Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous story, French vs. American culture shock
Review: I have this friend who hates Henry James. I can't understand it. The style is dated, in that people dont write that way today, but as you get into the book you begin to enjoy the style, as well as the plot, characters, and French/American dual culture shock that still goes on today. (For an update on the theme, look at Le Divorce and Le Mariage by Diane Johnson). I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen to these characters and the description of Paris in the Second Empire were fascinating. If you watch the Masterpiece Theatre version without having read the book, you will be totally confused. They moved events out of sequence all over the place and after about ten minutes I shut off the tape and picked up the book. You have to know the whole story before you watch them throw characters and events at you in the first two scenes that only appear 2/3 of the way through the novel, after a foundation has been laid as to who they are and when and why things happened.I couldnt recommend this more for a good read. The only caution I have is for readers who have never been to France. They may get an extremely negative impression of French people from many of the characters in this book. Go to Paris and you will find the city is wonderful, and so are the French people. These characters are not typical!! They belong to a certain class, and the book does take place 150 years ago. If this book doesnt get you hooked on James, I dont know what will. Try Washington Square and dont miss that movie, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, Albert Finney and Maggie Smith.
Rating:
Summary: wtg henry james!!!
Review: i recommend to everyone to start with the american if they have an interest in henry james, but haven't yet read anything by him. the american isn't so much of the l'art pour l'art movement as his later works, as he was pretty young when he wrote this. nonetheless, this is still a classic. christopher newman can come off as arrogant but throughout the book one enjoys him more and more. the ending is great, with christopher finally being vindicated. for whatever it's worth, i read james' the princess casamassima after this. it's a good follow-up for one who has just been introduced to h. james, although it isn't so much concerned with the old world vs new world theme as is the american.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch out for Jim Gallen's review!
Review: If you haven't read this book yet and don't want to know how it ends, then don't read Jim Gallen's review, "A Romance for the Unromantic". Actually, I can't be sure that he gave away the true ending. I was planning to buy and read the book until I read his review, and now I won't bother. Mr. Gallen, if you want to discuss the ending, please post a warning next time. After all, once we read it, we can't "unread it" - the damage is done.
Rating:
Summary: Watch out for Jim Gallen's review!
Review: If you haven't read this book yet and don't want to know how it ends, then don't read Jim Gallen's review, "A Romance for the Unromantic". Actually, I can't be sure that he gave away the true ending. I was planning to buy and read the book until I read his review, and now I won't bother. Mr. Gallen, if you want to discuss the ending, please post a warning next time. After all, once we read it, we can't "unread it" - the damage is done.
Rating:
Summary: Make no mistake...
Review: James can be a long read. But keep in mind the time period in which he is writing and you will easily tackle this novel. This book should be on y our "Must Read List". Every American should be reading about Christopher Newman. Its easily understandable today as it was over 100 years ago. We often forget our place in the world and fail to see ourselves from the point of view of others. This is the story of an expatriate in a time when America was boldly going forth into a old world, filled with old customs and well worn traditions. Well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Make no mistake...
Review: James can be a long read. But keep in mind the time period in which he is writing and you will easily tackle this novel. This book should be on y our "Must Read List". Every American should be reading about Christopher Newman. Its easily understandable today as it was over 100 years ago. We often forget our place in the world and fail to see ourselves from the point of view of others. This is the story of an expatriate in a time when America was boldly going forth into a old world, filled with old customs and well worn traditions. Well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Make no mistake...
Review: James can be a long read. But keep in mind the time period in which he is writing and you will easily tackle this novel. This book should be on y our "Must Read List". Every American should be reading about Christopher Newman. Its easily understandable today as it was over 100 years ago. We often forget our place in the world and fail to see ourselves from the point of view of others. This is the story of an expatriate in a time when America was boldly going forth into a old world, filled with old customs and well worn traditions. Well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: Not James' best, but still great
Review: James hadn't quite reached his top form here. The plot is somewhat melodramatic and improbable and some of the characters (particularly the evil Europeans)are excessively stereotyped. This is,nonetheless, a great novel. The descriptions of France are incredibly vivid, and the writing is so fluent that it is a true pleasure to read, unlike some of the author's later, more mannered productions. In fact, this is probably a good place to start reading James before moving on to his richer, but sometimes more tedious, later works.
Rating:
Summary: Henry James at his BEST!!!
Review: OK so it takes half the book to get to the story. In typical Henry James fashion you are completely prepared for the action. Unlike Thomas Hardy, whose surroundings tell us of the character of the person it surrounds, James wishes you to know the depth of his characters as seen through the eyes of others. This of course brings on many minor characters that just seem to disappear, but it is a view of a person as if the reader was on the other side of the mirror watching the story unfold. Yes, James is wordy, yes this is not a quick read, but Henry James has a mastery of language and story telling that is rare.
"The American" is a wonderful love story that ends as a real life love story might end. Do not expect roses and happily ever after, it is as much a story of an ancient social system as it is of the life of "our hero." And the thing that seems to get missed is that Henry James actually wrote this as a mystery, not a love story.
This is a novel to contemplate and read between the lines. Good verses Evil, Noveau vs Old Money, Right and Wrong, can literature get any better than that?
Rating:
Summary: Henry James at his BEST!!!
Review: OK so it takes half the book to get to the story. In typical Henry James fashion you are completely prepared for the action. Unlike Thomas Hardy, whose surroundings tell us of the character of the person it surrounds, James wishes you to know the depth of his characters as seen through the eyes of others. This of course brings on many minor characters that just seem to disappear, but it is a view of a person as if the reader was on the other side of the mirror watching the story unfold. Yes, James is wordy, yes this is not a quick read, but Henry James has a mastery of language and story telling that is rare.
"The American" is a wonderful love story that ends as a real life love story might end. Do not expect roses and happily ever after, it is as much a story of an ancient social system as it is of the life of "our hero." And the thing that seems to get missed is that Henry James actually wrote this as a mystery, not a love story.
This is a novel to contemplate and read between the lines. Good verses Evil, Noveau vs Old Money, Right and Wrong, can literature get any better than that?
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