Daisy Miller

By Henry James

First published in “Cornhill Magazine” in 1878, “Daisy Miller” is Henry James’ novella which concerns the courtship of its titular character, the beautiful young American girl Daisy Miller. While travelling in Europe with her family, Daisy is taken by the delightfulness of the continent, which unlike her brother, she finds superior to their hometown of Schenectady, New York. Her brother introduces her to Frederick Winterbourne, whom she agrees to visit the Château de Chillon with, drawing the disapproval of her family. Daisy further rejects the social conventions of the American expatriate community as she becomes increasingly intimate with Giovanelli, a young Italian of a lower class. Through the portrayal of Daisy, James seeks to contrast the differing attitudes of Europeans and Americans at the end of the 19th century, a theme he would revisit throughout his literary career. “Daisy Miller” was Henry James’ first real literary success, one which would bring him immediate and widespread popularity, and which remains to this day as one of his most popular works. This edition includes an introduction by Martin W. Sampson and a biographical afterword.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Digireads.com Publishing
• Release date: Sep 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781420976977

Henry James

Henry James (1843-1916) was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and non-fiction. He spent most of his life in Europe, and much of his work regards the interactions and complexities between American and European characters. Among his works in this vein are The Portrait of a Lady (1881), The Bostonians (1886), and The Ambassadors (1903). Through his influence, James ushered in the era of American realism in literature. In his lifetime he wrote 12 plays, 112 short stories, 20 novels, and many travel and critical works. He was nominated three times for the Noble Prize in Literature.

Book preview

Introduction

It is assuredly one of the natural ironies that fate distributes so plentifully among claimants of literary fame, that Henry James, who pleased not the million, and who stood as master of the prolonged and intricate windings of the human soul, should be best known by one of his least subtle achievements, by one of the simplest of his dramatis personae, by one of his briefest presentments of personality. It is, of course, nothing amazing that the lot should so fall: fate seems to have more common sense than sense of art; and why should not the general reader turn to something simple rather than to something portentous, to something handily brief rather than to something exhaustive to the last degree?

Natural enough, indeed, but the ironic fact remains that those who read the little masterpiece that comes first in this volume will not have entered into the author’s intimacy, any more than one who is pleased by an ingenious after-dinner speaker knows what the speaker really has as his preoccupation. Or to draw a figure from the profession to which Henry James once made half-hearted advances, we have in this story an obiter dictum, of a keen-witted observant judge, and not a massive, reasoned legal decision. It is Henry James all but off duty.

Another point about the popularity—or better, the vogue—of Daisy Miller, a point to mention perforce and then perforce to drop. That vogue was immediate for a reason now obsolete. To us of today the little work stands on its own feet; by the reading public of the time of its appearance it was, curiously enough, resentfully regarded as a downright challenge to American young-womanhood. Was this outspoken, happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care young beauty a rare accident, or a fixed phenomenon? Was this really the way, when at last we got to Europe, our daughters impressed the foreigners? Was Daisy Miller, in short, actually a typical American girl? With all their heated debate our parents did not settle that question; even our grandparents failed to settle it. It depended on so much, it depended on what you yourself had been used to, it depended on your revelatory social standards, whether you felt like Mrs. Costello, or like Mrs. Miller, in regard to this bit of undoubted piquancy. Mark that no one questioned Daisy’s utter reality. There she stood, the breath of life in her. It was only, as it were, a question of how many there were like her, only a question whether the author had basely betrayed to the world the family secret of his own nation, or whether the secret was so large and open that it was past betraying, or, indeed, whether the secret was so insignificant that it never should have been honored with words.

Obsolete, all this, and strangely old-fashioned to be worried over the interpretation of a provincial girl who dispensed with a metropolitan chaperone. But once again, the ironic fact remains that the felicitous combination of a few deft strokes set all cultivated Americans into a fever of discussion, and the mere words, Daisy Miller, dropped into a parlor, released lingual inhibitions then as the pentecostal term, prohibition, did yesterday or does today. Sides were taken vivaciously and ardently—it was a happy day for hostesses. Even as I write, I remember wondering, as a small boy, what in the world a decorous middle-aged feminine collateral meant when she murmured with bated breath as her share of the controversy, "‘And the most innocent’—oh surely!" What was it all about, this nine days’ wonder of nine days long since past? Only a nice girl who shocked the dear delightful tabbies by being nice—and innocent, oh surely!—in her own artless way. It is a pity to keep you from such a story while the introduction performs its sober task.

