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The Portrait of a Lady
- Narrated by: John Wood
- Length: 23 hrs and 55 mins
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Publisher's summary
Exclusively from Audible
When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy the freedom that her fortune has opened up and to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors, declaring that she will never be wed.
It is only when she finds herself irresistibly drawn to the cultivated but worthless Gilbert Osmond that she discovers that wealth is a two-edged sword. She becomes a victim of her own provincialism and the scheming of her friends, learning only too late that there is a price to be paid for independence. A tragic tale of love and betrayal, it still resonates with audiences today.
With its subtle delineation of American characters in a European setting, The Portrait of a Lady is considered the masterpiece of the first phase of James's career and arguably his most popular story. Within it we find a reflection of James's interest in the differences between the New World and the Old, often to the detriment of the former.
A film adaptation was made in 1996 by New Zealand director Jane Campion, starring Nicole Kidman, John Malkovich, and Barbara Hershey.
Narrator Biography
Having begun his career on stage, John Wood spent seven years in television before eventually playing lead roles in Tom Stoppard's teleplays in 1967. After two Tony nominations for his performances in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Sherlock Holmes, he won the award for Best Actor for his role in Stoppard's surrealistic farce, Travesties, in 1976. He also had a long career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and continued his theatre work in both America and the UK, eventually receiving a Laurence Olivier Award nomination in 1997 for his role in Stoppard's Invention of Love.
In 1996, Wood performed in BBC Radio 3's audio production of Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw and in 2010 he narrated audiobook The Portrait of a Lady with Audible Studios. His appearances in feature films have included Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and, later, television appearances have included Foyles's War (2004) and Lewis (2007). In 2007 he was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
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Swann's Way
- By: Marcel Proust
- Narrated by: Neville Jason
- Length: 21 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Swann’s Way is the first of seven volumes in Remembrance of Things Past. It sets the scene with the narrator’s memories being famously provoked by the taste of that little cake, the madeleine, accompanied by a cup of lime-flowered tea. It is an unmatched portrait of fin-de-siècle France.
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Not a book one reads but inhabits & floats through
- By Darwin8u on 02-24-13
By: Marcel Proust
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The Idiot [Blackstone]
- By: Fyodor Dostoevsky
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 22 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Prince Myshkin, is thrust into the heart of a society more concerned with wealth, power, and sexual conquest than the ideals of Christianity. Myshkin soon finds himself at the center of a violent love triangle in which a notorious woman and a beautiful young girl become rivals for his affections. Extortion, scandal, and murder follow, testing the wreckage left by human misery to find "man in man."
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Intense and painfully sad
- By Tad on 04-27-12
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North and South
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
- Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Written at the request of Charles Dickens, North and South is a book about rebellion that poses fundamental questions about the nature of social authority and obedience. Gaskell expertly blends individual feeling with social concern and her heroine, Margaret Hale, is one of the most original creations of Victorian literature. When Margaret Hale's father leaves the Church in a crisis of conscience she is forced to leave her comfortable home in the tranquil countryside of Hampshire....
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Delightful
- By Sally on 01-04-10
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Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking-Glass (Dramatized)
- By: Lewis Carroll
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat, Georgia Lee Schultz, John Jarvis, and others
- Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
- Original Recording
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The fantasy worlds of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass come to life in these audio theatre presentations with music and sound effects.
By: Lewis Carroll
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The Woman in White
- By: Wilkie Collins
- Narrated by: Josephine Bailey, Simon Prebble
- Length: 25 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the greatest mystery thrillers ever written, Wilkie Collins's The Woman in White was a phenomenal best seller in the 1860s, achieving even greater success than works by Charles Dickens. Full of surprise, intrigue, and suspense, this vastly entertaining novel continues to enthrall audiences today.
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Gripping novel, excellent production
- By David on 01-18-11
By: Wilkie Collins
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The Ladies of Rosings Park
- A Pride and Prejudice Sequel and Companion to The Darcys of Pemberley
- By: Shannon Winslow
- Narrated by: Marian Hussey
- Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Chapter by chapter, these ladies of Rosings Park take turns telling the tale from the moment Elizabeth Bennet sets foot in Hunsford, changing everything. Is Anne heartbroken or relieved to discover Mr. Darcy will never marry her? As an heiress, even a sickly one, she must have other suitors. Does Lady Catherine gracefully accept the defeat of her original plan or keep conniving? Will Anne’s health ever improve? And what really happened to her father?
