Washington Square (Modern Library Classics) - Softcover

Henry James; Cynthia Ozick (Introduction)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375761225 ISBN 13: 9780375761225

Publisher: Modern Library Inc, 2002

Synopsis

Washington Square follows the coming-of-age of its plain-faced, kindhearted heroine, Catherine Sloper. Much to her father s vexation, a handsome opportunist named Morris Townsend woos the long-suffering heiress, intent on claiming her fortune. When Catherine stubbornly refuses to call off her engagement, Dr. Sloper forces Catherine to choose between her inheritance and the only man she will ever truly love. Cynthia Ozick, in her Introduction to what she calls Henry James s most American fiction, writes that every line, every paragraph, every chapter [of Washington Square] is a fleet-footed light brigade, an engine of irony. Precise and understated, this charming novel endures as a matchless study of New York in the mid-nineteenth century. When a handsome young man begins to court Catherine Sloper, she feels she is very lucky. She is a quiet, gentle girl, but neither beautiful nor clever; no one had ever admired her before, or come to the front parlour of her home in Washington Square to whisper soft words of love to her. But in New York in the 1840s young ladies are not free to marry where they please. Catherine must have her father's permission, and Dr Sloper is a rich man. One day Catherine will have a fortune of 30,000 dollars a year . . .

About this title

Review:

"Henry James is as solitary in the history of the novel as Shakespeare is in the history of poetry." --Graham Greene

Book Description:

Washington Square is the story of an heiress torn between two men. It has been adapted many times for stage and screen, and remains among James’s most popular works.

About this edition

• Publisher: Modern Library Inc
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0375761225
• ISBN 13: 9780375761225
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288