Henry James, far and away the greatest American novelist, son of Henry James the philosophical theologian, and brother of William James the psychologist and philosopher, was born in New York City, April 15, 1843. His schooling was partly in New York and Newport and partly in London, Paris, Geneva, and Bonn. After trying a law course at Harvard, he turned to literature and wrote reviews and minor articles and stories. European trips came often, especially often for those days, and he adventured into the longer forms of fiction. After publishing in 1875 his first important novel, Roderick Hudson, he made his sixth visit to Europe with the resolution to make Europe his home. A year or so of Paris was followed by permanent English residence. The last illnesses of his parents in 1881-2 brought him back to America for temporary visits, and in 1904-5 and in 1910-11 he was again in this country. Until 1897 his home was London, thereafter Rye. Journeys to the continent were not infrequent. He learned to know France and Italy but did not extend his tours to the other continental countries, save to that thoroughfare, Switzerland. Novels and stories of increasingly great significance were coming from his pen, although for a few years, without success, he experimented with the dramatic form. The history of his life is mainly the history of his artistic career. He never married, and save toward the end of his life he did not come into public notice other than as author and occasional lecturer. In 1915, as a proof of his ardent sympathies with the Allies, he became a British subject, an honest gesture which the press made ostentatious. The New Year’s honors of 1916 bestowed on him the Order of Merit. On February 28, 1916 he died.

The list of his novels is imposing to those to whom they are more than names, and hardly less important is his contribution in the form of the short story and the novelette. To those to whom they are more than names— for it is a commonplace to say that James was not in his lifetime, and has not been since, appreciated by the general public at his true worth. This is not the place to enlarge on the reasons which make his work so impressive a part of the art of modern fiction. I proceed to the tabulation of his more significant achievements, omitting, as it happens, many titles of high interest.

In 1875 appeared Roderick Hudson, a story of the manifestations of an artistic temperament; in 1877, The American, the conflict of a fine sort of Americanism with an unfine sort of Bourbon arrogance; in 1878, The Europeans, and Daisy Miller; in 1879, a biography of Hawthorne; in 1881, The Portrait of a Lady, with which remarkable novel the author comes into his real stride; in 1885, A Little Tour in France, descriptive sketches of towns; in 1885-6, The Bostonians, omitted, like The Europeans, from the definitive edition; in 1886, The Princess Casamassima, the author’s excursion into a social territory unlike his usual field, which is preeminently that of the world of ladies and gentlemen; in 1888, The Aspern Papers, a novelette based on the life of Byron’s Claire Clairmont, and Partial Portraits, mainly studies of novelists; in 1889-90, The Tragic Muse, a striking piece of technique, exploiting the value of the point of view as an organic device of story-telling; in 1892, a volume of fairly long short stories, of which The Lesson of the Master, which gives the title to the book, and Brooksmith are the most significant; in 1893, another volume, called from its leading story The Real Thing, and putting together in book form material of the preceding year or two; in this same year, more stories, and two volumes of studies of graphic artists and men of letters; in 1894 and 1895, two unimpressive volumes of plays, Theatricals; and in the latter year, an important collection of stories, Terminations, containing among others the superb Altar of the Dead, a sheer masterpiece of tone; in 1896, a further collection of stories, and The Spoils of Poynton, a

Reviews for Daisy Miller

[la2bkk · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In fairness this is my first work by Henry James, hence given his literary acclaim perhaps he is an acquired taste.I found this novella surprisingly readable given its age. Unfortunately, the storyline was simplistic, with very shallow characters and a lack of any depth overall. None of the characters were interesting or particularly likable (or dislikable for that matter). As a result, the ending which I assume is meant to strike the reader as profound left me feeling completely unmoved.Presumably James’ other works are higher quality.

