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Classic Literature. Fiction. HTML: Washington Square by Henry James is the story of the gentle, dull Catherine Sloper who falls for the ambivalent Morris Townsend, who her father believes is a fortune hunter. When Catherine's father refuses to countenance the marriage and threatens to disinherit her if she proceeds, the dutiful Catherine is unable to choose between her father and the man of her dreams. Often compared to Austen for the precision and elegance of the prose Washington Square is a beautiful tragicomic story that is one of James' bestloved novels..
User reviews
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
The great tragedy of this novel is that no one really understood Catherine, and she had so much to give and such value to offer in a relationship. Her father judged rightly of Morris and Aunt Penniman - but never saw the prize in his daughter. I felt such empathy for Catherine in the end, and
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sorrow that these two men in her life used her so poorly. Mr. James' prose is a joy to read - his descriptions are so interesting and so apt. Show Less
LibraryThing member myfanwy
What I loved about this book was the completely natural descriptions and dialogue. You grow to know intimately Doctor Sloper, his sister Mrs. Penniman, and his daughter Catherine. You know they are all well-meaning people but you also see all of their deficiencies. Dr. Sloper is cursed with having
But beyond the wonderfully succinct and natural descriptions of every scene, the reader gets to enjoy watching Catherine grow a spine. She has been entirely supported by her father her whole life, loves him and worships him. And gradually -- you can proudly watch this change as the pages flow by -- you see her grow strong enough to reject Mr. Townsend's active pursuit, see Mrs. Penniman for all her flaws and understand that her father can be wrong. My words can't properly describe it. These things seem not so strange given the independence people nowadays assume. But imagine, if you will, witnessing the adolescence and maturation of a human mind, all over the course of about two hundred pages. It is remarkable.
It's now been so long since I read the book that I cannot give any further particulars. Suffice it to say that I felt Henry James has a delightfully clear and natural turn of phrase and an exceptional understanding of the human spirit. Each character was worthy of pity and admiration, each had strengths and foibles, and seemed utterly wonderfully human. It is infrequent that I have the pleasure of reading such well-written characters.
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a daughter neither beautiful nor intelligent and he is all too aware of her faults. Mrs. Penniman, widowed, must live vicariously to feel any sort of romance, and poor Catherine, not too smart but due to inherit a pretty penny, finds herself the object of the attention of young and unscrupulous Mr. Townsend. You can see why she falls in love with him, who is dashing and dapper if completely spendthrift and unreliable. You can feel the discomfort when Dr. Sloper makes a visit to Townsend's abode to find out that he is mooching off his sister. You can feel the shock of Townsend when Mrs. Penniman begins to arrange secret meetings with him, simply to be a part of this dissapproved (and thus oh so much more exciting) relationship. And yet everything is drawn in a very few strokes. James has a talent for writing just enough to allow you to know exactly what is going on.But beyond the wonderfully succinct and natural descriptions of every scene, the reader gets to enjoy watching Catherine grow a spine. She has been entirely supported by her father her whole life, loves him and worships him. And gradually -- you can proudly watch this change as the pages flow by -- you see her grow strong enough to reject Mr. Townsend's active pursuit, see Mrs. Penniman for all her flaws and understand that her father can be wrong. My words can't properly describe it. These things seem not so strange given the independence people nowadays assume. But imagine, if you will, witnessing the adolescence and maturation of a human mind, all over the course of about two hundred pages. It is remarkable.
It's now been so long since I read the book that I cannot give any further particulars. Suffice it to say that I felt Henry James has a delightfully clear and natural turn of phrase and an exceptional understanding of the human spirit. Each character was worthy of pity and admiration, each had strengths and foibles, and seemed utterly wonderfully human. It is infrequent that I have the pleasure of reading such well-written characters.
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LibraryThing member mattmcg
Utterly claustrophobic. In this tiny world every scene relates to the courtship of the heroine (Catherine) by a transparently mercenary suitor, Townsend.
