Portrait of a Lady, Volume 2

Henry James (1843–1916) first published The Portrait of a Lady as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly and Macmillan’s Magazine in 1880 and 1881, and then as a book in 1881. It is widely regarded as one of his finest novels and a high point of English-language fiction in the nineteenth century. The story of Isabel Archer, a young woman who wants to shape her own destiny, treats an issue that mattered deeply to James: how far a person can truly be free.

This is the second volume of the novel, so listeners who haven’t yet heard the first will probably wish to begin there. The chapters here, numbered from 28 onward, deepen the relationships and the tensions that have been established. James’s style is intricate and rewarding, and he gives much attention to what his characters think and fail to say. Patience is needed, but the reward is a portrait of a mind in the grip of important decisions, drawn with remarkable psychological depth.

Henry James builds his drama quietly, and the pleasure comes from the accumulation of detail and the unfolding of character. Isabel is one of fiction’s memorable heroines, intelligent, proud and capable of serious error, and many listeners find that her story grows more affecting as the chapters pass.

The 28 recordings, about 12.2 hours in all, are read by LibriVox volunteers, one chapter to a recording. James rewards the kind of listening that follows a long novel over several weeks, a chapter or two at a time, and lets the effect build. Because this volume begins in the middle of the story, newcomers may like to hear the first one beforehand, though James draws his scenes so fully that the situation becomes clear from the conversations alone.