[edwinbcn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In 2021 I read two major novels and several novellas by Henry James, after finishing an anthology of shorter fiction by James in September 2020. I have several volumes of tales or novellas of Henry James, and there is some overlap between them. Following my reading of four works earlier this year, I started in Tales of Henry James, that is the Norton Critical Edition. This volume comprises 9 novellas and short stories. The Norton Critical Edition also contains about 200 pages of literary criticism. I do not always enjoy reading that, but this edition contains Henry James long essay "The Art of Fiction" and his Prefaces and excerpt from the notebooks with introductions to his own novels.At first I was determined only to read the short stories and novellas which I have not yet read, but reading the additional materials spurred me on to re-read some of the novellas. So although I first read Daisy Miller in September 2020, I reread it this year.The rereading was just as fresh and just as enjoyable as the first-time reading, only a year ago. The Norton Critical Edition provides notes which the Penguin English Library lacks, which gave more depth and a better understanding of the story.

[danielstj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A clever and skillful portrait of a young lady, described as a coquette, who attempts to weave her way into luxury and society. Her attempts ultimately prove to be her undoing.3.5-- Better than expected.

[encephalical · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Delightful, but bewarned the Penguin Classics edition has spoilers in the end notes (not to mention the introduction, which is disproportionately long.)

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Daisy Miller is a novella written by Henry James that was originally published in 1878. James delivers his story in a conversational, gossipy manner as he tells about the relations between men and women of the upper class during the Belle Epoch era, in particular, a story about a young, unsophisticated American named Daisy Miller and the consequences that can happen when one ignores the social conventions of the day. The story is told by another American, Winterbourne, who comes across as sophisticated rich young man who spends most of his time in Europe pursuing his own pleasures. He meets Daisy Miller and her family in Vevay, Switzerland and finds himself quite taken by Daisy. His very correct Aunt however refuses to be introduced to her as she considers this family to be crass. Winterbourne then makes a point of travelling to Rome later in the year when she and her family are there with the intention of renewing their acquaintance. Unfortunately Daisy still seems quite clueless as to the accepted behavior of the day and manages to become the “talk of the town”. I really enjoyed this story but was rather taken aback at the abrupt and tragic ending that James provides. The harsh judgment of Daisy by society versus the acceptance of Winterbourne, with his loose morals, was an interesting contrast. I would have liked to have had access to Daisy’s thoughts and feelings rather that just the priggish Winterbourne’s. In the end Daisy does appear to reveal that she did care about Winterbourne so perhaps her behavior was simply to gall him into some kind of action.

[ajbraithwaite_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The first thing I've read by Henry James and I wasn't dazzled by it. It boils down to a simple morality tale - mothers lock up your daughters, young ladies don't you dare to gad about Rome with handsome Italian men. Winterbourne seemed to be simultaneously stiff (in Daisy's words) and spineless, while Daisy seemed to be a lost soul with few merits beyond good looks. Not a very satisfying read.

[lkernagh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am not sure if Henry James and I are meant to “get along”. I thought I would tread gently into his works by starting off with this short novella. On its surface, [Daisy Miller] is nothing more than a story about a flirtatious and rather uncontrollable young woman with her own views of what is acceptable behaviour for her to engage in, much to the chagrin of the pretentious American expatriate community residing in Rome. If one chooses to look for deeper meaning, the story could be held up as an examination of innocence, given that Winterbourne is preoccupied with the question of whether Daisy is “innocent” - is she truly naïve/ ignorant or actually culpable of her actions? On the surface, Daisy is a very unlikable character for me to relate to. She is allowed to roam free (her mother having no backbone to control her wilsome children), bristles at any attempts to reign her in and very much likes to be in control of the people around her. Winterbourne comes across as no better than a man somewhat bored with his life in Europe and believes himself to be smitten with Daisy – although one wonders if he is more smitten with Daisy’s representation of American beauty and poignant innocence than he is with Daisy.Overall, while I found the characters to be dislikeable, I can appreciate James’s skill at using storytelling to examine moral implications of an artlessness or innocence that just does not hold its own against the worldliness and cynicism surrounding it.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This volume included other stories by Henry James: THE ASPERN PAPERS, THE TURN OF THE SCREW. All good short fiction - maybe I have been wrong about James & he is actually readable!!Read Samoa Dec 2003

