The Europeans

by Henry James, Henry Riverside Press, Henry James Collection

Book Overview

Henry James released his little novel The Europeans: A Sketch in 1878. In essence, it is a comedy that contrasts the actions and viewpoints of two European tourists with those of their relatives who reside in the "new" world of New England. The Atlantic Monthly published the serialized version of the book from July to October of 1878. The story begins in Boston and New England in the middle of the 19th century and details the transition from the old...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9357273875
• ISBN13: 9789357273879
• Release Date: December 2022
• Publisher: Double 9 Booksllp
• Length: 170 Pages
• Weight: 0.57 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Compared to Earlier and Later Works ...

... The Europeans seems indeed to be merely "a sketch", a practice piece, worth reading only for James's masterly prose and for occasional sparkles of wit. Or perhaps it should be taken as James's effort to 'cash in' on the perennial market for romance novels for women readers, a market that was a lucrative in the 19th C as it remains today. That latter interpretation, I confess, is hindered by the absence of passion exhibited in any the four entangled 'love stories' of the narration. Marriages do occur eventually; I hope that's not too much of a spoiler, since I won't disclose how many or whom. One could also interpret The Europeans as a study of miscommunication. The title characters, a sister and brother whose mother was American but who have 'grown up' as thorough Europeans, come to visit their American cousins whom they've never met or known, who live quiet, sober lives in a Massachusetts village. The reader is 'encouraged' to suppose that the sister is both fleeing a milieu in Europe that has gone sour and seeking a 'fortunate' matrimonial opportunity. The American cousins and their social set are people of substantial means and insubstantial culture. Perplexed in every way by the arrival of such exotic relatives, nonetheless they generously welcome the travelers into their quaint puritanical family circle. What ensues is a minuet of misperceptions and miscues. James seems to have learned a good deal about the structural mechanics of novel-writing in the short time between "The American" and "The Europeans". Whereas in the former, he sometimes labors over describing a character in excessive external detail, in the latter he allows his characters to portray themselves through actions and dialogue. It's a subtler style of narrative, on a par with the polished best of Jane Austen or George Eliot. But of course the 19th C British 'novel of manners' was the model of all of Henry James's novels, a form he never abandoned. It's also quite plausible that James consciously intended "The Europeans" as a sequel to "The American," a thematic coda. It's not as exciting or insightful as its immediate predecessor, and it's barely a prophecy of the brilliance James would soon achieve in "The Bostonians". But it's too artfully written not to be entertaining as a display of craft.

The Europeans

The Europeans by Henry James. Published by MobileReference (mobi) Henry James is one of the best American writers. Reading this novel has made me very excited to read further works by James, as I plan to read the entirety of his literary output. It is the brilliance and charm of 'Europenas' that has instilled in me this excitment.

The Europeans

When I found out that "The Europeans", by Henry James, could offer more than just a wonderful film, I couldn't wait to order the unabridged "The Europeans" Audio-CD, read by Lloyd James, as well as the complete soundtrack CD "The Europeans", with composer Richard Robbins' arrangements. The film is a James Ivory's masterpiece with a New England autumn background, the Audio-CD matches the film wonderfully, where you can picture the film characters through Lloyd's interpretation, and the Soundtrack CD starts off with breathtaking Clara Schumann's "Andante" Opus-17.

An Early James Novel, and Not As Good as Portrait of a Lady

This is a 4 or 5 star novel but not a great work of literature. Somewhat surprisingly the Europeans is set in rural Massachusetts, not in Europe. The book is a few hundred pages long. This length is longer than Washington Square and much shorter that Portrait of a Lady, the latter being a much better novel than the present work. Without giving away the plot, it has that Henry James characteristic of an uncertain final outcome hence the novel lacks a completely satisfying ending. There is some happiness and closure for the protagonists, but as we read in Washington Square, James sometimes leaves the future a bit uncertain, and he does so here. In any case, it is the story of a European brother and sister, who are linked to European nobles through marriage, visiting their wealthy relations outside of Boston. The story is set some time in the early 19th century. Many claim that the dates and events mentioned in the book are confused and these errors introduce elements of confusion. In general, this does not distract from the story. I found the novel to be an interesting but not a compelling read. This classic is recommended reading, but it is not a novel or classic that one "must read."

NOT ONE OF JAMES BEST BUT QUITE READABLE

THE EUROPEANS IS NOT ONE OF HENRY JAMES BETTER NOVELS. NEVERTHELESS, FOR FANS OF JAMES, IT'S QUITE READABLE.THE NOVEL IS ABOUT 2 EUROPEANS - A YOUNG MAN AND WOMAN, BROTHER AND SISTER, WHO TRAVEL TO AMERICA (BOSTON) TO VISIT THEIR LONG LOST AMERICAN COUSINS. THE PLOT INVOLVES THE AMOROUS ENTANGLEMENTS OF THE COUSINS AND THEIR AMERICAN FRIENDS. MUCH OF THE STORY DEALS WITH CONTRASTING THE EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN "WAYS" AND "LIFESTYLES" - A FAVORITE TOPIC OF JAMES. THE BOOK IS NOT A COMPLEX READ LIKE SOME OF HIS LATER NOVELS. IT'S QUITE ACCESSIBLE AND MILDLY ENTERTAINING.