The Lady Paramount

by Henry Harland

The Lady Paramount is a novel written by Henry Harland. The story is set in Venice, Italy, and follows the life of an American woman named Miss Geraldine Danby. Miss Danby has come to Venice to escape the social pressures of her wealthy family in New York. She is determined to live a life of independence and freedom, but soon finds herself caught up in a web of intrigue and romance.As she explores the city and its culture, Miss Danby meets a number of interesting characters, including a handsome Italian count and a mysterious Englishman. She also becomes involved in the affairs of a group of artists who are struggling to establish themselves in the competitive world of Venetian art.As the story unfolds, Miss Danby must navigate the complex social and political landscape of Venice, while also dealing with her own personal demons. She must decide whether to follow her heart or her head, and whether to embrace the life of a free-spirited artist or return to the safety and security of her old life in New York.The Lady Paramount is a beautifully written novel that explores themes of love, independence, and self-discovery. It is a must-read for anyone who loves historical fiction, romance, or stories set in exotic locales.1902. Novelist, short story writer, and literary editor of the Yellow Book, Harland�������s literary career falls into two distinct periods. During the first of these, using the pseudonym of Sidney Luska, he wrote a series of highly sensational novels, thrown off with little regard to literary quality. In the second he went through a metamorphosis and became an enthusiast in regard to style and the mot propre. The first novels of this new era, Mademoiselle Miss, Grey Roses, and Comedies and Errors, though obtaining the approval of the literary elect, had little general popularity. The tide turned with the appearance of The Cardinal�������s Snuff-box, which was widely admired. This was followed by this volume, The Lady Paramount, and My Friend Prospero.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

292 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2005

About the author

Henry Harland was a novelist and editor. In addition to his books, he is known for having been the editor of the magazine The Yellow Book.

Reviews

[Jim Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry Harland is known today as the editor of the infamous Yellow Book of 1890’s London. But Harland had his own writing career. However, he did not become famous as a novelist because he never discovered a distinct style or point of view that made his books stand out. His one great success was The Cardinal’s Snuff Box, a best seller at the time (1900), still a very amusing book. This is his follow-up book, and it is nowhere nearly as charming. It revolves around similar themes—Catholic aristocrats falling in love and fighting over titles and inheritances. His main character, Susanna, is a countess who upon coming-of-age abandon’s her Southern Italian island in search of her English cousin, whom she feels is the rightful heir. While readers may love her independence, wit, and sense of intrigue, her actions are not very feminist (here is a woman giving her power to a man), so Harland cannot be cited as an early proponent of women’s rights. Similarly, he creates a clearly gay character in Adrian, Anthony’s best friend, who looks, acts, and talks like an Oscar Wilde impersonator (and is nowhere nearly as witty). And while Harland hints at his sexuality, he keeps him firmly in the closet, even though our last view of him is gallivanting off with two handsome six foot four Italian brothers! So no points for being an early sympathizer of gay liberation. Finally, the hero of the story, Anthony, is strangely passive and uninteresting. So the romance aspect of the novel comes off a dud (plus we know all along he and Susanna will come together). Finally, the writing is pastiche of decadent writing: lists of flowers, birds, weather, castle interiors, etc. but with no real purpose. Harland seems to still be living in the 1890’s, but by the time this book was published, this type of writing was entirely out of style. It’s an interesting cultural object, even amusing at times, but dull in far too much of the book to be a success.