[dorritt_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The plot is simply told: while touring Europe, an eligible young bachelor, Winterbourne, an American who has spent almost his whole life in Geneva, finds himself attracted to the beautiful, nouveau riche American tourist Daisy Miller. Within a few sentences, the conflict emerges: while he is guarded and conservative, she is brash and even coarse. Does she flout social convention because she’s too innocent to recognize it, or simply because she refuses to be bound by it? James depicts Daisy as a sort of adult child: beautiful, possessing a sophisticated eye for style, but also impetuous, naïve and plain-spoken in the way children are before they are taught by their elders to dissemble. While modern readers may be put off by her coarseness (treating servants as equals, making plans to travel with gentleman sans chaperone, etc.), I believe James means us to admire her self-confidence and courage. Many of his novels pit “brash” Americans against “conventional” European characters in a way that clearly indicates his preference for the former. Daisy’s fatal flaw isn’t that she scorns the rules of society, he seems to say, but that she isn’t aware of them; and that when she is made aware of them, she refuses to acknowledge the validity of being judged by them. As Daisy herself says in one pivotal scene: “If [I] am all improper, [then] you must give me up.” This being James, you know not to expect a happy ending, nor does James give us one. Winterbourne, bowing to the prejudices of his snobbish aunt (plus a measure of jealousy, James implies), overmasters his affection and convinces himself to give Daisy up as unworthy of his regard. Whereupon Daisy catches “Roman fever,” sickens, and dies. Significantly, her final words are an avowal of her innocence, an avowal which her "scandalous" male companion Giovanni, endearingly resigned to having been “friend-zoned” by the lovely American girl, confirms when he assures Winterbourne, “She was the most innocent.” James at his most manipulative, offering us a final chance to contrast Daisy’s strength – her determination to remain herself to the end - against Winterbourne’s weakness – his decision to shun her. Ultimately, the lesson seems to be that while Daisy is destroyed by her own innocence, Winterbourne’s chance of happiness is destroyed too, by his inability to accept her on her own terms. As Winterbourne sums up in the final pages: “I was booked to make a mistake. I have lived too long in foreign parts.”If you’ve been hesitant to take on Henry James, this isn’t a bad place to start. Daisy Miller is short (~100 pages, depending on edition), introduces many of the themes that appear in James’ subsequent works, and – perhaps most importantly, provides the new reader a chance to acclimate themselves to what one might call the “classic Jamesian denoument,” in which no one lives happily ever after and the reader resigns themselves to living with ambiguity.

[cecrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The character Daisy Miller presents a bit of a mystery, appearing aloof from society's impressions and entirely uncaring. This is more than half the fault of the narrator, as it turns out, who is American by birth but has become European by habit. There's an autobiographical element to this novella since James himself was accused by his brother of having become too European in his outlook. It's probably the easiest read I've encountered so far among James' repertoire, not very indicative of his style in general, but the theme of American versus European society will occur again.

[caropi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy a lot reading this book is very fresh and well written Henry James manage to describe the difference between the american and the italian society in the time, as well as their manners. Is a very good book and very easy to read.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Winterbourne is a young American who has made his home in Switzerland. While visiting an aunt in Vevey, he encounters a young American boy who soon introduces Winterbourne to his sister, Daisy Miller. After a brief acquaintance with Daisy Miller in Vevey, Winterbourne encounters her again several months later in Rome. The Millers seem to have more money than class. Mrs. Miller seems to have no control over her children. Among the expatriates in Rome, Daisy has tarnished her reputation by keeping company with an Italian man without a chaperone in attendance. Winterbourne doesn't know what to make of Daisy. Is she immoral or just socially naïve? Just as Winterbourne is making up his mind, tragedy strikes.Daisy Miller is a study of both character and culture. The American expatriates aren't just shocked by Daisy's unchaperoned excursions. Her worst offense seems to be keeping company with foreign men. (Nevermind that the Americans are the real foreigners in the story.) The Millers have a European escort whom they treat as an equal, a social faux pas. Winterbourne is intrigued by Daisy and is torn between helping her repair her reputation and contributing to its ruin. I recommend reading this novella in a single sitting for best effect.

