady is regarded by many as Henry James's finest work, and a lucid tragedy exploring the distance between money and happiness. 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. Then...

Essays on literature -- American writers -- English writers.