Some things worth noting: 1) nobody at any point beats Townsend like a wild baboon. Such is justice in this world. 2) Henry James apparently
Some things worth noting: 1) nobody at any point beats Townsend like a wild baboon. Such is justice in this world. 2) Henry James apparently
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found this narrative so compelling that he can speak of nothing else for a few hundred pages. I call that obsession, and more charitable people would call it... focus? 3) Seriously, I'm not asking for a vulgar diversion like a talking parrot sidekick or a sudden alien invasion. But please, two hundred and eighty pages of endless pondering... should she marry the twit? What happens if she doesn't? Maybe she should? Oh no, Muffy, she daren't! ......zzzzzzz please please Henry you don't have to sprawl like Dickens across your imaginary world, but give us just a smidge of variety! Show Less
LibraryThing member Dorritt
This is a surprisingly ambiguous story with a deceptively simple plot. Set in New York in the early 1900s, the story tells the tale of Catherine Sloper, the rather plain, rather dull daughter of a wealthy, domineering father who becomes the target of a charming gold-digger of a suitor. Will she
Catherine isn’t a terribly sympathetic heroine – her dullness, her lack of intelligence, and her refusal to stick up for herself will almost certainly grate with self-actualized women of the 20th century. However, she’s much more sympathetic than the uniformly unpleasant cast of characters with whom she interacts in this tale, all of whom see her as little more than a tool to be manipulated for their own purposes. Her aunt uses her as the means by which to fulfill her own melodramatic fantasies of secret trysts and the tragedy of doomed love. Her lover sees her as the path to ready fortune and a life of indolence and ease. Even her own father demonstrates heartbreakingly few signs of genuine affection, viewing his daughter alternatively as an interesting scientific experiment (“how will she react if I apply *this* stressor?”) and as a ready affirmation of his own cleverness. The fundamental principle of sarcasm is making the wielder feel superior by belittling another, and in this tale Dr. Sloper wields sarcasm with the same brutal precision he brings to his surgeries.
This is no pat morality tale, however, in which the wicked are punished and virtue is rewarded. Nor is it a thematically simplistic novel, characterized by a resolution in which the main characters change or grow in wisdom. The world isn’t as simple as that, and James does us the favor of positing that we know this as well as he does – and that, therefore, we can cope with an ending that is both morally and thematically ambiguous. The novel raises many provoking questions, some of which include: to what extent is a parent justified in preventing their children from making their own mistakes? At what point does principled defiance become merely obstinacy … or, worse, cruelty? To what extent do we (knowingly and unknowingly) justify meddling in the affairs of others to achieve our own ends? Can harm and humiliation caused by the betrayal of others be mitigated by a steadfast refusal never to betray oneself? And is this steadfast determination never to betray one’s own principles an acceptable substitute for living a life devoid of happiness?
In other words, despite the relative simplicity of plot, this definitely isn’t the kind of book you take with you to the beach. However, the novel’s moral complexity makes it a worthy read and probably great fodder for book club discussions.
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marry him over the objections of her father? See how simple that is? But this is Henry James, after all, so the plot extends – like the proverbial iceberg - several layers below the surface.Catherine isn’t a terribly sympathetic heroine – her dullness, her lack of intelligence, and her refusal to stick up for herself will almost certainly grate with self-actualized women of the 20th century. However, she’s much more sympathetic than the uniformly unpleasant cast of characters with whom she interacts in this tale, all of whom see her as little more than a tool to be manipulated for their own purposes. Her aunt uses her as the means by which to fulfill her own melodramatic fantasies of secret trysts and the tragedy of doomed love. Her lover sees her as the path to ready fortune and a life of indolence and ease. Even her own father demonstrates heartbreakingly few signs of genuine affection, viewing his daughter alternatively as an interesting scientific experiment (“how will she react if I apply *this* stressor?”) and as a ready affirmation of his own cleverness. The fundamental principle of sarcasm is making the wielder feel superior by belittling another, and in this tale Dr. Sloper wields sarcasm with the same brutal precision he brings to his surgeries.
This is no pat morality tale, however, in which the wicked are punished and virtue is rewarded. Nor is it a thematically simplistic novel, characterized by a resolution in which the main characters change or grow in wisdom. The world isn’t as simple as that, and James does us the favor of positing that we know this as well as he does – and that, therefore, we can cope with an ending that is both morally and thematically ambiguous. The novel raises many provoking questions, some of which include: to what extent is a parent justified in preventing their children from making their own mistakes? At what point does principled defiance become merely obstinacy … or, worse, cruelty? To what extent do we (knowingly and unknowingly) justify meddling in the affairs of others to achieve our own ends? Can harm and humiliation caused by the betrayal of others be mitigated by a steadfast refusal never to betray oneself? And is this steadfast determination never to betray one’s own principles an acceptable substitute for living a life devoid of happiness?
In other words, despite the relative simplicity of plot, this definitely isn’t the kind of book you take with you to the beach. However, the novel’s moral complexity makes it a worthy read and probably great fodder for book club discussions.
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LibraryThing member amelish
So frustrating--I kept waiting for Catherine to DTMFA but unfortunately she predates Dan Savage by about a century.
