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Washington Square
Washington Square | Henry James
Back when New York was still young, so was heiress Catherine Sloper. A simple, plain girl, she grew up in opulence with a disappointed father and a fluttery aunt in a grand house on Washington Square. Enter Morris Townsend, a handsome charmer who assures Catherine he loves her for herself and not for her money. But Catherine s revered father sees in Townsend what she cannot. Now, with her tearful aunt Penniman as his amusingly melodramatic ally, Townsend will present Catherine with the hardest choice of her young life. With a New Introduction and an Afterword by Michael Cunningham, Author of "The Hours""
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Anchobi413
Washington Square | Henry James
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Pickpick

When an author provides just enough details but still leaves space for interpretation, I cannot stop thinking about the characters for days after I finish reading. This was my first time reading a book by Henry James, but I enjoyed the pace and how he brought his characters to life. The very last scene still replays in my mind.

Leftcoastzen I love this book. 3y
6 likes1 comment
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Woozy-Shooz
Washington Square | Henry James
Pickpick

Sad, sad book. Nobody is either good or bad; everyone is both. Fathers harm daughters in their so called good intentions gone awry. Yet Dr. Sloper is right, Morris is a fraud. Not evil, just mercenary and a fraud. Life sucks. Women are not free. Men are either noble or slackers. This is what people think but James manages to transcend and finds humanity in all.

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Leftcoastzen
Washington Square | Henry James
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#3Books #SetInNewYorkCity If you have been hesitant to try Henry James this shorter novel might have some appeal.Not as long winded and set in the part of New York he grew up in Washington Square, Greenwich Village , NYC.The part of New York that I love the best.❤️❤️❤️

Cathythoughts I read it years ago ... time for a reread ❤️ 4y
eeclayton I picked The Catcher in the Rye too today 🙂 4y
OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 4y
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squirrelbrain One of my favourite places in NYC too... a few years ago we went to Open House New York and were able to visit Edward Hopper‘s studio, with a view down onto the park ❤️ (edited) 4y
Leftcoastzen @eeclayton I saw that ! Hard to resist putting it in there , Holden‘s not so good very bad day.😃 4y
Leftcoastzen @squirrelbrain I‘ve never visited the studio, would love to. 4y
Leftcoastzen @Cathythoughts I am thinking I want to as well . See if I still like it , liked this one too 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Cool photo 💞 4y
Leftcoastzen @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I only steal from the best, photo Washington Square North nos. 21-25 by Berenice Abbott, her WPA project 4y
51 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Syl
Washington Square | Henry James
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Started this for Sept BOTM.. better late than never!

Sparklemn Did you finish it? 4y
Syl No 😬 4y
4 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Lcsmcat
Washington Square | Henry James
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A #black #book from Henry James. (With a nicer cover than yesterday‘s James!) #blackcatchallenge #octoberputaspellonyou @Clwojick @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty 🖤🖤 6y
59 likes1 comment
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squirrelbrain
Washington Square | Henry James
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Today‘s charity shop book haul, for the grand total of Qc! Two for my husband, three classics that I don‘t have on my shelves and the rest just looked interesting...!

britt_brooke Nice!! 6y
TrishB Bargain 👍🏻 6y
Cathythoughts You did very well there Helen .... you got some great ones. I‘d love to read Henry James again. Time , time , time 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts I‘ve never read Washington Square and it‘s one of my favourite places in NYC, think I might put that to the top of the TBR pile.... 6y
rockpools 📚📚📚Thank you (and hubs) for the stickers Helen - they're FANTASTIC! Super fun & super generous- can't wait to get using them. 6y
89 likes5 comments
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Litsi
Washington Square | Henry James
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Pickpick

A/K/A “A Portrait of a Plain Lady”. This diverts from the pretty, socially mannered, young girl looking for a mate story and does a great job of showing what a “quiet” female life looks like from the inside, where no one has love for you or faith in you & your dance card isn‘t full. As often happens, this author‘s “lesser” novel is still a gem. Also a good read if in this era of “show don‘t tell” you‘ve forgotten what a good narrator sounds like.

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Litsi
Washington Square | Henry James
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Pickpick

A/K/A A Portrait of a Plain Lady. This diverts from the pretty socially mannered young girl looking for a mate story and does a great job of showing what a “quiet” female life looks like from the inside, where no one has love for you or faith in you & your dance card isn‘t full. As often happens, this author‘s “lesser” novel is still a gem. Also a good read if in this era of “show don‘t tell” you‘ve forgotten what a good narrator sounds like.

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jmtrivera
Washington Square | Henry James
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Pickpick

Despite having seen this as a play, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The longer the story goes, the less it is about a fortune hunter and the more it is about a standoff between an arrogant father and his underestimated daughter. It's fairly interesting and witty, even if it's hard to tell whether the end is a triumph or a tragedy. Worth a ponder.

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Litsi
Washington Square | Henry James
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HALFWAY REPORT. My does Mr James use quite a few words, but the picture he paints with them has the light and depth of a Vermeer painting. #litsyclassics

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Nikibee
Washington Square | Henry James
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I love the movie, time to read the book.

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jmtrivera
Washington Square | Henry James
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"She had a vision of the ceremony being performed in some subterranean chapel - subterranean chapels in New York were not frequent, but Mrs. Penniman's imagination was not chilled by trifles..."