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NOT Jane Austen
- By susan on 03-02-19
By: Shannon Winslow
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Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
- Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!
- By: Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen
- Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem.
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One word - Awesome!
- By Katelyn on 05-22-09
By: Seth Grahame-Smith, and others
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The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
- By: Anne Brontë
- Narrated by: Alex Jennings, Jenny Agutter
- Length: 16 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Fleeing a disastrous marriage, Helen Huntingdon retreats to the desolate mansion, Wildfell Hall, with her son, Arthur. There, she makes her living as a painter. Finding it difficult to avoid her neighbors, she is soon an object of speculation and gossip. Brontë portrays Helen's eloquent struggle for independence at a time when society defined a married woman as her husband's property.
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Excellent performances of an abridged version
- By LSK on 04-21-19
By: Anne Brontë
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The Custom of the Country
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Grace Conlin
- Length: 14 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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One of Edith Wharton's most acclaimed works, The Custom of the Country is a blistering indictment of materialism, power, and misplaced values. Its heroine, Undine Spragg, is one of the most ruthless characters in all of literature, as selfishly unscrupulous as she is fiercely beautiful. As she climbs the class ladder through a series of marriages and affairs, she shows little concern for who she has to step on.
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Narrator kills the book
- By Mississippi Malka on 05-24-10
By: Edith Wharton
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The Portrait of a Lady
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Bleak and believable
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wonderful novel, wonderful reader, poor recording
- By Catherine on 11-14-09
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The Professor
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The Professor is Charlotte Brontë's first novel albeit the last to have been published. Edited and distributed by Arthur Bell Nicholls, two years after Brontë's death, it is based on her experiences of living as a language student in Brussels. The Professor follows the career and love affairs of William Crimsworth, a reserved but compassionate aristocrat who has been ostracised by his family and left penniless.
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Beautiful
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Wives and Daughters
- By: Elizabeth Gaskell
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Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor in the small provincial town of Hollingford, lost her mother when she was a child. Her father remarries wanting to give Molly the woman's presence he feels she lacks. To Molly, any stepmother would have been a shock, but the new Mrs. Gibson is a self-absorbed, petty widow, and Molly's unhappiness is compounded by the realisation that her father has come to regret his second marriage.
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Superb! Story and Narration A++
- By Jo on 05-24-10
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The Age of Innocence
- By: Edith Wharton
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Countess Ellen Olenska, separated from her European husband, returns to old New York society. She bears with her an independence and an awareness of life which stirs the educated sensitivity of the charming Newland Archer, engaged to be married to her cousin, May Welland. Though he accepts the society's standards and rules he is acutely aware of their limitations. He knows May will assure him a conventional future but Ellen, scandalously separated from her husband, forces Archer to question his values and beliefs.
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Narrated to Perfection
- By Ilana on 09-18-12
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The House of Mirth
- By: Edith Wharton
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- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
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Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York's elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means. Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened. A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton's tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s.
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Like Henry James but more accessible
- By Merlin on 08-19-12
By: Edith Wharton
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The Portrait of a Lady
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 21 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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When Isabel Archer, a young American woman with looks, wit, and imagination, arrives in Europe, she sees the world as "a place of brightness, of free expression, of irresistible action". She turns aside from suitors who offer her their wealth and devotion to follow her own path.
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Bleak and believable
- By Karen on 04-26-09
By: Henry James
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The Europeans
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Eleanor Bron
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Eugenia, an American expatriate brought up in Europe, arrives in rural New England with her charming brother Felix, hoping to find a wealthy second husband after the collapse of her marriage to a German prince. Their exotic, sophisticated airs cause quite a stir with their affluent, God-fearing American cousins, the Wentworth's - and provoke the disapproval of their uncle, suspicious of foreign influences.
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wonderful novel, wonderful reader, poor recording
- By Catherine on 11-14-09
By: Henry James
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The Professor
- By: Charlotte Brontë
- Narrated by: James Wilby
- Length: 9 hrs and 27 mins
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The Professor is Charlotte Brontë's first novel albeit the last to have been published. Edited and distributed by Arthur Bell Nicholls, two years after Brontë's death, it is based on her experiences of living as a language student in Brussels. The Professor follows the career and love affairs of William Crimsworth, a reserved but compassionate aristocrat who has been ostracised by his family and left penniless.
