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Daisy Miller and Washington Square
In Henry James''s "Daisy Miller, a young American woman ventures into sophisticated European society, where her naivete provokes scandal and tragedy. Graham Greene called "Washington Square "the only novel in which a man has successfully invaded the feminine field and produced work comparable to Jane Austen''s." Each work weaves an intricate tale of marriage, money, and manners.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1880
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About the author
Henry James
4,552 books3,937 followersHenry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
August 6, 2014
I am reviewing here only Daisy Miller as I have read and reviewed Washington Square separately.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella but I did expect characters that would grab my attention and make me care about them, their stories, the writing itself, something. Instead, sadly, I found myself not caring much at all which is probably the greatest condemnation of all. It was just OK. the writing was fine and I actually liked James' authorial asides (though I wonder if they should have been necessary for us to know his characters).
At the risk of exciting a somewhat derisive smile on
the reader's part, I may affirm that with regard to the
women who had hitherto interested him it very often seemed
to Winterbourne among the possibilities that, given
certain contingencies, he should be afraid---literally
afraid---of these ladies. He had a pleasant sense that
he should never be afraid of Daisy Miller. (p 50)
Oh the games they played and I am so happy to have grown up a woman in the second half of the 20th century! Perhaps that clouds my judgment on reading this but I also think James simply did not flesh out these characters enough....at least for me.
8/5 As an addendum, I rated Washington Square 5* with a review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I wasn't sure what to expect from this novella but I did expect characters that would grab my attention and make me care about them, their stories, the writing itself, something. Instead, sadly, I found myself not caring much at all which is probably the greatest condemnation of all. It was just OK. the writing was fine and I actually liked James' authorial asides (though I wonder if they should have been necessary for us to know his characters).
At the risk of exciting a somewhat derisive smile on
the reader's part, I may affirm that with regard to the
women who had hitherto interested him it very often seemed
to Winterbourne among the possibilities that, given
certain contingencies, he should be afraid---literally
afraid---of these ladies. He had a pleasant sense that
he should never be afraid of Daisy Miller. (p 50)
Oh the games they played and I am so happy to have grown up a woman in the second half of the 20th century! Perhaps that clouds my judgment on reading this but I also think James simply did not flesh out these characters enough....at least for me.
8/5 As an addendum, I rated Washington Square 5* with a review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 3, 2016
My version contains both Washington Square and Daisy Miller; I read Washington Square as a joint read with friends, and we will read Daisy Miller later this year.
Washington Square - a very 'readable' classic for sure. I had wanted to read this ever since reading Reading Lolita in Tehran. Overall I found the story of our heroine, Catherine Sloper, to be quite tragic. I felt her life was always manipulated and controlled by others. But in the story's end, I for one was very pleased as I felt she finally came into her own, made a life that she found to be fulfilling and dictated her own terms. Catherine Sloper will be added to my list of favorite literary characters.
Yesterday (May 1 2016) I finished Daisy Miller so now this book (n my original post) is complete. As stated, Daisy Miller and Catherine Sloper could not be any more different. I very much enjoyed the novella, Daisy Miller. It is quite short, about 60 pages, but I think Henry James tells quite a story in a short span. I was truly blown away by the ending which I was not at all expecting.
Given that I read this book because I had read Reading Lolita in Tehran, I could not help but imagine what those young women thought of Daisy Miller!
Washington Square - a very 'readable' classic for sure. I had wanted to read this ever since reading Reading Lolita in Tehran. Overall I found the story of our heroine, Catherine Sloper, to be quite tragic. I felt her life was always manipulated and controlled by others. But in the story's end, I for one was very pleased as I felt she finally came into her own, made a life that she found to be fulfilling and dictated her own terms. Catherine Sloper will be added to my list of favorite literary characters.
Yesterday (May 1 2016) I finished Daisy Miller so now this book (n my original post) is complete. As stated, Daisy Miller and Catherine Sloper could not be any more different. I very much enjoyed the novella, Daisy Miller. It is quite short, about 60 pages, but I think Henry James tells quite a story in a short span. I was truly blown away by the ending which I was not at all expecting.
Given that I read this book because I had read Reading Lolita in Tehran, I could not help but imagine what those young women thought of Daisy Miller!
September 28, 2010
I saw the film version of Washington Square with Olivia DeHavilland and then the stage play with Cherry Jones. Both were extremely good and I thoroughly enjoyed it, but, I think the book provided insight to the minds of the character. The transformation of Catherine, from the shy and timid girl to a woman of confidence, certainly allowed me to explore how a mind works. Of course, it was difficult to point finger who's at fault, since there was no one, but, the author James, certainly gave each character a voice. I pity them, most of the time. Worth reading. I read Daisy Miller but was in a rush because I cannot wait to read Square.
September 23, 2017
Daisy Miller.
The story is told from the perspective of Winterbourne, a 27-year old American man who was educated in Europe, who is currently in Switzerland. He meets a beautiful young American lady, Daisy Miller, and is really quite taken with her.
Daisy first appears to be the typical coquette, flirtatious and trying to attract all the eligible young men. As Winterbourne learns, Daisy is anything but typical. She disregards all the expectations that young ladies are subject to; she breaks all the rules, going out with men unchaparoned; going out with less than respectable men; and appearing surprised yet remaining uncaring when ostracized by society's elite.
Winterbourne is quite undecided about her. He recognizes her beauty; he admires her vivacity; he is attracted to her open and fun-loving personality; he is rather embarrassed by her social faux pas.
He is also perplexed by Mrs. Miller, who is portrayed as a very inadequate parent, completely unable to rein in her daughter's risky behavior.
