Wings Of The Dove (Paperback) [Paperback]

 

 

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You really have to work for what you get out of this book. The thick prose is difficult, and the long, rambling sentences and page-and-a-half paragraphs require the whole of the reader's attention. This is certainly not a book that I would be able to read on a trip, in a public place, or when I'm tired. That having been said, this is a great piece of literature that demonstrates an interesting contrast in European and American society. The story revolves around a conspiracy by two individuals, Kate Croy and Merton Densher (both Londoners), against a young, rich American girl named Milly. The ultimate goal of these two is to get the dying Milly's vast fortune for themselves when she dies. Densher, who is not a wealthy man, would by gaining Milly's fortune to gain enough social standing to gain the consent of Kate's rich aunt Maud for Kate's hand in marriage.

The motives of the pair are not completely selfish. Milly is dying, it is true, but as long as she enjoys life she does well, and the doctor pronounces that the more joy she can have, the better. Kate is a good friend of Milly's, and knows (or at least thinks) that her last days will be happy with even the artificial love of Densher.

The contrast between American and European society comes in the question of social standing. As Maud puts it, and as everyone understands it, Densher is not 'good enough' for Kate. Milly, though many times more wealthy, has no such scruples, and the common Densher is plenty good for her, even though she's also being pursued by a nobleman named Lord Mark. Milly sees Densher's personality as the core of her fondness for him, and cares nothing for his social standing. Maud, though she really likes Densher, will not consent to Kate's marriage to him for the simple fact that he is, essentially, nobody.

The ultimate distinction between Europe and America is the fact that the Europeans, especially Aunt Maud, will do nothing for anybody unless it will somehow benefit themselves. Maud is a grand hostess, and a generous woman, but only when it works to her advantage. The climax of the novel is when Milly proves herself the stronger in character, by committing an act so charitable, though she knows of the plot against her, that only Densher can truly understand it, and Kate is left at a loss. Densher and Kate have a chance to redeem themselves, and the truly climactic finish of the novel is an interesting look at how the Londoners (Kate and Densher), so different in social standing, deal with this chance.

Overall this is a very good book. I would not call it an enjoyable read, because of the complex and often confusing prose, but it nevertheless is worth reading, both for the message it conveys and for the fascinating and multifaceted characters.

One of the great reads of Western literature is a beautiful love story of deceit and social requirements, containing James' most demanding narration. Travel carefully. A pure exercise in literary trickery becomes quite clear over time, even if, not every sentence will make sense. Amazing that such thick prose finally reveals a truly heartfelt story. The characters all speak like James writes: with commas in between their words. Good thing they're all fascinating enough to hold your attention.

Two responses to previous reviews: it was written one hundred years ago, so it would of course be somewhat dated. Second, you should perhaps READ THE ENTIRE BOOK before you attempt to review the text.

The text follows the fascinating development of a manipulation: Milly Theale, an American woman, enters the London scene, endowed with prodigious wealth, youth, and beauty, and several characters vie for her affection. It's a standard James plot in that way. Much like Portrait of a Lady, the wealthy American is exploited by her European acquaintances. Kate Croy convinces her lover Merton Densher to take advantage of Milly's interest in him, and to go so far as to attempt to marry the young American for her money. She is, after all, fatally and tragically ill. James brilliantly depicts the struggle between Densher, Kate Croy, her powerful Aunt Maud, the piquant Susan Shepherd, Sir Luke, and Lord Mark, and his characteristically enigmatic ending does not disappoint. James manages to breathe life into these odd characters in a way that so few writers can: his genius is for complex character, and this book embodies that genius at its height.

The trouble with the book, however, is that it does not qualify as a "light read." The pace is incredibly slow - deliberately slow, of course. It is a novel about decisions, and the development of those decisions constitutes the bulk of the novel. James's prose does lack the terseness of a Hemingway, but the latter writer often fails to capture the nuances that James so elaborately evokes in his careful prose.

James, like Faulkner, is not for the faint of heart. Some of his work is more accessible; readers in search of a more palatable James should look to Washington Square, What Maisie Knew, or his popular masterpiece, The Turn of the Screw. This novel does not fit easily into a category, and its principal interest is that very quality of inscrutability. It's not really a "British" or an "American" novel but contains elements of both. It's not "Modern" or "Victorian" but both. Originally published in 1902, it's also not easy to include him in either the 19th or the 20th century. He appears to be writing in both.

In short, then, it's not a light-hearted novel and the prose can be challenging at times. But I believe that the effort of reading this book is well rewarded.

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3.0 out of 5 stars The Wings of the Dove
There is no disputing the artistry of this novel but it is without question extremely difficultt to read. Read more

Published on Mar 10 2003 by cmerrell

4.0 out of 5 stars James - an intellectual writer
I read Wings of the Dove several years ago, then watched the movie. My first, quick impression of "The Dove" was that the long narrative is both tedious and mentally exhausting... Read more

Published on July 20 2002 by Sue M. Nagamoto

4.0 out of 5 stars difficult, but worth it
James' style is indeed difficult. I found that reading some sections of the novel aloud helped me keep my focus and enhanced my enjoyment of James' language. Read more

Published on May 5 2002 by Lelia Thell

5.0 out of 5 stars The novel could never be the same again.
The title is a Jamesian euphemism for 'Pulling The Wings Off Flies'. In a book that is a vortex of ironies, the most fundamental is that a novel written at the highest pitch of... Read more

Published on April 23 2002 by darragh o'donoghue

2.0 out of 5 stars The burning of the letter is symbolic of this book's style
At an important juncture, our heroine throws a key letter into the fire. We, dear readers, never get to know what it contains. Read more

Published on Jan 27 2002 by Stacey M Jones

4.0 out of 5 stars Complex and Hard to follow, but still good
First things first, it is a very nice novel, but very hard to follow. Personally speaking, sometimes I couldn't get very exactly what Henry James was trying to say, but I could... Read more

Published on Nov 28 2001 by Alysson Oliveira

4.0 out of 5 stars Much to my surprise...
I was certain, in the first 100 or so pages of this book, that I was going to hate it. I nearly gave up on it a half-dozen times. Read more

Published on Nov 23 2001 by Veejer

3.0 out of 5 stars Great language can't save a weak story.
Henry James's "The Wings of the Dove" presents a detailed study of human nature and motivations with regard to love and money and the social differences that separate... Read more

Published on Sep 17 2001 by A.J.

5.0 out of 5 stars Each Paragraph a Work of Art
It's said that James aspired to craft each line of his later works into a work of art. Arguably he succeeded at this tremendous task, but in the process he made it a tremendous... Read more

Published on July 22 2001 by Gregory N. Hullender

2.0 out of 5 stars painful reading
Dennis Barlow: Through no wish of my own I have become the protagonist of a Jamesian problem. Do you ever read any Henry James, Mr. Schultz?

Mr. Read more

Published on Oct 30 2000 by Orrin C. Judd

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