The Portrait of a Lady Audiobook By Henry James cover art

The Portrait of a Lady

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The Portrait of a Lady

By: Henry James
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
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The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous-spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming Madame Merle.

The Portrait of a Lady was an immediate success upon publication; it remains the most popular of James' longer works and is generally regarded as the masterpiece of his early period.

Download the accompanying reference guide.Public Domain (P)2016 Naxos AudioBooks Classics Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Italy
Complex Characters • Hypnotic Storytelling • Enriching Experience • Engrossing Progression • Historical Relevance
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The sound engineers for this book are not
JS's narration of Henrietta for example was so loud it hurt my ears - esp because that character has such a brash nasal tone. When I'd turn down the volume when her character was speaking then I'd have to turn the volume right back up in order to hear the narrators voice or Ralph's, etc
Juliet has an amazing capacity to do so many voices expressing the personality of each character perfectly. That's talent
As for the story all I could say was WTH? at the end. It's almost as if James got tired of writing and just cut off the story as expediently as possible. To go through so much detail and flesh out each character so well then at the end just finish with She went back to Rome?
Honestly. If he was too bored or tired to end the story properly and with some logical extension of the last couple of scenes, then he should've left it up to one of his talented contemporaries to finish the story

Juliet Stevenson is brilliant as ever

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This is a perfect novel, brilliantly read. I enjoyed It immensely. As I said the equivalent of listening to a soulfully profound Brahms Symphony. Deeply sad but also bright, vivid and strangely optimistic.

The reading equivalent of listening to A Brahms Symphony

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I enjoyed this reading of a novel that I know well. A major problem for me is the way Isabel Archer’s lines are read. She’s reduced to a stereotypical American—almost Henrietta Stackpole. Given the significance of her role, this is a major problem, reflecting the reader’s inability to comprehend fully the protagonist. Editor was needed early on.

More subtle audio interpretation of Isabel needed

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I love Juliet Stevenson as an actress on the screen, and her voice is perfect for this novel. The story was hard for me to get into at first, but once I did, I was hooked. If you like Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, etc., but want something a little grittier; this is a great choice- A classic that was new to me.

Juliet Stevenson is wonderful

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I remember reading Portrait of a Lady in college and loving it, To revisit it today, after fifty years was delicious joy!

Portrait of a Lady, after sixty years

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Henry James is not an easy read, let's just get that out of the way. He was an incredibly verbose, detailed writer, the likes of which we do not see in modern writing. I found his storytelling incredibly hypnotic and beautiful - but yes, it does try one's patience. Read this book if you want to give your brain a workout and improve your focus and ability to concentrate. It's very good for that, and I truly mean it. But do not read this book if you want a very plot-driven, quick read, because the plot really does take a very long time to play out and even the end is slightly abrupt, in my view. This book, like all of James' novels, is a commitment, but you will be very enriched for having read it. Personally, I preferred The Wings of the Dove because the plot - also very slow to begin and to play out - was more interesting to me, but Portrait is a fine novel as well and reading Henry James is good for the brain and the soul. I see other reviews here, complaining of the narrator's American accents, and while this did not bother me personally, yes, they are a bit theatrical but I would listen to Juliet Stephenson read a grocery list, honestly.

Hypnotic, Romantic, Challenging

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This story becomes more and more engrossing as it progresses. The narrator is one of my favorites and she does the story justice with the exception of her American accents which tend to have an unlikely, crude edge...as though everyone from the USA is from the south shore of New Jersey. Putting aside that disappointment, and the disappointment of the ending, it is well worth a listen.

This One Will Keep You Up

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If you could sum up The Portrait of a Lady in three words, what would they be?

personal, deep, real

What other book might you compare The Portrait of a Lady to and why?

Portrait of a Lady is so singular that I would be hard pressed to find a comparison, but I suppose "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë comes closest because they both feature strong, independent women. Portrait of a Lady is groundbreaking in its realism, pulling away from the romanticism of Jane Eyre.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I enjoyed the dialogue both exterior and interior the most. It sounded fresh and real like people today. I could not believe what I was hearing. Isabel Archer's thoughts were my thoughts. I felt like she spoke to and for me. How Henry James got into the mind of this female character amazed me. She is among the most complex women in English literature.

Any additional comments?

Do not put off reading this for four years like I did. Read it now. You will be rewarded with one of the richest and most nourishing novels in the English language. I can see why James' masterpiece was voted high as one of the hundred greatest novels of all time.

Real Deep

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The characters are nicely developed. Great book. The story in itself takes some time to develop but that ending. Wow

Good read but slow start

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love the book The narration was exceptional
what more can I say amazing reccomend highly

Henry James at his best

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