Daisy's young brother provides some light-hearted comic relief.
Daisy does come to an unfortunate ending as a direct result of her reckless behavior; thus, a straight reading would lead one to think this is a cautionary tale.
However, Winterbourne - and the reader - isn't so sure. I get the impression that James was mocking the social mores of the day and that the ending - well, Fate is a real fickle bitch, isn't she.
The characterizations of all the main characters were absolutely beautiful, as were the descriptive passages.
Washington Square
Dr. Sloper was a well-thought-of New York physician, even a celebrity of sorts. He was intelligent, witty, sophisticated and wealthy. Nothing is told of his own antecedents, but he married a beautiful, rich young woman of whom he was apparently very fond. Their first child was a boy and the doctor quite doted on him and believed him to be highly intelligent. Sadly, the boy died at age 3. Dr. and Mrs. Sloper had another child, a daughter; Mrs. Sloper died soon after her birth. Dr. Sloped never really loves Catherine; he thinks she is neither pretty nor clever.
When young Catherine was ten, Dr. Sloper brought his widowed sister, Mrs. Penniman, to live with them and look after Catherine. Catherine was plain and quite ordinary and conventional. As she grew up, she attracted little attention from the eligible bachelors.
Then a Morris Townsend made her acquaintance and with the encouragement of Mrs. Penniman, began courting Catherine. Catherine soon believed herself in love with him and agreed to marry him.
Now as I mentioned, Dr. Sloper, through his wife and from his profession, was very wealthy. Catherine herself had a legacy of $10,000 per year from her mother. Dr. Sloper was convinced that Morris was merely a fortune hunter, and not genuinely in love with Catherine. The doctor told her that he would not consent to the marriage and that I'd she married without his consent, he would disinherit her, leaving her just the $10,000 per year.
This makes no difference to Catherine; she is determined to marry Morris. However, Morris is, in fact, just what her father believes, and it doesn't suit him to marry Catherine for a mere $10,000.
One could construe that the doctor took out all his grief and anguish at the loss of his wife and son on the little girl. Or perhaps he is merely a control freak. But he actually takes pleasure in Catherine's broken heart, merely because it proves he was right about Morris.
******
Mrs. Penniman: "It seems to make you very happy that your daughter's affections have been trifled with."
"It does," said the Doctor; for I had foretold it! It's a great pleasure to be in the right."
"Your pleasures make one shudder!" his sister exclaimed.
******
The reader knows the doctor is right - Morris is only after Catherine's money. When the breakup comes and Catherine is forced to admit it to herself, she does one thing that I did indeed admire: she determines that she will not let her father see that her heart is broken. She knows that he would have absolutely no sympathy about her pain and instead, would crow over the fact that he was right. This does cause the doctor some puzzlement and disappointment.
None of the characters are very likeable. Morris is shallow and mercenary; Catherine is dull and conventional; Mrs. Penniman is a silly, flighty troublemaker; but the doctor is worst of all. I dislike Morris for hurting Catherine, but I find the doctor outright abhorrent. If I had been Catherine, I could have cheerfully murdered him, father or not.
Catherine did get her revenge, of sorts, on both the doctor and Morris - and even on Mrs. Penniman. Nevertheless, the reader is left unconvinced that she was happy - her life, as described, is full of duty and good works.
Although the subject matter is bleak and the characters unpleasant, the writing is stellar. Descriptive passages are beautifully eloquent.
The story is told from the perspective of Winterbourne, a 27-year old American man who was educated in Europe, who is currently in Switzerland. He meets a beautiful young American lady, Daisy Miller, and is really quite taken with her.
Daisy first appears to be the typical coquette, flirtatious and trying to attract all the eligible young men. As Winterbourne learns, Daisy is anything but typical. She disregards all the expectations that young ladies are subject to; she breaks all the rules, going out with men unchaparoned; going out with less than respectable men; and appearing surprised yet remaining uncaring when ostracized by society's elite.
Winterbourne is quite undecided about her. He recognizes her beauty; he admires her vivacity; he is attracted to her open and fun-loving personality; he is rather embarrassed by her social faux pas.
He is also perplexed by Mrs. Miller, who is portrayed as a very inadequate parent, completely unable to rein in her daughter's risky behavior.
Daisy's young brother provides some light-hearted comic relief.
Daisy does come to an unfortunate ending as a direct result of her reckless behavior; thus, a straight reading would lead one to think this is a cautionary tale.
However, Winterbourne - and the reader - isn't so sure. I get the impression that James was mocking the social mores of the day and that the ending - well, Fate is a real fickle bitch, isn't she.
The characterizations of all the main characters were absolutely beautiful, as were the descriptive passages.
Washington Square
Dr. Sloper was a well-thought-of New York physician, even a celebrity of sorts. He was intelligent, witty, sophisticated and wealthy. Nothing is told of his own antecedents, but he married a beautiful, rich young woman of whom he was apparently very fond. Their first child was a boy and the doctor quite doted on him and believed him to be highly intelligent. Sadly, the boy died at age 3. Dr. and Mrs. Sloper had another child, a daughter; Mrs. Sloper died soon after her birth. Dr. Sloped never really loves Catherine; he thinks she is neither pretty nor clever.
When young Catherine was ten, Dr. Sloper brought his widowed sister, Mrs. Penniman, to live with them and look after Catherine. Catherine was plain and quite ordinary and conventional. As she grew up, she attracted little attention from the eligible bachelors.
Then a Morris Townsend made her acquaintance and with the encouragement of Mrs. Penniman, began courting Catherine. Catherine soon believed herself in love with him and agreed to marry him.