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This was actually assigned me in high school--but amazingly, unlike what is so often the case, I didn't hold it against it. I find this a heartbreaking book--but oh so well worth reading. It's been compared to Jane Austen in its focus on family dynamics, courtship and social satire, but unlike
I haven't (yet) gone on to read more of Henry James--I understand this is one of his more readable books--he's known in his later works for very ... er... complex sentences, but that's not the case here in this short novel that falls early in his output. The book was the basis for two films, The Heiress with Olivia de Haviland and Washington Square with Jenifer Jason Leigh. Both are worthy and faithful adaptations.
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Austen this is really an anti-romance. Catherine Sloper is not cut out of the cloth of which romantic heroines are made. A "good" girl but plain, socially awkward, and none too bright--and her clever father can't forgive her for it. The heart of this book is the battle between father and daughter over a man wooing Catherine. And the hell of it, is her father is right about Morris Townsend, but so badly misjudges and mistreats his daughter that I couldn't quite root for him to succeed. Catherine does change through the course of the book, and some might read the last paragraphs as triumphant--but I found it a Pyrrhic victory. I haven't (yet) gone on to read more of Henry James--I understand this is one of his more readable books--he's known in his later works for very ... er... complex sentences, but that's not the case here in this short novel that falls early in his output. The book was the basis for two films, The Heiress with Olivia de Haviland and Washington Square with Jenifer Jason Leigh. Both are worthy and faithful adaptations.
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LibraryThing member waltser1
A physician-father (Austin Sloper) marries well and loses, first, a young son, and shortly thereafter, his wife after the birth of a daughter. He realizes early that the daughter is of average intelligence and not beautiful, whereupon he gives up the raising of the child to his live-in widowed
In some ways, the Dr. Sloper, the physician, acts like a scientist experimenting with a guinea pig in a laboratory. He is detached from a real relationship with his daughter, He just tries various experimental procedures and watches the result and adjusts according to the response.
After they return from Europe, Catherine and Morris see each other. Catherine explains to Morris that there is no chance that her father will relent from his plan of disinheritance. Morris realizes that Catherine is not going to inherit her fathers estate and begins, badly, to withdraw from his committment to Catherine, and disappears from the City in a short time. Catherine is devestated, recovers, but is forever wounded by the affair.
Long after the engagment is ended, Dr. Sloper still is suspicious that Morris will return. He still will not return the will to its former state of inheritance.
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sister, for whom he has little respect. But it's convenient and he remains unengaged with the daughter. The daughter, Catherine, grows up shy, uneasy in relationships, and very inexperienced in society. Catherine has an income from her mother, and can expect a large inheritance on her father's death. She is a target for suitors more interested in her money than in her person. Dr. Sloper has high regard for his own ability to evaluate the worth and temperment of acqaintences he meets. When Catherine meets Morris Townsend, she is smitten by the attention he gives her and rapidly develops a love for him. Dr. Sloper recognizes that Morris has a mysterious background, but he doesn't rapidly follow up on investigating the young fellow's life path until he is surprized by the rapid development of a serious relationship between the shy Catherine and the worldly Morris. Upon talking with Morris's sister, with whom Morris lives, all his fears about Morris's character are realized. But it's too late, Catherine has agreed to marry Morris, even though Morris did not ask Dr. Sloper for his daughter's hand in marriage prior to his proposal. Dr. Sloper refuses to give his approval to the marriage and, in addition, announces that Catherine will not inherit any money from him if the marriage occurs. Dr. Sloper proposes that Catherine accompany him on a tour of Europe for six months before she marries, to which Catherine and Morris agree. In some ways, the Dr. Sloper, the physician, acts like a scientist experimenting with a guinea pig in a laboratory. He is detached from a real relationship with his daughter, He just tries various experimental procedures and watches the result and adjusts according to the response.
After they return from Europe, Catherine and Morris see each other. Catherine explains to Morris that there is no chance that her father will relent from his plan of disinheritance. Morris realizes that Catherine is not going to inherit her fathers estate and begins, badly, to withdraw from his committment to Catherine, and disappears from the City in a short time. Catherine is devestated, recovers, but is forever wounded by the affair.
Long after the engagment is ended, Dr. Sloper still is suspicious that Morris will return. He still will not return the will to its former state of inheritance.
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Catherine Sloper is a not-so-young woman who really hasn’t much to recommend her or to attract a husband. She is somewhat plain, not terribly intelligent, not accomplished in music, dance, conversation or art. However, she does have a significant income (from her mother’s estate) and
The focus of this entire novel is money. But James manages to craft a tale that explores not only wealth, how it is used and what it means, but social class, family structure, filial obedience, parental responsibility, and strength of character. Catherine may be described by everyone as “sweet, but simple,” but she has a will of steel, and will show her father that he has grossly underestimated her.
Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to read a Henry James novel. For some reason I thought he would be “difficult,” with long, complicated sentence structure and archaic language. If you have the same notion, get over it. This is a very approachable story. I was engaged and interested from the beginning. Of course, now I’ve added more Henry James to my tbr mountain … but I think that’s a good thing.
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expectations of inheriting far more from her father, a brilliant physician in mid-19th-century New York City. At her cousin’s engagement party she meets a handsome gentleman, who, encouraged by her widowed Aunt Lavinia Penniman, begins to pay her particular attention.The focus of this entire novel is money. But James manages to craft a tale that explores not only wealth, how it is used and what it means, but social class, family structure, filial obedience, parental responsibility, and strength of character. Catherine may be described by everyone as “sweet, but simple,” but she has a will of steel, and will show her father that he has grossly underestimated her.
Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to read a Henry James novel. For some reason I thought he would be “difficult,” with long, complicated sentence structure and archaic language. If you have the same notion, get over it. This is a very approachable story. I was engaged and interested from the beginning. Of course, now I’ve added more Henry James to my tbr mountain … but I think that’s a good thing.
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LibraryThing member laytonwoman3rd
After muttering, grumbling and hating on Henry James for upwards of 40 years (ever since I struggled and failed to read The Ambassadors for an American Lit course in college), I have finally read and enjoyed one of his novels. In truth, I enjoyed it quite a lot. This is the story of unattractive,
The movie, "The Heiress" with Olivia deHaviland and Montgomery Clift was based on this novel. The outcome is fundamentally the same, but rather more dramatic in the movie.
Review written in September 2011
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un-brilliant, motherless Catherine Sloper, who has no prospects of marriage until she somehow attracts the attention of young Mr. Morris Townsend, of the "other" Townsends. His prospects are no better than hers, for although he is delightful to look at, and a charming dinner companion, he has no money, no career and no family connections of the better kind. Catherine's father, a prominent New York physician, will have no part of Catherine's determination to marry Mr. Townsend; she has her own income from her dead mother and Father cannot change that, but he can and emphatically will remove her from his Will and the assured thirty thousand a year she might expect after his death, unless she gives up Mr. Townsend. The exploration of human emotions, motivations, and relationships in this novel are subtle but superb. The movie, "The Heiress" with Olivia deHaviland and Montgomery Clift was based on this novel. The outcome is fundamentally the same, but rather more dramatic in the movie.
Review written in September 2011
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LibraryThing member Cecrow
A father and his daughter debate a young man's intentions in a story conveying messages about the admixture of pride and love. As the father of a very young daughter I've received its precaution not to invest too much in a singular vision of the future woman my daughter will grow up to be. The
I was surprised by how present the narrator is in this work, which I thought was antithetical for Mr. James. A quick search confirms this novel was from his early period before he became so entrenched, also explaining the easy reading. This short work is a good place for anyone to start who wants to sample James as an author without getting too bogged down.
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author does an admirable job with the daughter's character arc, very convincingly moving her through the stages. I couldn't decide which way I wanted the ending to go, and still have mixed feelings about how it wound up - as I think I'm supposed to.I was surprised by how present the narrator is in this work, which I thought was antithetical for Mr. James. A quick search confirms this novel was from his early period before he became so entrenched, also explaining the easy reading. This short work is a good place for anyone to start who wants to sample James as an author without getting too bogged down.
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LibraryThing member NadineC.Keels
I pitied every principal character for their having to eat the fruit of who they were; I never grew to like them. Strangely, I pitied John Ludlow the most--for his passion being given no chance.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
Well, a Henry James story that I actually found readable - a first after quickly giving up on Turn of the Screw and In the Cage. This was a reasonable story about a shy daughter of an overbearing father who is taken advantage of by an avaricious young man after the fortune she is due to inherit
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from her mother and, in the future, from her father. Felt very Jane Austen-like, but without the charm and James is a less good writer. I felt sorry for Catherine trapped between two men trying to manipulate her emotions, though there is a suggestion at the end that, years later after the father's death, her former lover may have turned over a new leaf. 3/5 Show Less
LibraryThing member natumi.s
Rich people live in Washington Square.
This story is about one rich woman and poor man.
After I read this story, I felt sad.
But,I wonder if Moriss actually loves Catherine.
I think that rich people is not always happy.
This story is about one rich woman and poor man.