Definitely not a happy story so far, but interesting and witty at times!

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batsy
Washington Square | Henry James
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I found this #richgirl-problems novel heartbreaking. Maybe up there with Wharton's The House of Mirth. I just can't get over how mean the father is to his own daughter because she's essentially good and plain and doesn't live up to his expectations. This doesn't seem to be a favourite among Henry James fans, even, but I love it (and the 1997 movie). #AugustGrrrl @Cinfhen

Cinfhen You're all about the classics 😊#impressive 💗😍 7y
LeahBergen I read this years ago (and I may need to watch the movie now!). 7y
readordierachel I loved the movie too. Can't go wrong with Jennifer Jason Leigh. 7y
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Oftencantdecide I need to read this. I saw a play adaptation of it (The Heiress) starring Jessica Chastain and Dan Stevens several years ago that was really good. 7y
batsy @ReadOrDieRachel You really can't! I thought her performance was brave and interesting. 7y
batsy @Oftencantdecide That's cool! There's a 1949 movie version of The Heiress too that I've been meaning to check out. 7y
Cathythoughts I read this such a long time ago & I remember loving it 👏👏👏never heard of The House of Mirth , must investigate (edited) 7y
Cathythoughts The House of Mirth is free on kindle 😉 7y
batsy @Cathythoughts Excellent! I really liked it. ☺️ I think a lot of classics are available free on Kindle or on the Project Gutenberg website. I'd love to read more of Henry James and Edith Wharton. 7y
LauraBrook Somehow I missed this when you first posted, but I love (and hardcore identify with) this book. James and Wharton are toe of my favorite authors, I've always thought they went well together. I'm not that well-read with Wharton, and only marginally more with James. I think my brain is finally ready for a meatier book, and I'm pondering where I should start again. 7y
63 likes7 stack adds10 comments
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jmtrivera
Washington Square | Henry James
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I saw the play based on this story with my cousin a few years ago when Dan Stevens and Jessica Chastain were in it. I've been dying to read the book ever since. Now I've got it on Kindle for a rainy day! #ashapeinthetitle #JuneBookBugs @RealLifeReading

LiteraryinPA The Heiress? Back when I was in high school, I was Mrs. Penniman in our production. 😉Too bad Dan Stevens wasn't in it with me... 7y
jmtrivera @LiteraryinLititz Yes! He did it on Broadway a few years back. He was very good! 7y
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HotCocoaReads
Washington Square | Henry James
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She is like a revolving lighthouse; pitch darkness alternating with a dazzling brilliancy!

15 likes2 stack adds
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jmtrivera
Washington Square | Henry James
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#Greencovers and greenish ones from the TBR on my Kindle in a delayed St. Paddy's Day post. #MarchintoReading

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whelanmaria
Washington Square | Henry James
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Pickpick

A quick and easy read, James takes readers through the home of a wealthy single father and his loving daughter. It's a witty, frustrating tale of heartbreak and gossip and by the end, I grew to love and sympathize with Catherine, the heroine.

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SophieWaters
Washington Square | Henry James
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Panpan

I really enjoyed Daisy Miller so I was eager to read more Henry James, but this was so disappointing. There wasn't a single character in this book that I liked or was worth getting behind; the way that Catherine was treated by Morris and her family was despicable; and the severe lack of agency in Catherine bothered me so much.

Is Henry James worth carrying on with? Or does he treat all his female characters like that?

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affiknitty
Washington Square | Henry James
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Started this last night because my book club is reading it. I'm pretty sure I've read this; in any case I can see tragedy coming. NOT FEELING IT. Someone tell me why I ought to get excited about this book. 😕

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thebookmagpie
Washington Square | Henry James
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Made a little trip to my favourite bookshop in the capital today!

LeeRHarry Love Possession!! 8y
thebookmagpie @LeeRHarry looking forward to reading it! 8y
Bookworm83 I second, @LeeRHarry ! Possession is one of my favorites. 8y
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thebookmagpie @Bookworm83 good to know! 😀 8y
LauraBrook 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Did you pick the biggest ones you could find?! 😳 8y
Caryl A little trip for some BIG books! 😀 I loved Possession, too. 💕 8y
Thekelburrows Possession ❤️❤️❤️ 8y
KVanRead Possession absolutely deserves all the ❤️ and I am huge fan of Washington Square too. 8y
thebookmagpie @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com it wasn't intentional 😜 @Caryl @Thekelburrows @KVanRead I will have to pick up Possession asap with all of these recommendations! I picked up WS because a lot of James' work was discussed in Reading Lolita... so I wanted to give one of the mentioned novels a go. 8y
KVanRead @thebookmagpie it's also a great old movie, The Heiress, with Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift. 8y
73 likes2 stack adds11 comments
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AmyStewart
Washington Square | Henry James

"Has she made a scene?"

"She is not scenic."

6 likes2 stack adds
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Orbeck33
Washington Square | Henry James
Panpan

This is the only book I had to use Cliff's Notes for in high school. I was so throughly bored that I cheated! Never had the courage to try another Henry James novel after this.

Ald Reading Henry James can replace water boarding. 9y
Orbeck33 @Al ha! 9y
4 likes2 comments