Now as I mentioned, Dr. Sloper, through his wife and from his profession, was very wealthy. Catherine herself had a legacy of $10,000 per year from her mother. Dr. Sloper was convinced that Morris was merely a fortune hunter, and not genuinely in love with Catherine. The doctor told her that he would not consent to the marriage and that I'd she married without his consent, he would disinherit her, leaving her just the $10,000 per year.
This makes no difference to Catherine; she is determined to marry Morris. However, Morris is, in fact, just what her father believes, and it doesn't suit him to marry Catherine for a mere $10,000.
One could construe that the doctor took out all his grief and anguish at the loss of his wife and son on the little girl. Or perhaps he is merely a control freak. But he actually takes pleasure in Catherine's broken heart, merely because it proves he was right about Morris.
******
Mrs. Penniman: "It seems to make you very happy that your daughter's affections have been trifled with."
"It does," said the Doctor; for I had foretold it! It's a great pleasure to be in the right."
"Your pleasures make one shudder!" his sister exclaimed.
******
The reader knows the doctor is right - Morris is only after Catherine's money. When the breakup comes and Catherine is forced to admit it to herself, she does one thing that I did indeed admire: she determines that she will not let her father see that her heart is broken. She knows that he would have absolutely no sympathy about her pain and instead, would crow over the fact that he was right. This does cause the doctor some puzzlement and disappointment.
None of the characters are very likeable. Morris is shallow and mercenary; Catherine is dull and conventional; Mrs. Penniman is a silly, flighty troublemaker; but the doctor is worst of all. I dislike Morris for hurting Catherine, but I find the doctor outright abhorrent. If I had been Catherine, I could have cheerfully murdered him, father or not.
Catherine did get her revenge, of sorts, on both the doctor and Morris - and even on Mrs. Penniman. Nevertheless, the reader is left unconvinced that she was happy - her life, as described, is full of duty and good works.
Although the subject matter is bleak and the characters unpleasant, the writing is stellar. Descriptive passages are beautifully eloquent.
April 20, 2020
Daisy Miller 3.5
Ladies grab your best pearls to clutch, gentlemen pick out your biggest cigar to choke on and you may want to grab a fan so that you can revive Aunt Milly.
Daisy Miller is a short novel written by Henry James. The novel begins in Switzerland when Daisy’s 9 year old little brother Randolph strikes up a conversation with Frederick Winterbourne in the garden of a luxurious hotel. During Randolph and Frederick’s conversation Daisy enters the garden and Randolph introduces them.
Randolph isn’t impressed with Europe and wishes to return to his home in New York, however Daisy is enamored with Europe especially the high society that she wishes to join. At first Frederick is baffled by her attitude but is quite smitten with her beauty.
Frederick is interested in courting young Daisy even though his Aunt Mrs. Costello disapproves because of her lack of European etiquette. (Ex. Daisy agrees to visit hâteau de Chillon with Winterbourne after they have known each other for only half an hour Mrs. Costello believes Daisy immoral because of this.) Two days later they visit hâteau de Chillon even though Frederick has paid extra for privacy Daisy isn’t impressed. Frederick informs Daisy that he must travel to Geneva the next day. Daisy is disappointed and teases him but asks him to visit her in Rome later in the year.
In Rome the two meet again unexpectedly at a parlor of Mrs. Walker. Rumors of Daisy’s behavior with young Italian gentlemen make her socially offensive. Frederick learns of Daisy's increasing intimacy with a young Italian of questionable society, Giovanelli, as well as the growing scandal caused by the pair's behavior. Daisy is fearless, she does not let the rumors or potential scandal bother her and her mother seems quite unaware of the mounting tension. Frederick and Mrs. Walker attempt to convince Daisy to stop gallivanting with Giovanelli, but she will not be persuaded.
One night, Frederick takes a strolls through the Colosseum and sees a young couple sitting at its centre. He realized that the couple is none other than Daisy and Giovanelli. Furious Frederick confronts Giovanelli asking him why he would risk taking Daisy to place where she runs the risk of catching “Roman Fever” (malaria), Daisy tells Frederick that she does not care and Frederick retreats. Daisy falls ill and dies days later.
Daisy is innocent despite the prejudices that she endured from others. On the surface this story is like any classic film after the Hays code, a woman commits a faux pax in the eyes of others she must die. But Henry James is deeper than that in this story he is giving us the reader some deep themes.
-Work in progress-
Ladies grab your best pearls to clutch, gentlemen pick out your biggest cigar to choke on and you may want to grab a fan so that you can revive Aunt Milly.
Daisy Miller is a short novel written by Henry James. The novel begins in Switzerland when Daisy’s 9 year old little brother Randolph strikes up a conversation with Frederick Winterbourne in the garden of a luxurious hotel. During Randolph and Frederick’s conversation Daisy enters the garden and Randolph introduces them.
Randolph isn’t impressed with Europe and wishes to return to his home in New York, however Daisy is enamored with Europe especially the high society that she wishes to join. At first Frederick is baffled by her attitude but is quite smitten with her beauty.
Frederick is interested in courting young Daisy even though his Aunt Mrs. Costello disapproves because of her lack of European etiquette. (Ex. Daisy agrees to visit hâteau de Chillon with Winterbourne after they have known each other for only half an hour Mrs. Costello believes Daisy immoral because of this.) Two days later they visit hâteau de Chillon even though Frederick has paid extra for privacy Daisy isn’t impressed. Frederick informs Daisy that he must travel to Geneva the next day. Daisy is disappointed and teases him but asks him to visit her in Rome later in the year.
