The Portrait of a Lady

Written by Henry James

Narrated by Nina Foch

Isabel Archer is a young American orphan who receives an inheritance from an uncle. Taken under her aunt's wings, she meets Madame Merle, her aunt's worldly friend, who instills in Isabel a sense of European sophistication, a trait that comes to overpower her own common sense. Isabel marries widower Gilbert Osmond, who projects refined tastes and intellectual detachment. Isabel is utterly captivated by Osmond's languid charm, and he is thrilled to have his superior prize. But in the end, the young woman discovers that her husband and Madame Merle are both exemplars of an appalling, complex depravity that has become the central issue in her life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 1, 2001
• ISBN: 9781597777605

Henry James

Henry James (1843–1916) was an American writer, highly regarded as one of the key proponents of literary realism, as well as for his contributions to literary criticism. His writing centres on the clash and overlap between Europe and America, and The Portrait of a Lady is regarded as his most notable work.