[jolerie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

He remembered that a cynical compatriot has once told him that American women - the pretty ones, and this gave a largeness to the axiom - were at once the most exacting in the world and the least endowed with a sense of indebtedness. Page 32Daisy Miller is an young woman from Schenectady, New York, on vacation with her family to Vevay Switzerland. From the beginning, her actions, her thoughts, and her words sets her apart from European society and their definition of acceptable social conduct. Her carefree and uninhibited nature sets her at odds with those around her and in the end leads to catastrophic and irreversible consequences. I appreciated James social commentary on the differences between American and English society and how someone who is unfamiliar with one or the other will inevitably find themselves treading dangerous territory. Daisy as a character is intriguing in that you can definitely see how ahead of the times she is and simultaneously how ahead of the the times, James is as a writer in the mid to late 19 century. Her pushing of boundaries in what society deems as proper and right and her insistence to go her own way oddly reflects the spirit of freedom that we applaud and advocate for women today. Some have complained about the tendency for James to be verbose and longwinded with this writing, but at novella length, I barely noticed that flaw with Daisy Miller. If anything, this little book was just an exercise in warming up the pen for his later works and with that, Daisy Miller has given me the confidence to explore Henry James' other novels.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Winterbourne happens upon a young boy and his older sister, Daisy Miller, in Switzerland. She's a terrible flirt. Both parties end up in Italy where Daisy's infatuation with an Italian man is gaining her an unfavorable reputation. Daisy's mother doesn't act very grown up. Her little brother is more than a little pesky. Winterbourne doesn't act as you would expect him. This novella has characters that are developed but that do not appeal much to 21st century readers. The lead character is particularly annoying. I listened to the Overdrive audio version of this book which was well-done. I read the book several years ago, and my reaction to the book and its characters this time seems to be the same as I remember from the reading of it then.

[lauralkeet · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

...he wondered what were the regular conditions and limitations of one's intercourse with a pretty American flirt. It presently became apparent that he was on the way to learn.While traveling in Europe Frederick Winterbourne encounters young, vivacious Daisy Miller who is on a tour of the Continent with her inattentive, helpless mother and annoying 9-year-old brother. These three had little to redeem them, in my opinion, but Winterbourne was captivated with Daisy and willing to put up with the other two in the interest of spending time with her. Throughout this novella Daisy flaunts traditional mores about how young women should behave with men. Daisy’s mothered allows Daisy and Winterbourne to visit a castle unchaperoned, and yet Winterbourne was later dismayed to find Daisy alone with a man, I suppose because he realized he had not received special treatment. The central conflict is dealt with in a perfunctory manner, and what should have been an emotional ending simply fell flat for me.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very nicely written psychological-type drama: the psychology of what made Daisy Miller tick, why the protagonist found her endearing, why the aunt refused to recognize her existence. All of these questions made for an interesting read.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. This was the seventh work I’ve completed and, like the first six, the reader did not detract from the experience.Daisy Miller is the tale of a young American ingénue spending time first in Switzerland, then in Rome with her mother, brother and “courier”. It is told from the point of view of a suitor, American expatriate Frederick Winterbourne. Daisy is a flighty, naïve young lady who enjoys thumbing her nose at cultural convention and societal mores of the era. Winterbourne is at first captivated, but becomes increasingly disturbed as Daisy’s actions become more and more outrageous and she is shunned by polite society.This is a very short period piece and is perfectly pleasant without being remarkable in any way. It can be easily read in 2-3 hours.

[karinnekarinne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Daisy Miller is a nitwit with no brain-to-mouth filter, and Frederick Winterbourne is a waffling creep, and together they form a brick of idiocy that I longed to crash through my computer screen while I read Daisy Miller.This was my (free via Kindle!) introduction to Henry James. I will try not to let it prejudice me to the point of never touching him again, since I've heard he's a big deal in the world of literature, and I should probably read more of his stuff. I mean, it was well written, but I couldn't stand the characters.I think a big part of it is that, for some reason, I couldn't separate myself enough to just view the misogynistic stuff that was "normal" back then without having it grate. And I had the same problem I did with a few of Scott Fitzgerald's stories, where I was just SO IRRITATED with these wealthy jackasses who had nothing better to do than create crappy interpersonal drama -- WHILE LOUNGING ABOUT IN AWESOME PLACES -- that I couldn't get past my irritation and enjoy the reading.Then there's that awesome double standard Winterbourne clings to for the last third of the novella, which made me read faster just so I could finish. It's too short of a story to just leave unfinished, or else I would have added it to the Not Gonna Happen pile. What a jerk!Anyway, apparently there are two versions of Daisy Miller: the first one and then one that James revised for publication in a collection of his works. I think the one I read was the former, but I don't really care enough to find out.I'm glad I read it -- for the sake of the notch on my headboard -- and at least the writing was okay, but I am more than happy to leave these characters behind and never look back.