In Rome the two meet again unexpectedly at a parlor of Mrs. Walker. Rumors of Daisy’s behavior with young Italian gentlemen make her socially offensive. Frederick learns of Daisy's increasing intimacy with a young Italian of questionable society, Giovanelli, as well as the growing scandal caused by the pair's behavior. Daisy is fearless, she does not let the rumors or potential scandal bother her and her mother seems quite unaware of the mounting tension. Frederick and Mrs. Walker attempt to convince Daisy to stop gallivanting with Giovanelli, but she will not be persuaded.
One night, Frederick takes a strolls through the Colosseum and sees a young couple sitting at its centre. He realized that the couple is none other than Daisy and Giovanelli. Furious Frederick confronts Giovanelli asking him why he would risk taking Daisy to place where she runs the risk of catching “Roman Fever” (malaria), Daisy tells Frederick that she does not care and Frederick retreats. Daisy falls ill and dies days later.
Daisy is innocent despite the prejudices that she endured from others. On the surface this story is like any classic film after the Hays code, a woman commits a faux pax in the eyes of others she must die. But Henry James is deeper than that in this story he is giving us the reader some deep themes.
-Work in progress-
January 6, 2019
Daisy Miller by itself would get three stars. I greatly enjoyed Washington Square. I will paraphrase a quote from a critic from 1881. It's a dismal tale with no agreeable characters, nothing but commonplace feelings and actions, making us study a leaden-colored group of emotions to show us even among the well-to-do, life is like that. The story is marvelously clever.
A bit slow to get going, but a very easy read.
A bit slow to get going, but a very easy read.
August 27, 2007
What a beautiful editorial decision, pairing these two novellas together. James' two complex, well-drawn heroines are seeming opposites; nonetheless they both wrestle with the selfishness of loved ones, and more broadly, with the strict social conventions of Gilded Age America.
July 19, 2020
I’m depressed as hell now
August 15, 2022
Overall, 3.5 stars. Daisy Miller and Washington Square are two very different stories that are juxtaposed in this joint edition. Daisy and Catherine are foils for each other; it’s interesting to think about how they are depicted in the male gaze. Equally interesting is how the men are portrayed, as I don’t think they come away unscathed. There isn’t a lot of action in either tale, but the character studies hold true to some extent even today, and I found myself chuckling at some points at human nature.
April 21, 2022
I love the way James writes. I did not like Washington Square but he had good character development. I read Daisy Miller second, instead of first as is the order in the book. I liked that better and recommend that order.
February 11, 2022
Not Daisy Miller girlbossing her way through the 1800s. Absolute legend.
May 29, 2024
Always gonna grab and Barnes and Noble Classic when I see one😇 anyways L Morris Townsend
March 2, 2025
So this is actually two books which for some reason I didn’t know until that abrupt moment when one of them ended badly, and I thought for sure I was mid-plot.
That took a long, confused moment to recover from.
That took a long, confused moment to recover from.
Read
October 7, 2011"Daisy Miller" and "Washington Square" are separate works in the same book.
Daisy Miller - 62 pages long. Follows the classic 19th century plot of 'Behold, reader! A beautiful young society woman does things which her companions judge scandalous, but which don't really seem like that big a deal! Now everyone is talking about her and turning their backs on her! She starts to get a little worried, but acts brave and tragic and romantic! Oh crap, she just died."
It's hard to sympathize with Daisy because we never really get into her head; instead, the story is told from the scandalized perspective of Mr. Winterbourne, a 27-year-old who is idling around Europe "studying" - which, the narrator tells us, is code for "trying to pick up hot foreign chicks." Despite this, he's too "stiff," as he describes himself, to step too far out of the boundary of what is acceptable by polite society. Winterbourne's brain basically goes into system failure when he tries to compute "completely innocent, genuine, lovely young lady" and "runs around unchaperoned with men! Even - good God - *Italian* men!!!"
Daisy ends up dying of "Roman fever" (a particularly deadly strain of malaria; for narrative purposes, it's essentially foreign-itis) after looking at the Coliseum in the moonlight, which is TOTALLY SCANDALOUS for a LADY to do. So... it turns out society was right, and doing scandalous things will ruin you in the end? If you're a lady, that is - Winterbourne was checking out the Coliseum as well, and he ended up all right.
Well written, but fairly predictable/forgettable.
Washington Square - I liked this much better. As before, the characters' motivations often seemed ambiguous, arbitrary, baffling and hard-to-read - but the greater space given to them allowed more time to consider the situation and recall that, yes, this is exactly how people behave in real life as well. Many of the characters reminded me of specific people, or types of people. It's a bit of a bleak story, but vivid nevertheless.
H.G. Wells' remarks on James' writing now make a lot of sense to me: how it resembles a brilliantly lit cathedral, luminously detailed, and on the altarpiece, "a dead kitten, an eggshell, a bit of string."
Daisy Miller - 62 pages long. Follows the classic 19th century plot of 'Behold, reader! A beautiful young society woman does things which her companions judge scandalous, but which don't really seem like that big a deal! Now everyone is talking about her and turning their backs on her! She starts to get a little worried, but acts brave and tragic and romantic! Oh crap, she just died."
It's hard to sympathize with Daisy because we never really get into her head; instead, the story is told from the scandalized perspective of Mr. Winterbourne, a 27-year-old who is idling around Europe "studying" - which, the narrator tells us, is code for "trying to pick up hot foreign chicks." Despite this, he's too "stiff," as he describes himself, to step too far out of the boundary of what is acceptable by polite society. Winterbourne's brain basically goes into system failure when he tries to compute "completely innocent, genuine, lovely young lady" and "runs around unchaperoned with men! Even - good God - *Italian* men!!!"