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Beautiful
- By ilene on 12-26-16
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Wives and Daughters
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Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a widowed doctor in the small provincial town of Hollingford, lost her mother when she was a child. Her father remarries wanting to give Molly the woman's presence he feels she lacks. To Molly, any stepmother would have been a shock, but the new Mrs. Gibson is a self-absorbed, petty widow, and Molly's unhappiness is compounded by the realisation that her father has come to regret his second marriage.
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Superb! Story and Narration A++
- By Jo on 05-24-10
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The Age of Innocence
- By: Edith Wharton
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Countess Ellen Olenska, separated from her European husband, returns to old New York society. She bears with her an independence and an awareness of life which stirs the educated sensitivity of the charming Newland Archer, engaged to be married to her cousin, May Welland. Though he accepts the society's standards and rules he is acutely aware of their limitations. He knows May will assure him a conventional future but Ellen, scandalously separated from her husband, forces Archer to question his values and beliefs.
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Narrated to Perfection
- By Ilana on 09-18-12
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The House of Mirth
- By: Edith Wharton
- Narrated by: Eleanor Bron
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
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Beautiful, sophisticated and endlessly ambitious Lily Bart endeavours to climb the social ladder of New York's elite by securing a good match and living beyond her means. Now nearing 30 years of age and having rejected several proposals, forever in the hope of finding someone better, her future prospects are threatened. A damning commentary of 20th-century social order, Edith Wharton's tale established her as one of the greatest British novelists of the 1900s.
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Like Henry James but more accessible
- By Merlin on 08-19-12
By: Edith Wharton
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Vanity Fair
- By: William Makepeace Thackeray
- Narrated by: John Castle
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Set during the time of the Napoleonic Wars, this classic gives a satirical picture of a worldly society. The novel revolves around the exploits of the impoverished but beautiful and devious Becky Sharp who craves wealth and a position in society. Calculating and determined to succeed, she charms, deceives and manipulates everyone she meets. A novel of early 19th-century English society, it takes its title from the place designated as the centre of human corruption in John Bunyan's 17th-century allegory.
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The Best Narration, One of the Greats
- By James Abraham on 05-18-13
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The Portrait of a Lady
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The Portrait of a Lady tells the compelling and ultimately tragic tale of a beautiful young American woman's encounter with European sophistication. Set principally in England and Italy, the story follows Isabel Archer's fortunes as a variety of admirers vie for her hand. Her choice will be crucial, and she is not wanting for advice, whether from the generous-spirited Ralph Touchett or the charming Madame Merle.
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Couldn't get past the terrible American accents.
- By Sarah on 04-07-17
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What Maisie Knew
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Maisie is an innocent six year-old, torn between her divorced parents, pathetically isolated yet tragically involved.
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A great reader reads a great writer
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The Wings of the Dove
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Milly Theale is a young, beautiful, and fabulously wealthy American. When she arrives in London and meets the equally beautiful but impoverished Kate Croy, they form an intimate friendship. But nothing is as it seems: materialism, romance, self-delusion, and ultimately fatal illness insidiously contaminate the glamorous social whirl.
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Not an easy read but SO worth it!
- By Julie Gray on 10-31-17
By: Henry James
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Tess of the D'Urbervilles
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When John Durbeyfield discovers a family connection to the ancient Norman family, the D'Urbervilles, the fate of daughter Tess is transformed. Sent by her ambitious parents to visit her wealthy D'Urberville cousins, Tess attracts the attention of the unscrupulous Alec. Seduced and discarded by him and alone in the world, she finds work as a milkmaid and the love of Angel Clare. Yet his love cannot accept the truth about Tess's past.
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Peter Firth gets this book
- By Claire on 04-11-10
By: Thomas Hardy
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Agnes Grey
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Having lost the family savings on risky investments, Richard Grey removes himself from family life and suffers a bout of depression. Feeling helpless and frustrated, his youngest daughter, Agnes, applies for a job as a governess to the children of a wealthy, upper-class, English family. Ecstatic at the thought that she has finally gained control and freedom over her own life, Agnes arrives at the Bloomfield mansion armed with confidence and purpose.
