Description
By: Henry James (1843-1916)
The Ambassadors by Henry James is a masterpiece of literature that delves into the complexities of human relationships, societal expectations, and the clash between American and European cultures. The protagonist, Lambert Strether, is sent to Paris by his wealthy fiancée to retrieve her son Chad, who has become entangled in a scandalous affair with a French woman.
As Strether navigates the social intricacies of Parisian society, he finds himself drawn to the charm and sophistication of Europe, questioning his own limited perspective of the world. Through his interactions with Chad, Madame de Vionnet, and other characters, James explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the boundaries of love.
James’ prose is elegant and nuanced, capturing the subtleties of human emotions and the complexities of interpersonal dynamics. The novel is a thoughtful exploration of the choices we make and the consequences they entail, as well as a profound meditation on the nature of identity and self-discovery.
Overall, The Ambassadors is a compelling and thought-provoking read that will resonate with readers who appreciate literary fiction that delves into the depths of the human experience. James’ keen insight into the human psyche and his deft handling of complex themes make this novel a timeless classic that continues to captivate readers more than a century after its publication.
Book Description:
Henry James considered The Ambassadors his best, or perhaps his best-wrought, novel. It plays on the great Jamesian theme of Americans abroad, who finds themselves in an older, and some would say richer and more sophisticated, culture that that of the United States. The protagonist is Lambert Strether, a man in his fifties, editor of a small literary magazine in the manufacturing town of Woollett, Massachusetts, who arrives in Europe on a mission undertaken at the urging of his patron, Mrs. Newsome, to bring home her son Chadwick. That young man appears to be enjoying his time in Paris rather more than seems good for him, at least to those older and wiser. The novel, however, is really about Strether’s education in this old world. One of his teachers is the city of Paris and its society, in which Chad Newsome has become so immersed. Yet for all its beauties and attractions, this is a real Paris, not an idealized one, a Paris with its own superficialities and dangers. From it Strether has much to learn, and its lessons are perhaps not always those that Chad himself has drawn, pleasant as they might at first seem.
Had Strether his life to live over again, knowing what he has now learned, how different would it be?
NOTE: The Gutenberg text, from which this is read, is that of the 1909 New York edition of James’s works, and includes his own long Preface at its start. This is less a conventional preface than an essay by James on the novel and its making, and indeed assumes some familiarity with the work. A listener, therefore, might prefer to start right away with the first chapter, saving the Preface for later.