Daisy ends up dying of "Roman fever" (a particularly deadly strain of malaria; for narrative purposes, it's essentially foreign-itis) after looking at the Coliseum in the moonlight, which is TOTALLY SCANDALOUS for a LADY to do. So... it turns out society was right, and doing scandalous things will ruin you in the end? If you're a lady, that is - Winterbourne was checking out the Coliseum as well, and he ended up all right.
Well written, but fairly predictable/forgettable.
Washington Square - I liked this much better. As before, the characters' motivations often seemed ambiguous, arbitrary, baffling and hard-to-read - but the greater space given to them allowed more time to consider the situation and recall that, yes, this is exactly how people behave in real life as well. Many of the characters reminded me of specific people, or types of people. It's a bit of a bleak story, but vivid nevertheless.
H.G. Wells' remarks on James' writing now make a lot of sense to me: how it resembles a brilliantly lit cathedral, luminously detailed, and on the altarpiece, "a dead kitten, an eggshell, a bit of string."
February 25, 2011
Daisy Miller was just ok for me but I loved Washington Square.
My heart just goes out plain and lonely Catherine Sloper.
Her days consist of needlework and insults from her stuck up rich father, Dr. Sloper.
When she finally has a chance of finding true love with the dashing Morris Townsend, Dr. Sloper believe he is the worst of libertines and is only after Catherine's fortune.
A must read.
I also recommend the wonderful black and white classic The Heiress starring Oliva De Havelind, Montgomery Clift and Sir Ralph Richardson!
My heart just goes out plain and lonely Catherine Sloper.
Her days consist of needlework and insults from her stuck up rich father, Dr. Sloper.
When she finally has a chance of finding true love with the dashing Morris Townsend, Dr. Sloper believe he is the worst of libertines and is only after Catherine's fortune.
A must read.
I also recommend the wonderful black and white classic The Heiress starring Oliva De Havelind, Montgomery Clift and Sir Ralph Richardson!
September 30, 2014
Very good, both short stories. I especially liked Washigton Square.
February 11, 2018
Daisy Miller = 3 Stars
Washington Square = 4 Stars
Washington Square = 4 Stars
January 31, 2021
Daisy Miller and Washington Square
♦️ Daisy Miller
This novella is certainly one for the books. Winterbourne meets a captivating young American woman, Daisy Miller via her annoying (my opinion) little brother. Daisy continually makes sure that Winterbourne knows that she is pretty darn popular among her set, mostly with gentlemen. She tells him, “I have more friends in New York than in Schenectady—more gentleman friends; and more young lady friends too,” she resumed in a moment. . . . “I have always had,” she said, “a great deal of gentlemen’s society.”
Yet, he is enamored and intrigued. One evening, he strolls through the ruins of the Roman Colosseum in the evening, spies a young couple sitting right there, smack in the middle. He looks. He realizes. The couple is Daisy and Giovanelli, a smooth mover, “a little Italian with a bouquet in his buttonhole.” Winterbourne, angered (he has a crush on Daisy), confronts Signore Giovanelli and asks why he would dare risk escorting Daisy out in the evening to a place where she might catch the Roman Fever (that is, malaria). The impetuous Daisy states that she does not care a wit, and what happens then is ultimately tragic. But then, she asked for it.
I enjoyed this story, though Henry James can be somewhat difficult to read, given his formal and slightly stilted sentence structure, yet once the reader continues, his style is amenable and becomes greatly apropos to the story. The dialogue is wonderfully expressive among the characters. I did not care much for Daisy, with her haughtiness and flippancy, nor did I like her little brother. Daisy’s mother was overprotective, and Winterbourne – well, he cares too much when all the signs were there for him not to bother. I enjoyed this story, nonetheless.
♦️ Washington Square
This was a captivating story about the tragic Catherine Sloper, and the cad of a boy/man, Morris Townsend, and the people around them. The story takes place in New York City in the 1840s, and we see how Catherine is too timid, too inexperienced, too blind to the cunning, gold-digging Morris and the overprotection of her father, Doctor Sloper. Aunt Livinia sticks her nose into the affair much too much, and Morris’s sister, Mrs. Montgomery is hesitant to share her views of Morris with the doctor.
Henry James can be somewhat difficult to read, given his formal and slightly stilted sentence structure, yet once the reader continues on, the style is amenable and apropos to the story. The dialogue is wonderfully expressive among the characters.
The story was restructured into a play and the 1949 film, “The Heiress.” While the written story is somewhat different than the film version, it formed the remade tale into something similar, yet different.
The following passage impressed me, though not the only one in the story:
She was always her father’s docile and reasonable associate—going through their sight-seeing in deferential silence, never complaining of fatigue, always ready to start at the hour he had appointed over-night, making no foolish criticisms and indulging in no refinements of appreciation. “She is about as intelligent as the bundle of shawls,” the Doctor said; her main superiority being that while the bundle of shawls sometimes got lost, or tumbled out of the carriage, Catherine was always at her post, and had a firm and ample seat.
💥 Recommending both stories.
🟣
♦️ Daisy Miller
This novella is certainly one for the books. Winterbourne meets a captivating young American woman, Daisy Miller via her annoying (my opinion) little brother. Daisy continually makes sure that Winterbourne knows that she is pretty darn popular among her set, mostly with gentlemen. She tells him, “I have more friends in New York than in Schenectady—more gentleman friends; and more young lady friends too,” she resumed in a moment. . . . “I have always had,” she said, “a great deal of gentlemen’s society.”