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Loved it
- By Kerry on 05-22-10
By: Anne Brontë
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Sense & Sensibility
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- Unabridged
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When two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their mother are left to the financial mercies of John Dashwood and his wife, they find themselves in drastically reduced circumstances.
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Excellent narration
- By Rebecca on 10-09-09
By: Jane Austen
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Wuthering Heights
- By: Emily Brontë
- Narrated by: Patricia Routledge
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- Unabridged
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The passionate and tragic story of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff is one of the high points of 19th-century Romantic literature. In the relationship of Cathy and Heathcliff, and in the wild, bleak Yorkshire Moors of its setting, Wuthering Heights creates a world of its own, conceived with a disregard for convention and an instinct for poetry and the darkest depths of the human soul in torment.
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I loved how much I hated everyone
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By: Emily Brontë
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The Spoils of Poynton
- By: Henry James
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- Unabridged
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Mrs Gereth, a wealthy widow, is dreading the day that her son, Owen, gets married. She hopes that he will marry a woman who will appreciate their home and all of its treasures as she does. So she enlists the help of Fleda Vetch to try to corrupt the impending marriage of her son and Mona Brigstock - a philistine who is determined to marry Owen in order to inherit Mrs Gereth’s valuable possessions and home by any means. Meanwhile, Fleda hides her real feelings towards Owen. Even when he ends up feeling the same way, Fleda cannot bring herself to marry him as this would force him to break his engagement to Mona, and thus betray all of her own ideals.
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Outstanding
- By LCantoni on 07-31-10
By: Henry James
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The Portrait of a Lady
- Penguin Classics
- By: Henry James
- Narrated by: Simon Harrison
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy her freedom, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then she finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond. Charming and cultivated, Osmond sees Isabel as a rich prize waiting to be taken. In this portrait of a 'young woman affronting her destiny', Henry James created one of his most magnificent heroines, and a story of intense poignancy.
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Narrator
- By Lorri Kuczynski on 03-21-21
By: Henry James
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The Return of the Native
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- Unabridged
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Set on Egdon Heath, a fictional barren moor in Wessex, Eustacia Vye longs for the excitement of city life but is cut off from the world in her grandfather's lonely cottage. Clym Yeobright who has returned to the area to become a schoolmaster seems to offer everything she dreams of: passion, excitement and the opportunity to escape. However, Clym's ambitions are quite different, and marriage only increases Eustacia's destructive restlessness, drawing others into a tangled web of deceit and unhappiness.
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A Perfect Pairing
- By Mel on 11-04-12
By: Thomas Hardy
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Far from the Madding Crowd
- By: Thomas Hardy
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Parker
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Hardy's first major literary success, here brought to life by narrator Nathaniel Parker, is the story of the independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene, who inherits her uncle's farm, the largest estate in the area. She surprises the villagers of Weatherbury by deciding to run it herself. Attracted to this bold young woman are three suitors all vying for her affections. They include the lonely gentleman-farmer Boldwood, the young and handsome but inconsiderate Sergeant Troy and the faithful shepherd Gabriel Oak.
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Does Thomas Hardy justice
- By vhuggins on 06-11-13
By: Thomas Hardy
What listeners say about The Portrait of a Lady
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- W Perry Hall
- 10-21-20
Real fine lady, who's that lady?
A work of wonder displaying the naivete' and mistakes of youth and some Americans' missteps in life choices that were driven by gullible and romantic notions of and in Europe. The novel still feels fresh and timely.
I was driven from this novel, after beginning it a few years back, by both its bulk and by my dislike of Washington Square (see, if you will, my caustic review of both the book and the author). I am pleased to have returned to The Portrait of a Lady, so that, finally, I can appreciate the depth of character and psychological acuity of Henry James' writing.
As much as I disliked Washington Square (and was unimpressed by his novella The Beast in the Jungle), I prized this esteemed classic of fiction.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Katy Lyness
- 10-02-12
Great read, good reader
What did you love best about The Portrait of a Lady?
James' insight into human motivation for action or inaction. Also his beautiful use of language and his subtle humor.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Portrait of a Lady?
Isabel's moments of self reflection are beautiful and often heartbreaking, especially near the end of the book when they are more pointed and more painful.
