The Portrait of a Lady

From the moment Isabel Archer arrives in England, the soon-to-be heiress is in high demand. But the idealistic American rejects two proposals—and convention altogether. Headstrong Isabel prefers to shape her identity and confront her own destiny. When she is finally swayed, it’s by the manipulative charms of expatriate Gilbert Osmond. Where once was promise and determination is now the fear that the independence she’s pursued might have been forever lost.

Richly perceptive, The Portrait of a Lady is Henry James’s early masterpiece. At its heart is one of the most admired and fallible heroines in all of literature.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Portrait of a Lady, this edition of The Portrait of a Lady (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.