After I read this story, I felt sad.
But,I wonder if Moriss actually loves Catherine.
I think that rich people is not always happy.
LibraryThing member markbstephenson
HJ himself didn't much care for this but lots of his readers (including me) emphatically disagree. This was also made into a terrific movie with Olivia DeHavilland as Catherine Sloper and Ralph Richardson and Montgomery Clift as the bad guys. (The Heiress, 1949)
LibraryThing member zasmine
A psychologically acute construction of three interesting characters. Very short chapters with a lot of dialogue exchange, vocal as well as internal. Hardly any prose or description, the characters unfolded and grew as I turned the pages.
Very nice.
Very nice.
LibraryThing member Luli81
My second book by James and I still remain unimpressed when comparing him to Lawrence, Hardy or the Brontë sisters. Even to Austen.
I know he writes about different times, different places and with different aims, but even though I appreciate his correct and composed style, I miss the passionate
In "Washington Square" the setting takes place in the late XIXth New York where we are introduced to the Sloper family, consisting basically of the well respected and intelligent Doctor Sloper, her humble daughter Catherine and a couple of her manipulative aunts. Our heroine is a dull girl, who lives under her father's wing, whose will is completely subjected by the Doctor's poor opinion of her. Dr. Sloper is always kind to her but at the same time he treats her as an inferior creature, not relying on her judgements or her opinions. He is domineering and strict. The biggest praise we hear about her is that she is "a modest and a quiet girl", meaning that she is gullible, submitted and patient. Not exactly as Hardy's Tess or Charlotte's Jane Eyre or Lawrence's Lady Chatterley.
The plot is settled when a new character is introduced, a young suitor, Mr Townsend, who wins the girl affection on the spot, seeing an opportunity to get a large sum of money if he marries her.
In the end, this book talks about a family conflict, as all the characters have their own interests and only the girl is earnest and innocent in her desires. She is trifled by everybody, by her own father and aunt and also by her lover. I was sorry to witness her endurance, passive self control when her future and happiness were being decided by everybody but herself.
All in all, I would say that I enjoyed this story much more in retrospection than while reading it. The whole composition makes sense in the end, and I find it highly realistic, but my guts can't help but shouting out loud to condemn the way women are mistreated in this novel.
I'll have to read more books by James to see if that's a "general" in all his works. I hope it's not.
I know he writes about different times, different places and with different aims, but even though I appreciate his correct and composed style, I miss the passionate
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accounts of other classic authors.In "Washington Square" the setting takes place in the late XIXth New York where we are introduced to the Sloper family, consisting basically of the well respected and intelligent Doctor Sloper, her humble daughter Catherine and a couple of her manipulative aunts. Our heroine is a dull girl, who lives under her father's wing, whose will is completely subjected by the Doctor's poor opinion of her. Dr. Sloper is always kind to her but at the same time he treats her as an inferior creature, not relying on her judgements or her opinions. He is domineering and strict. The biggest praise we hear about her is that she is "a modest and a quiet girl", meaning that she is gullible, submitted and patient. Not exactly as Hardy's Tess or Charlotte's Jane Eyre or Lawrence's Lady Chatterley.
The plot is settled when a new character is introduced, a young suitor, Mr Townsend, who wins the girl affection on the spot, seeing an opportunity to get a large sum of money if he marries her.
In the end, this book talks about a family conflict, as all the characters have their own interests and only the girl is earnest and innocent in her desires. She is trifled by everybody, by her own father and aunt and also by her lover. I was sorry to witness her endurance, passive self control when her future and happiness were being decided by everybody but herself.
All in all, I would say that I enjoyed this story much more in retrospection than while reading it. The whole composition makes sense in the end, and I find it highly realistic, but my guts can't help but shouting out loud to condemn the way women are mistreated in this novel.
I'll have to read more books by James to see if that's a "general" in all his works. I hope it's not.