Yet, he is enamored and intrigued. One evening, he strolls through the ruins of the Roman Colosseum in the evening, spies a young couple sitting right there, smack in the middle. He looks. He realizes. The couple is Daisy and Giovanelli, a smooth mover, “a little Italian with a bouquet in his buttonhole.” Winterbourne, angered (he has a crush on Daisy), confronts Signore Giovanelli and asks why he would dare risk escorting Daisy out in the evening to a place where she might catch the Roman Fever (that is, malaria). The impetuous Daisy states that she does not care a wit, and what happens then is ultimately tragic. But then, she asked for it.
I enjoyed this story, though Henry James can be somewhat difficult to read, given his formal and slightly stilted sentence structure, yet once the reader continues, his style is amenable and becomes greatly apropos to the story. The dialogue is wonderfully expressive among the characters. I did not care much for Daisy, with her haughtiness and flippancy, nor did I like her little brother. Daisy’s mother was overprotective, and Winterbourne – well, he cares too much when all the signs were there for him not to bother. I enjoyed this story, nonetheless.
♦️ Washington Square
This was a captivating story about the tragic Catherine Sloper, and the cad of a boy/man, Morris Townsend, and the people around them. The story takes place in New York City in the 1840s, and we see how Catherine is too timid, too inexperienced, too blind to the cunning, gold-digging Morris and the overprotection of her father, Doctor Sloper. Aunt Livinia sticks her nose into the affair much too much, and Morris’s sister, Mrs. Montgomery is hesitant to share her views of Morris with the doctor.
Henry James can be somewhat difficult to read, given his formal and slightly stilted sentence structure, yet once the reader continues on, the style is amenable and apropos to the story. The dialogue is wonderfully expressive among the characters.
The story was restructured into a play and the 1949 film, “The Heiress.” While the written story is somewhat different than the film version, it formed the remade tale into something similar, yet different.
The following passage impressed me, though not the only one in the story:
She was always her father’s docile and reasonable associate—going through their sight-seeing in deferential silence, never complaining of fatigue, always ready to start at the hour he had appointed over-night, making no foolish criticisms and indulging in no refinements of appreciation. “She is about as intelligent as the bundle of shawls,” the Doctor said; her main superiority being that while the bundle of shawls sometimes got lost, or tumbled out of the carriage, Catherine was always at her post, and had a firm and ample seat.
💥 Recommending both stories.
🟣
September 18, 2024
To be perfectly honest, I only read Daisy Miller and not both stories, but that was the one I had heard good things about and wanted to read. Daisy Miller is a beautiful little example of the Tragic Pretty Girl Story that, until very recently, made up so much of the 2nd tier of the canon of great literature. The truth is, there's something in the male psyche and libido that reacts immediately and viscerally to this type of story, and it's easy to see, as a male-psyche-and-libido owner, why this type of story is so prevalent in the Victorian era, and indeed in any era when it was much more morally and actually difficult to have a sexual relationship with a respectable woman. Daisy is one of those young women for whom the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl was introduced in the 1990s--unconventional, socially unconcerned, free-spirited, and a little gauche, but somehow always on the near side of the line that, in repressive societies, separates a free-spirited young woman from a fallen woman. Daisy is a "flirt"; her mother never taught her how to act around men, or not to go walking with them at night, or whatever else society required of young women to protect them from their own baser impulses and the winged penises of destruction that come out after the sun goes down. Because of that, she did exactly what she wished, was admired by all the gentlemen, was shunned by polite society, and died tragically (as a direct result of her violations of social norms) all while retaining her virginity (so we could still feel bad for her and be kind of mad at society for not accepting her harmless and oh-so-appealing whimsy. The obnoxious thing is, it worked. I was right there with Mr. Winterbourne, enjoying my time with Daisy, knowing with him that this was a fire I could stand quite close to indeed without getting burned; that while her reputation was already tarnished and I was therefore blameless, my reputation was safe. I feared with Winterbourne that Daisy "was a young lady whom a gentleman need no longer be at pains to respect," and triumphed with him when Giovanelli revealed the innocent nature of their amours, and was therefore saddened at her needless death. This story is admirably told and completely unnecessary, and frankly that's okay. Despite being a little ashamed of enjoying it, I enjoyed it. From a post-feminist viewpoint, where it could have been an indictment of Victorian society; it's rather an escapist fantasy into a world before women had jobs, souls, and subjective lives. From the viewpoint of a person who believes the male gaze has some value (as it's what I'm doomed to look at the world through), it's sweet, sad, pleasant, and not an entire waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2019
I may be mistaken, but I think this is my first time to read “Daisy Miller”… I was so thankful that it was brief.
Right away, I saw the symbolism of her name. Both Daisy and Miller are “low”names. Millers are working class (the name actually comes from the occupation), and daisies are common, country flowers, “uncultivated” (like Daisy herself).
Her family is American and has a lot of money. They are able to travel around and live in Europe, but they do not (apparently) observe the social standards expected of respectable, upper class families. It’s not just Daisy. Her mother and brother have the same traits that Daisy is ridiculed and shamed for, but Daisy is an unmarried young woman and is held to a different standard. Both Daisy’s mother and her young brother stay up late - and roam around outside late at night. They both converse openly with strangers (even strange men!). And the young brother is loud and brash and interrupts people, inserting himself wherever he cares to go. Daisy isn’t quite so rude and rambunctious, but she is free-minded, engaging and adventurous (which Henry James obviously cautions is a very unseemly - even dangerous - rebellion for young women). Of all the people who share Daisy’s behavior and activities, no one shares Daisy’s fate.
What a horrible time the past was to be female… Dead or unmarried, in a world that seems to see them as the same thing.
