The Portrait of a Lady

Isabel Archer, a beautiful and adventurous young American woman, has been brought to Europe by her Aunt, Mrs Touchett, hoping to find a future husband for her niece. When Isabel turns down several suitors, it appears that she is too headstrong to ever find a match, but when Isabel encounters the handsome and charming Gilbert Osmond, it appears that she might finally have found love. Beneath his charm however, there is more to Gilbert Osmond than meets the eye – is it Isabel or her money that Osmond truly desires? A fascinating story of wealth, freedom, and betrayal from famous American author Henry James, ‘The Portrait of a Lady’ is widely considered one of his finest works.

Henry James (1843 – 1916) was an American novelist. Born in New York, he spent long periods of time in Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915. By his mid-twenties James was already regarded as one of the best short-story writers in America, and he continued to find success with his novels. Some of his best-known works include ‘The Portrait of a Lady’, ‘The Wings of the Dove’ and his much-loved gothic horror story ‘The Turn of the Screw’, which has been adapted for stage and screen multiple times. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature three times. He died in London in 1916.