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LibraryThing member Clara53
Henry James has a talent of getting to the essence of not only typical personages, but quite surprising and unexpected characters. Page by page he slowly unfolds their true nature. His narrative runs with such fluidity and is worded so exquisitely that upon reading it you get this quiet kind of
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satisfaction, of gaining something very beautiful and worth knowing. That's what I felt. At first the plot might not seem anything out of the ordinary - an idle dashing young man calculating a marriage to a wealthy, yet not apparently popular young woman. But it's much more than that, as we discover... Show Less
LibraryThing member Kplatypus
I used to think I hated Henry James, based on my reading of The Wings of the Dove, in which I found the plot potentially riveting and yet ruined by James' prose style. Kind of like Women in Love, which I read during the same era. Then I picked up Portrait of a Lady while living in Thailand (which
The story of Catherine Sloper's ill-fated romance with Morris Townsend is sad, but in that bittersweet, 'it didn't have to be this way' kind of way. There isn't any one person to blame for the sequence of events, but I did find myself wanting to reach into the book to smack some sense into almost all of them at one point or another. I did get the feeling that James was implying that he found the father to be the most to blame, which I can't entirely agree with. The action of the novel takes place almost entirely in the drawing room of Catherine's home on Washington Square, in a corporeal sense, and internally in a more accurate sense. This book is more of a character study than a novel, and looks at the ways in which one person's attitudes and actions can affect the lives of others, a point which is particularly appropriate when discussing a culture not known for its open communication. The writing itself was a lot less rambling than I remember The Wings of the Dove's writing to have been, and not as archaic as some of the other books from this era. However, I don't always notice older language, so I might not be the best judge of that. I did find this to be a very quick and easy read though, and reasonably interesting.
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led to me being desperate for books in English other than the newest Dan Brown/John Grisham/you get the idea crap "novel") and rather enjoyed it. A recent read of Altar of the Dead convinced me that I ought to give good old James another try, so I picked up Washington Square, a perennial favorite in the world of SAT essay examples here in NYC. Since my students talk about it all the time, I already knew the storyline and figured it would be nice if I could discuss it with them.The story of Catherine Sloper's ill-fated romance with Morris Townsend is sad, but in that bittersweet, 'it didn't have to be this way' kind of way. There isn't any one person to blame for the sequence of events, but I did find myself wanting to reach into the book to smack some sense into almost all of them at one point or another. I did get the feeling that James was implying that he found the father to be the most to blame, which I can't entirely agree with. The action of the novel takes place almost entirely in the drawing room of Catherine's home on Washington Square, in a corporeal sense, and internally in a more accurate sense. This book is more of a character study than a novel, and looks at the ways in which one person's attitudes and actions can affect the lives of others, a point which is particularly appropriate when discussing a culture not known for its open communication. The writing itself was a lot less rambling than I remember The Wings of the Dove's writing to have been, and not as archaic as some of the other books from this era. However, I don't always notice older language, so I might not be the best judge of that. I did find this to be a very quick and easy read though, and reasonably interesting.
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I decided to listen to this book after listening to The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields which is about Edith Wharton. Edith Wharton and Henry James were good friends and I became curious about this writer. Apparently this book is often compared to Jane Austen's work but I'm not a big fan of Jane
In a nutshell this is the story of a plain but rich girl (Catherine Sloper) who falls in love with a handsome but poor man (Morris Townsend). Catherine's father suspects Townsend's motives and refuses permission for them to marry. He takes Catherine on an extensive tour of Europe hoping that she will give up on Townsend or vice versa. When that doesn't work he makes it plain that Catherine will inherit none of his wealth. Townsend calls off the engagement because he doesn't want to deprive Catherine of her inheritance or so he says. It's pretty clear that Townsend was only interested in Catherine for her money and when he realized that he wouldn't get it he dumps her.
Maybe this was a new storyline when it was written but it certainly isn't now. I found it hard to care about Catherine even though I felt I should. She just seemed so insipid. At any rate I was not impressed and I won't be running out to find other books by Henry James.
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Austen and it is therefor no surprise that I didn't particularly like this book.In a nutshell this is the story of a plain but rich girl (Catherine Sloper) who falls in love with a handsome but poor man (Morris Townsend). Catherine's father suspects Townsend's motives and refuses permission for them to marry. He takes Catherine on an extensive tour of Europe hoping that she will give up on Townsend or vice versa. When that doesn't work he makes it plain that Catherine will inherit none of his wealth. Townsend calls off the engagement because he doesn't want to deprive Catherine of her inheritance or so he says. It's pretty clear that Townsend was only interested in Catherine for her money and when he realized that he wouldn't get it he dumps her.
Maybe this was a new storyline when it was written but it certainly isn't now. I found it hard to care about Catherine even though I felt I should. She just seemed so insipid. At any rate I was not impressed and I won't be running out to find other books by Henry James.
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LibraryThing member robinamelia
I listened to the Librivox recording of this. The reader's mispronunciation of numerous words was distracting, but otherwise I enjoyed the story, probably one of the few by James simple enough to manage in an audio version.
LibraryThing member Motherofthree
This is the first Henry James book I have read. It's somewhat depressing and painful on the part of the heroine, and ends with an equally depressing but correct ending. The themes are wealth, matrimony, honesty and integrity.