[kathleen586 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Henry James is a very good writer, but this novella is rather odd. All of his books I have read leave me feeling unsettled, and this one is no exception.

[ursula_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished Daisy Miller in no time at all, since it was only 80-something pages. The ending was not what I expected, although I suspect it's a theme that comes up a lot in Henry James' work. In The Master it was made very clear what issues and happenings he went over and over again in different forms in his works.He's most known for writing about Americans' experiences in Europe, of course, and that's a big part of Daisy Miller. You have Winterbourne, the proper American in Europe, and then you have Daisy, who is young and a bit too carefree. Winterbourne is clearly smitten with her, both drawn to and repulsed by her refusal to do what is considered appropriate.When I first finished reading, I thought the story served a rather glib judgment on Daisy, but after thinking about it a bit I realized that there is an equally harsh judgment on Winterbourne. (And that is very in line with how James seemed to feel about some incidents in his life - he may have abandoned some people in their times of need by convincing himself they didn't actually need him.)

[kishields · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was suprised to pick this up and see how short it was! A novella, not a novel - and surprisingly straightforward for James…therefore not what I expected. I found it a quick read and gobbled it up in one day. A fine portrait of a young American girl who is too naive to pick up on the social cues of the older European society around her. When "Roman fever" catches up with her, it's not a big surprise, except perhaps to her.Daisy herself is not difficult to understand. Like many young people she cannot understand that a refusal to follow the rules of society carries a consequence. In her case, the price is very high. The narrator, WInterbourne, is harder to understand. He seems to be fascinated with her, but also able to see her mistakes very clearly. Rather than really attempt to correct or protect her, he laughs at her naiveté and keeps a distance in order to maintain his own standing in the societies of Geneva and Italy, where he moves about easily and smoothly.A sad book and complex, particulary in the depiction of the narrator.

[armand_inezian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first exposure to Henry Miller, and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. There were a lot of good things about this lengthy short story (or very short novella), including accessible writing, and a wonderful sense of that transitional period in history (when wealthy Americans first started visiting "Old Europe" in droves.) Even though I gave it three stars above, I really want to give it 3.5 stars. I have to admit- however- that after I was done, I didn't know exactly what to make of the story which is roughly about a passive narrator (Winterbourne) trying to understand a free-spirited, rough-around-the-edges American woman (Daisy). It was only after I studied the story some more (using Sparknotes- I admit it), that I got a broader sense of the social context. In this case, Henry James was exploring a cultural clash between new-money American tourists (like Daisy Miller and family) and old-school American ex-pats (like Winterbourne- who apparently has no first name). Furthermore, even though most of the drama in the novel concerns Daisy Miller, a lot of the novel is about how stuck Winterbourne is. He's American in Geneva. He doesn't know whether he can fall for Daisy or not. He is unsure of the value of social standing. He is unsure of how to approach the freedom that Daisy represents. All in all, a good book, and despite the drama (including some social scandal and even a death!), the story has a soft, old fashioned feel to it.

[countrylife_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Miller family from America, nouveau riche, is enjoying their European tour. The young lady of the family, Daisy, is very noticeable, both for her beauty and her impropriety. Daisy Miller is written from the perspective of Winterbourne, a young man whose path crosses hers, and who finds himself smitten, while trying to figure her out.” He said to himself that she was too light and childish, too uncultivated and unreasoning, too provincial, to have reflected upon her ostracism, or even to have perceived it. Then at other moments he believed that she carried about in her elegant and irresponsible little organism a defiant, passionate, perfectly observant consciousness of the impression she produced. He asked himself whether Daisy’s defiance came from the consciousness of innocence, or from her being, essentially, a young person of the reckless class.”Reflecting negatively on her mamma’s lacking ”parental vigilance”, Winterbourne follows her activities whenever their paths cross, and sees the results.Though they were well written, I wasn’t enamored of any of these characters. The plot seemed shallow, rather a blatant ‘you get what you deserve’. It was interesting enough for a study in the social mores of the day. Overall personal opinion – just middling. 2.7 stars

