内容简介
Capturingthegrandeurofagracious,splendidEuropeofwealthandOldWorldsensibilities,thisglorious,complexnovelhasbecomeatouchstoneforagreatwriter'sentireliteraryachievement.Fromtheopeningpages,whenthehigh-spiritedAmericangirlIsabelArcherarrivesattheEnglishmanorGardencourt,James'sluminous,superblycraftedprosecreatesanatmosphereofintensity,expectation,andincomparablebeauty.Isabel,whohasbeentakenabroadbyaneccentricaunttofulfillherpotential,attractsthepassionsofaBritisharistocratandabrashAmerican,aswellasthesecretadorationofherinvalidcousin,RalphTouchett.Buthervulnerabilityandinnocenceleadhernottolovebuttoafatalentrapmentinintrigue,deception,andbetrayal.Thisbrilliantinteriordramaoftheformingofawoman'sconsciousnessmakesThePortraitofaLadyamasterpieceofJames'smiddleyears.
作者简介
HenryJameswasbornonApril15,1843,onWashingtonPlaceinNewYorktothemostintellectuallyremarkableofAmericanfamilies.Hisfather,HenryJaneSr.,wasabrilliantandeccentricreligiousphilosopher;hisbrotherwasthefirstgreatAmericanpsychologistsandtheauthoroftheinfluentialPragmatism;hissister,Alice,thoughaninvalidformostofherlife,wasatalentedconversationalist,alivelyletterwriter,andawittyobserveroftheartandpoliticsofhertime.Insearchofthepropereducationforhischildren,HenryseniorsentthemtoschoolsinAmerica,France,Germany,andSwitzerland.ReturningtoAmerica,HenryjuniorlivedinNewport,brieflyattendedHarvardLawSchool,andin1864begancontributingstoriesandbookreviewstomagazines.TwomoretripstoEuropeledtohisfinaldecisiontosettlethere,firstinParisin1875,theninLondonnextyear.James'sfirstmajornovel,RoderickHudson,appearedin1875,butitwas"DaisyMiller"(1878)thatbroughthiminternationalfameasthechroniclerofAmericanexpatriatesandtheirEuropeanadventures.HisnovelsincludeTheAmerican(1877),WashingtonSquare(1880),PrincessCasamassia(1886),andthethreelatemasterpieces,TheWingsoftheDove(1902),TheAmbassadors(1903)andTheGardenBowl(1904).Healsowroteplays,criticism,autobiography,travelbooks(includingTheAmericanScene,1907)andsomeofthefinestshotstoriesintheEnglishlanguage.Hislaterworkswerelittlereadduringhislifetimebuthavesincecometoberecognizedasforerunnersofliterarymodernism.UpontheoutbreakofWorldWarI,JamesthrewhisenergiesintowarreliefworkanddecidedtoadoptBritishcitizenship.Onemonthbeforehisdeath,in1916,hereceivedtheOrderofMeritfromKingGeorgeV.,,