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Washington Square is the story of Catherine Sloper, the only child of a widowed doctor and a bit of a disappointment at that for she is neither a boy nor particularly clever or otherwise remarkable. She is rather shy, which makes her appear as cold to some who don't know better, and while not
To be clear, Washington Square is not necessarily a romance, even though the courtship is at the heart of it. It’s more akin to a social satire in the style of Jane Austen. This is a book about characters more than plot as the plot is very thin. As such, Henry James invests a lot in each character, but I find that the end result is more of a caricature or stereotype than a fleshed out person. Morris Townsend is a thorough cad; Mrs. Almond is the kindly matron; Dr. Sloper is harsh always, even in the face of his daughter's disappointments; Aunt Lavinia is so ridiculously absurd as to be comical; and Catherine is so dull and completely lacking in backbone that you really can't root for her much. (For anyone who thinks Fanny Price of Mansfield Park is insipid, Catherine is a thousand times worse … and possibly then some.) Furthermore, from the beginning of the novel until the end, none of these characters grow and/or change. Arguably, Catherine gains the tiniest modicum of respect for herself by the end, but even that could depend on who you ask.
Overall, my feeling on this book was “eh.” It’s not a bad book per se, but it’s just not great. It certainly wasn’t one of those classics that makes you say, ah, yes, I see why this is a classic! While I liked James’s style, particularly when he employed a sly kind of funny or broke down the fourth wall by referring to Catherine as “my heroine” and so forth, sometimes style alone isn’t enough to carry a book.
Also, for the audio book listener, the audio reader on this one was similar to the book itself – good but not great.
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homely, she is plain and often passed over by those around her. At age 22, Catherine has never had a suitor, despite the fact that she is an heiress and in spite of the romantic imagination of her Aunt Lavninia (Mrs. Penniman). That changes when Catherine meets Mr. Morris Townsend at the home of her other aunt, Mrs. Almond. It's here where the story begins in earnest.To be clear, Washington Square is not necessarily a romance, even though the courtship is at the heart of it. It’s more akin to a social satire in the style of Jane Austen. This is a book about characters more than plot as the plot is very thin. As such, Henry James invests a lot in each character, but I find that the end result is more of a caricature or stereotype than a fleshed out person. Morris Townsend is a thorough cad; Mrs. Almond is the kindly matron; Dr. Sloper is harsh always, even in the face of his daughter's disappointments; Aunt Lavinia is so ridiculously absurd as to be comical; and Catherine is so dull and completely lacking in backbone that you really can't root for her much. (For anyone who thinks Fanny Price of Mansfield Park is insipid, Catherine is a thousand times worse … and possibly then some.) Furthermore, from the beginning of the novel until the end, none of these characters grow and/or change. Arguably, Catherine gains the tiniest modicum of respect for herself by the end, but even that could depend on who you ask.
Overall, my feeling on this book was “eh.” It’s not a bad book per se, but it’s just not great. It certainly wasn’t one of those classics that makes you say, ah, yes, I see why this is a classic! While I liked James’s style, particularly when he employed a sly kind of funny or broke down the fourth wall by referring to Catherine as “my heroine” and so forth, sometimes style alone isn’t enough to carry a book.
Also, for the audio book listener, the audio reader on this one was similar to the book itself – good but not great.
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LibraryThing member Kasthu
Published in 1880, Washington Square looks back to an earlier period of New York City’s history, when upper-crust society lived at or adjacent to Washington Square, before society eventually migrated uptown. Set in the first half of the nineteenth century and based on a story that was once told
Washington Square in the early nineteenth century wasn’t so much a location as it was an address, a way of life. The heyday of Washington Square was in the 1840s, although many people were starting to move further uptown. Henry James’s perspective is from the later part of that century, when New York’s high society had already moved northwards in Manhattan, so this novel highlights the differences that 50 years or so have wrought. There are often comparisons between the way things are now (in the 1880s) and the way things were before the advent of the Civil War. The house in Washington Square represents a comfortable, consistent way of life valued by nearly everyone in the novel but Catherine, who seeks a way out through marriage.
Washington Square is based upon a story that was told to Henry James by the actress Fanny Kemble. James is rather cruel to Catherine; she is described as a plain, unintelligent girl. We are never given a clear picture of her thought process. We get much more from the tyrannical Dr. Sloper, a man who can deliver “a terribly incisive look—a look so like a surgeon’s lancet.” He is never afraid to say exactly what he thinks, which makes him an easier character to understand and empathize with. Henry James doesn’t describe his characters or their actions in simple adjectives; rather, he uses similes and analogies to describe how his characters think and feel.