[ccookie_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A novella only 48 pages long. This is an odd little book. Written in 1878 it chronicles a young American girl’s willful yet innocent flirtation with a young Italian. She is outgoing and flirtatious and refuses to change her ways in order to fit into a culture and society to which she does not belong.I understand that, for its time, it reflected absolutely scandalous behaviour on the part of this young woman and yet for today's time Daisy's behaviour is quite 'normal'.As a social commentary, it doesn't fit with contemporary situations and yet is a very sad reflection on the concept of arrogance on behalf of those who believe that they are the arbiters of 'good behavoiur'. There are many today who would criticize those that don't fit in instead of applauding them for being such free spirits.I can't say that this is going to go down in history as a great read but I am glad that I read it.

[sweetbriarpoet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very short, sweet book with themes very common to Henry James' work. Although this is one of his better-known stories, I find it a little less interesting than that of [The Tragic Muse]. Perhaps because it is a short story, James tried to make it more transparent. There is some lovely symbolism and a wonderful description of setting in Rome, but the story is short and told from the point of view from a man who has no significant character structure. Henry James is a master of the written word, but his other works are more intense, more ambiguous, and therefore more rewarding than this work.

[kidzdoc_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novella is set in the last days of the 19th century, and opens in a resort town in Switzerland, as a young American man of means decides to leave Geneva to visit his aunt. While there, he meets a spirited young American woman from upstate New York, whose attractiveness is exceeded only by her impetuosity. The man is bewitched by her charm and flirtatiousness, to the chagrin of his aunt who finds her to be vulgar and reckless, and he eventually catches up with her some time later in Italy. There she engages in even more scandalous behavior than she did in Switzerland, which ultimately leads to her downfall."Daisy Miller" was an interesting story about a young woman who would have fit in well in 1920s America, but was ahead of her time in the 1890s Europe, whose upper classes were not ready for women who spoke their minds and refused to allow societal constraints to constrict their lives.

[luli81_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A short story which deals, as many other novels by James, with the changing role of women in Society and the differences that begun to arise between the old stiff Europe and the America at the end of the XIXth century.Daisy Miller is not like any other heroine of the time, she speaks her mind, defies the imposed roles of propriety and goes unchaperoned with as many gentlemen as she chooses to. Her transparent ways might have found a true companion in the sophisticated American Mr. Winterbourne, but his classical ways and a social disadjustment prevents them from a happy ending.As usual, Henry James presents her feminine character as a limited creature; innocent, stupid and flirtatious. Her lack of intelligence brings her to a fateful destiny which seems to be exposed as a lesson to be learnt for all of us who belong the weak sex.The novel could also be regarded as a cynical account of a decaying society and its hypocritical members. Anyway, I found it preposterous, simple - minded and unidimensional. I don't seem to get into Henry James' style, too misogynist for me!

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Eerder novelle, nogal oppervlakkig, maar wel intens geschreven.

[rebeccaann_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story's easy to follow. A young American girl in the late 1800s who is new to money does not understand society's rules. She flirts and openly goes around with strange men of unknown origins. She cares little for her own reputation. Winterbourne finds her pretty and is instantly attracted to her. When she pushes the boundaries, he shoves right back. In the end, Daisy pays the price. In a society where the double standards favor men, Daisy is punished by the author for being reckless. Winterbourne? He gets off with no harm done to his person. Typical.I liked this story. It was fun and easy. The story was told from Winterbourne's point of view, so it was hard to tell if Daisy was just ignorant of the rules or if she was purposely flaunting them. I personally thought she was ignorant and the "mystery behind Daisy Miller" was just a fantasy Winterbourne forced upon her image. Who knows?All in all, I liked this story!

[devenish_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

'Daisy Miller' is a young American girl traveling in Europe with her mother and younger brother. She meets a rather stiff and correct young man,who finds himself attracted to her. Daisy likes him,but it has to be said,is a 'flirt',and is never without a male companion and one usually of a completely unsuitable type. She is snubbed by polite society and finds herself isolated. She spurns advice and ends up dying from fever.This is a little gem of a book which always comes up fresh with each re-reading.