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The Portrait of a Lady
- Narrated by: John Wood
- Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins
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The Portrait of a Lady
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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).
What listeners say about The Portrait of a Lady
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- bangandthedirtisgone
- 06-02-17
Interesting
Thought provoking. After watching the film twice (which is very good) I wanted to see if I could find out more. It's almost a psychological who done it. Is there an answer? Watch the film first then listen to the book is my recommendation. You lose nothing and the film draws you in quicker. Then you will
want to know more. Can the book deliver ....?
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Su
- 02-12-13
Took a long time but loved it
What did you like most about The Portrait of a Lady?
I loved Henry James's descriptions. He takes his time and you have to be patient with the pace of the story but it's great. Didn't have quite the ending I wanted but then it was up to the writer not me!
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The point where she realizes there's a betrayal and an undercurrent in her relationship to her best friend was pretty good. As was the description of her growing realization of the true nature of her husband's character. Very moving.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simone
- 03-05-19
A great book
The plot is great and also the narrator.
It’s very worth listening to it, I may te-listen it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anne
- 09-10-17
Henry James for first time
This was my first Henry James novel and I was a little disappointed. I love a classic, and had been listening to Middlemarch before this. James was amusing in his observations of life, but I di not think the storyline was very entertaining. Just my personal opinion.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- B
- 14-10-17
A fascinating writer at the top of his game
A wonderful slow exploration of the relationships between people of a bygone age. at times a bit ponderous but fascinating for all that. the plot builds well but I had the feeling Mr James ran out of steam a bit in finding an ending.
The narration is high quality in terms of diction and phrasing but the characterisations were not very distinct.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Tone
- 25-02-24
Literary style is sublime. Masterclass in narration..
With Shelley's fire, and Jamesian grace,
A portrait blooms, a woman's face.
Isabel, young, with spirit free,
Across the ocean sails to Italy.
A land of gilded cages gleams,
Where fortune smiles, and fate schemes. Ralph, cousin kind, with heart sincere,
And Osmond, cold, with eyes severe.
Choices made, with naive might
For love, for wealth, beneath the light.
But freedom's song, a yearning deep,
In Isabel's soul, refusing sleep.
Through Tuscan hills and London's haze,
Her spirit wrestles, finds its maze.
Betrayal's sting, and secrets kept,
The portrait fades, a truth unswept.
No damsel saved, no knight in sight,
Just shadows dance in fading light.
Yet in her gaze, a strength unknown,
A woman forged, her path her own.
So read this tale, where beauty lies,
In choices made, beneath clear skies
For Isabel, though flawed and bold,
A portrait lives, a truth untold.
If you seek a novel that will challenge you, make you think, and leave a lasting impression, then add this masterpiece to your reading list. As Isabel herself muses, "Life was a great field of experience of which she had only seen the edges."
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 10-03-13
James's writing is sublime
James's writing is wonderful and this version is very well read. The novel is character driven rather than plot driven. We see Isabel's character evolve, the effect money has on her life, the different male suitors show the marital options available to women at the time and the satelite female characters portray alternative forms of existence for women in C19th society. Isabel arrives on the scene framed in a doorway- like a portrait- and leaves the same way, but is much changed. When you look at a portrait it is static but you can read so much into it; the same is true of Isabel Archer.
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8 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Mr Kenneth Bradley
- 19-11-21
tedious
it may be a classic but i find it boring.
she allows 4 men to chase her and I found I didn't really mind who won.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S. F. Bond
- 11-12-21
Acute observation of human love
Beautifully written and well read. It’s a heart breaking account of unrequited and unrealised love. The characters are wonderfully drawn.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Graeme Leith
- 23-12-21
The opposite to today's Me Too society
The book gave the lie that American women are independent minded, spirited and forces of nature. This is the make-believe they like to foster. It is a chimera.
In reality, American women are seriously traditional, superficial and wholly unoriginal. Overall, they appear to have no values of their own and they certainly live by none.
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