Morris Townsend is harder to understand; seen though the eyes of Catherine, our idea of him is hardly objective. We don’t get any kind of inner monologue from him at first, so it’s hard to judge him exactly. But the more the book goes on and the more we are allowed to view his thoughts, the more we start to see Townsend from Dr. Sloper’s point of view. It’s very interesting to see how Henry James reveals nuances of character the way he does. In all, all of the characters are portrayed very well.
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to Henry James, this novel tells the story of Catherine Sloper the daughter of a respected physician and the heiress to a fortune of $10,000. One evening she meets Morris Townsend, a young man of whom Dr. Sloper is immediately suspicious, for wanting to marry Catherine for her money. Although Dr. Sloper forbids his daughter to marry or even see Mr. Townsend, as the risk of her losing her fortune, she does so anyways, with the help of her aunt, Mrs. Penniman.Washington Square in the early nineteenth century wasn’t so much a location as it was an address, a way of life. The heyday of Washington Square was in the 1840s, although many people were starting to move further uptown. Henry James’s perspective is from the later part of that century, when New York’s high society had already moved northwards in Manhattan, so this novel highlights the differences that 50 years or so have wrought. There are often comparisons between the way things are now (in the 1880s) and the way things were before the advent of the Civil War. The house in Washington Square represents a comfortable, consistent way of life valued by nearly everyone in the novel but Catherine, who seeks a way out through marriage.
Washington Square is based upon a story that was told to Henry James by the actress Fanny Kemble. James is rather cruel to Catherine; she is described as a plain, unintelligent girl. We are never given a clear picture of her thought process. We get much more from the tyrannical Dr. Sloper, a man who can deliver “a terribly incisive look—a look so like a surgeon’s lancet.” He is never afraid to say exactly what he thinks, which makes him an easier character to understand and empathize with. Henry James doesn’t describe his characters or their actions in simple adjectives; rather, he uses similes and analogies to describe how his characters think and feel.
Morris Townsend is harder to understand; seen though the eyes of Catherine, our idea of him is hardly objective. We don’t get any kind of inner monologue from him at first, so it’s hard to judge him exactly. But the more the book goes on and the more we are allowed to view his thoughts, the more we start to see Townsend from Dr. Sloper’s point of view. It’s very interesting to see how Henry James reveals nuances of character the way he does. In all, all of the characters are portrayed very well.
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LibraryThing member tomoyoh
Morris and Catherine love with each other .
But Catherine's father does not like Morris .
I think sometimes parents should not say " No. " for their children's love .
Of course , maybe parents love their children . So they are worried about their children.
But everyone has each personality .
So I hope
But Catherine's father does not like Morris .
I think sometimes parents should not say " No. " for their children's love .
Of course , maybe parents love their children . So they are worried about their children.
But everyone has each personality .
So I hope
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love of Morris and Catherine is congraturated by everyone . Show Less
LibraryThing member jwhenderson
Washington Square was my true introduction to the art of Henry James. I say this because I first encountered James in dramatic form by attending a production of "The Heiress" by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. They had adapted James's short novel in 1947. By the late 1960s the play had become a popular
The book is sometimes compared to Jane Austen's work for the clarity and grace of its prose and its intense focus on family relationships. James was hardly a great admirer of Jane Austen, so he might not have regarded the comparison as flattering. In fact, James was not a great fan of Washington Square itself. He tried to read it over for inclusion in the New York Edition of his fiction (1907–1909) but found that he could not, and the novel was not included. Other readers, though, have sufficiently enjoyed the book to make it one of the more popular works of the Jamesian canon. It's popularity may have been enhanced by the stage adaptation "The Heiress" by Ruth and Augustus Goetz.
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vehicle for High School students and that is where I encountered it, and indirectly Henry James. James originally published his novel in 1880 as a serial in Cornhill Magazine and Harper's New Monthly Magazine. It is a structurally simple tragicomedy that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to James by his close friend, British actress Fanny Kemble.The book is sometimes compared to Jane Austen's work for the clarity and grace of its prose and its intense focus on family relationships. James was hardly a great admirer of Jane Austen, so he might not have regarded the comparison as flattering. In fact, James was not a great fan of Washington Square itself. He tried to read it over for inclusion in the New York Edition of his fiction (1907–1909) but found that he could not, and the novel was not included. Other readers, though, have sufficiently enjoyed the book to make it one of the more popular works of the Jamesian canon. It's popularity may have been enhanced by the stage adaptation "The Heiress" by Ruth and Augustus Goetz.
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