THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY

Henry Jamess great masterpiece now in a stunning Penguin clothbound edition designed by the acclaimed Coralie BickfordSmith.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 her freedom does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly 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 her destiny Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines and a story 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 Jamess 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 many short stories plays books of criticism autobiography and travel he wrote some twenty novels the first published being Roderick Hudson (1875). They include The Europeans Washington Square The Portrait of a Lady The Bostonians The 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 Professor of English at University College London.