One of my favorite paragraphs from “Washington Square” (p. 177) is:
“I don’t believe in lovely husbands,” said Mrs. Almond; “I only believe in good ones. If he marries her, and she comes into Austin’s money, they may get on. He will be an idle, amiable, selfish, and doubtless tolerably good-natured fellow. But if she doesn’t get the money and he finds himself tied to her, heaven have mercy on her! He will have none. He will hate her for his disappointment, and take his revenge; he will be pitiless and cruel. Whoa betide poor Catherine! I recommend you to talk a little with his sister; it’s a pity Catherine can’t marry her!���
It was such a delight reading that last bit... sitting comfortably in 2020, knowing that she COULD now marry the sister (if their natural tendencies were such).
Right away, I saw the symbolism of her name. Both Daisy and Miller are “low”names. Millers are working class (the name actually comes from the occupation), and daisies are common, country flowers, “uncultivated” (like Daisy herself).
Her family is American and has a lot of money. They are able to travel around and live in Europe, but they do not (apparently) observe the social standards expected of respectable, upper class families. It’s not just Daisy. Her mother and brother have the same traits that Daisy is ridiculed and shamed for, but Daisy is an unmarried young woman and is held to a different standard. Both Daisy’s mother and her young brother stay up late - and roam around outside late at night. They both converse openly with strangers (even strange men!). And the young brother is loud and brash and interrupts people, inserting himself wherever he cares to go. Daisy isn’t quite so rude and rambunctious, but she is free-minded, engaging and adventurous (which Henry James obviously cautions is a very unseemly - even dangerous - rebellion for young women). Of all the people who share Daisy’s behavior and activities, no one shares Daisy’s fate.
What a horrible time the past was to be female… Dead or unmarried, in a world that seems to see them as the same thing.
One of my favorite paragraphs from “Washington Square” (p. 177) is:
“I don’t believe in lovely husbands,” said Mrs. Almond; “I only believe in good ones. If he marries her, and she comes into Austin’s money, they may get on. He will be an idle, amiable, selfish, and doubtless tolerably good-natured fellow. But if she doesn’t get the money and he finds himself tied to her, heaven have mercy on her! He will have none. He will hate her for his disappointment, and take his revenge; he will be pitiless and cruel. Whoa betide poor Catherine! I recommend you to talk a little with his sister; it’s a pity Catherine can’t marry her!���
It was such a delight reading that last bit... sitting comfortably in 2020, knowing that she COULD now marry the sister (if their natural tendencies were such).
September 7, 2025
In Washington Square (possible spoilers) by Henry James, a young heiress in 19th century New York finds herself caught between two men: her would-be suitor, Morris Townsend, who is pressuring her to marry him, and her domineering father, who threatens to disown her if she does. Of the two men, the suitor is the least complex. His motivation is simple. He is a handsome wastrel and ne’er-do-well who is pursuing the young woman, Catherine, with an eye to the fortune she will someday come into. The father, a prominent society doctor, is a far more difficult---and sinister---figure. He regards his daughter as rather plain, drab, uninteresting and unintelligent, and he takes no pains to conceal his opinion from her . He himself is a cold and unfeeling man. We eventually learn that the doctor’s animosity towards his daughter stems from the fact that his wife died giving birth to Catherine, and that an earlier child, a boy, died in infancy. Complicating matters is the presence of Catherine’s aunt---the doctor’s widowed sister---who lives with her niece and brother. An appallingly stupid and meddlesome woman, she lives vicariously through her niece, by taking up Townsend’s cause against her brother. Though Catherine is initially naive and trusting, she eventually sees through her antagonists, and by gently but resolutely defying all three of them, she maintains her self-respect and manages to overcome her heartache and achieve, if not a happy life, at least a quietly contented one. All of this might not sound very exciting, but James is so expert and creating a psychological portrait of his protagonists, that I found myself riveted right through to the end. Highly recommended. .
June 13, 2019
I read this novella for Joseph Beth’s Bingo challenge. I picked it because I know it was assigned to me at Miami and I don’t remember reading it. It was very easy to read, and I am sure that when it was published, it was provocative. Is Daisy really “innocent” or is did she “go to far” with her associations with gentlemen and no chaperones? I saw that Spark notes suggested that Daisy represented the nouveau riche Americans in Europe at the end of the 1800s. Fresh, eager, unpretentious... and Winterbourne and the Roman society represents the decaying Europe. I’m sure this novella would be a great addition to a history course. I frankly did not care for any of the characters. Winterbourne seemed like a lecherous and vacuous man without a work ethic. Daisy was flighty and self-centered. And what was up with the mother? Why did James have her be this clueless woman with little agency or control over her children (including the 9 year old brother)? Is Henry James still part of our literary cannon? I think there is a place for this writing to give us a sense of what culture was like in this time period. There is a plethora of other novelists that have much more complex characters and themes that would lead to discussions that might be more relevant to us now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2019
Two interesting stories. Unlike many works of classic literature, this one didn't provide much of an insight into the period when written-but each work brought up issues which are timeless.
(A) Daisy Miller seems to be a young flirt-who is enjoying her youth overseas carousing with exotic foreigners, and enjoying the "high life". She later succumbs to malaria. The question (age old), did she get what she deserves, by playing with the heart of Mr. Winterbourne as well as her Italian friend?
(B) In Washington Square, The protagonist (Catherine), who is a average looking girl, who stands to inherit a lot of money, is seduced by a good looking young man. Her father suspects he is just a gold digger, and her aunt seems like she is encouraging this guy's seduction to get back at her father. The question here is-does everyone have a soul mate? Catherine's father couldn't believe a man could be interested in her daughter (other then for money). Are some folks destined to be alone?
Interesting questions-but this book seemed somewhat simple compared with other works of classic literature, like Little Woman, Sense and Sensibility, etc.