Have you listened to any of John Wood’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, the book is quite long and dense. I preferred to listen, take a break, then continue or even re-listen to passages.
Any additional comments?
On the whole I liked John Wood's reading. He gets it. My one complaint is the way he handles young women's voices. They sound like mock children. This is especially a problem with this book as I feel the listener needs to somewhat fall in love with the protagonist to really understand the book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 03-02-19
Best audible recording I’ve ever heard
John Wood’s sense for the subtleties of tone and syntax in James brings life to each of the sentences he reads. A masterpiece of a recording; adequately nuanced for someone as fine as James. A 24 hours blissfully spent.
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- Neil Chisholm
- 05-11-12
An American Jane Austen
I have read a few Henry James before but it was this book that really made me aware of the fact that he was the male, American version of Jane Austen but without the wit and insight.
The Portrait of a Lady is a tale of manners, of might bes and being careful of what you wish for. After several books recently I am beginning to wonder how the institution of marriage survived the Victorian times - none of them have been happy and most of the husbands were monsters, this marriage was another to add to the list.
I enjoyed it but it was very slow - beautifully slow in its accuracy to describe fully a room, a look or a thought but it did mean that the action was subdued, almost to the speed of molasses!
My biggest criticism of the book however was the narrator. John Wood is a lovely narrator and I hope to hear him again, but he was completely wrong for this book. Its an American view of English and ex-patriate life in Europe, to have it read by an Englishman who can't do an American accent or a woman's accent without it sounding like he's in drag, was very disappointing.
I felt mean giving this book only four stars but unfortunately that's all it deserved.
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32 people found this helpful
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- Dolores
- 12-03-12
Classic story with detracting narration
What did you love best about The Portrait of a Lady?
"Portrait of a Lady" provides rich detail in both settings and character development. The concept of living behind such a veil of propriety and ritual is foriegn to us in current times, but the nuances of freindship, love and relationships is still interesting and relevant today.
How could the performance have been better?
Mr. Wood's voice, while deep and appropriate for the male character, fell short of enjoyable for the female parts. Also, his frequent swallowing, throat clearing and lip licking were quite obvious and distracting. Sounds that might not be noticed on the stage or film, are quite annoying in the audio version of a work. I purchased this version of the book because it had the highest ratings, but I would take a sample listen to others before purchasing.
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2 people found this helpful
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- June Lapidow
- 03-28-16
Superb narration
I think James would have approved of this performance. The sound quality is a little off -- it picks up too much of the narrator's natural swallows and tongue movement -- but that can be overlooked in the instance of such fine acting.
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1 person found this helpful
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- MH
- 05-04-21
Excellent narrator!
I love the combination this book with the narrator. great writing with perfect pitch narration
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- Julie Swaab
- 01-13-23
Fantastic Narration and Wonderful Story
This made me remember why James in my favorite author. There is so much texture and feeling. I am right there, in the time period and in the place with the incredible narration. Although it is quite long, it seemed to pass so quickly that I want to hear more.
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- A. Mujica
- 05-03-23
Enjoyed hearing it
A little slow but amazing literary read. I wished the story would finish differently Thanks
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- Kelly
- 04-28-19
I will reread one day to better know James
There was a moment in this book when I told my husband that I didn't like the book at all. And later on, there was a moment when I felt it was my favorite read of 2019! In the end I realize that Mr James was an artist, and that Colm Toibin was spot on when he calls James The Master. So why were there those moments when I disliked it? I think it is because the book isn't an easy read. It is smart and intricate and difficult. I needed to stay in the story without any distraction.
This book feels very modern despite the fact that it was published in 1881.
What I loved most:
1. Isabel Archer
James gave us a book about a beautiful and strong American woman who is visiting her wealthy relatives in England. She values independence above everything else and rejects marriage proposals by two suitors. She inherits a fortune and is looking towards a solitary life in which she isn't burdened or controlled by a man. But she is manipulated into marrying ...
2. Gilbert Osmond.
He is one of the most hateful, arrogant, sinister, spiteful and intriguing antagonists I have read in a long time. He makes the book much better.
This duo of headstrong woman and sickening, obsessive man is what made me love the modern book The Pillars of the Earth. I think that the duo of Isabel and Gilbert is quite similar to Aliena & William Hamleigh. (I know the comparison may seem odd, but I loved both duos in the same way.)
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