(A) Daisy Miller seems to be a young flirt-who is enjoying her youth overseas carousing with exotic foreigners, and enjoying the "high life". She later succumbs to malaria. The question (age old), did she get what she deserves, by playing with the heart of Mr. Winterbourne as well as her Italian friend?
(B) In Washington Square, The protagonist (Catherine), who is a average looking girl, who stands to inherit a lot of money, is seduced by a good looking young man. Her father suspects he is just a gold digger, and her aunt seems like she is encouraging this guy's seduction to get back at her father. The question here is-does everyone have a soul mate? Catherine's father couldn't believe a man could be interested in her daughter (other then for money). Are some folks destined to be alone?
Interesting questions-but this book seemed somewhat simple compared with other works of classic literature, like Little Woman, Sense and Sensibility, etc.
May 17, 2020
Yes, yes, I know english teachers are supposed to love classics, and I know that Henry James was talented. But man did I suffer through this. I started with Daisy Miller, a short story, which highlighted how James saw America and Europe, revealing the "American flirts" and promptly ended the story by killing off a character (for the record: the musing to death ratio was too high). What was it saying about women? Who knows? Not sure I care enough to read analyses.
Then came Washington Square. At least there was a plot here. The characters were kind of interesting, in a can-you-move-the-plot-forward kind of way. But damn, that ending. "Why didn't she ever marry?" Welp, sometimes people choose not to be married, crazy, I know.
Unless you want to read it to complain about it with me, I wouldn't super recommend it.
Then came Washington Square. At least there was a plot here. The characters were kind of interesting, in a can-you-move-the-plot-forward kind of way. But damn, that ending. "Why didn't she ever marry?" Welp, sometimes people choose not to be married, crazy, I know.
Unless you want to read it to complain about it with me, I wouldn't super recommend it.
August 13, 2025
I enjoyed this collection of the Henry James novellas, Daisy Miller and Washington Square. Both stories were mainly about how romantic love is just infatuation produced by the ego. I particularly liked the character of Catherine Sloper, the heroine of Washington Square. Throughout the story, Catherine transforms from a young idealistic woman emotionally manipulated by everyone around her, including her father, aunt, and fiancé, Morris Townsend, to a strong and independent person. Eventually, she is able to see past the greed and ambitions of others and forgive them so that she can move on with her life. I can see how some people might find the story depressing, but I found it very inspiring. Its central message seems to be that we are all in charge of our own happiness and that handing over that power to others is futile.
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July 23, 2024I had studied Daisy Miller during university many years ago; rereading it now, while visiting Rome, was wonderful. The dialogue feels fresh. Randolph, Daisy, even Winterbourne are such engaging characters. It was wonderful to reread, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially to read while visiting the Alps or Rome.
Since it was included in the same volume, I also read Washington Square, which I had never read before. I was much less engaged. I found the summary-heavy style off-putting. The characters did have some subtlety, but the novella as a whole did not speak to me. As a window into historical New York it was perhaps interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it to others.
Since it was included in the same volume, I also read Washington Square, which I had never read before. I was much less engaged. I found the summary-heavy style off-putting. The characters did have some subtlety, but the novella as a whole did not speak to me. As a window into historical New York it was perhaps interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it to others.
August 16, 2022
I thought I would be reading a novel by Henry James who I knew of but had never read before. Instead, I soon found this book was actually two short stories when the story I was reading (Daisy Miller0 suddenly ended. The ending was quite a surprise and I realized that Henry James was a very talented writer. However, I was less impressed in reading the second short story, Washington Square. It went on too long and didn't seem to be going anywhere. And it ended seemingly without any resolution.
August 14, 2023
Daisy Miller and Washington Square are two delightfully complimentary and contrasting novels. Both tales combine to clearly display Henry James dynamic writing; featuring tales of two women who are opposites yet both incredibly well written and characterised.
The book has aged well, it only takes a moment to adjust to the old fashioned language and from that point the book is an absolute page turner. As someone who has read a lot of classic novels, it is delightful to find a male author from the 1800’s who was good at writing women.
The book has aged well, it only takes a moment to adjust to the old fashioned language and from that point the book is an absolute page turner. As someone who has read a lot of classic novels, it is delightful to find a male author from the 1800’s who was good at writing women.
May 28, 2024
I don't really know what to make of 'Daisy Miller' - the protagonist Winterbourne seemed so fascinated with her, but at the same time her didn't respect her (and then she meets that unfortunate ending).
'Washington Square' was much more substantial: I liked the portrayal of Mrs Penniman, with her desire to facilitate, dramatize and be involved in Catherine's love affair with the unpleasant Morris. Catherine's father was hard to understand - he was so dismissive of his daughter and enjoyed being proved right even when her heart was broken.
'Washington Square' was much more substantial: I liked the portrayal of Mrs Penniman, with her desire to facilitate, dramatize and be involved in Catherine's love affair with the unpleasant Morris. Catherine's father was hard to understand - he was so dismissive of his daughter and enjoyed being proved right even when her heart was broken.
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June 26, 2020Just reviewing Daisy Miller.
This is m third read. Once in college, the second time, I can't remember, and now. I've always liked this story, even though nothing much happens. It's a vignette that might belong in a larger piece.I don't know why I like this so much other than the ambiance of Vevey and Rome and James' writing. I can actually visualize it in detail, but in another sense it's dreamlike.
This is m third read. Once in college, the second time, I can't remember, and now. I've always liked this story, even though nothing much happens. It's a vignette that might belong in a larger piece.I don't know why I like this so much other than the ambiance of Vevey and Rome and James' writing. I can actually visualize it in detail, but in another sense it's dreamlike.
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