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Book Description

`You you a nun; you with your beauty defaced and your nature wasted you behind locks and bars! Never, never, if I can prevent it!' A wealthy American man of business descends on Europe in search of a wife to make his fortune complete. In Paris Christopher Newman is introduced to Claire de Cintre, daughter of the ancient House of Bellegarde, and to Valentin, her charming young brother. His bid for Claire's hand receives an icy welcome from the heads of the family, an elder brother and their formidable mother, the old Marquise. Can they stomach his manners for the sake of his dollars? Out of this classic collision between the old world and the new, James weaves a fable of thwarted desire that shifts between comedy, tragedy, romance and melodrama a fable which in the later version printed here takes on some of the subtleties associated with this greatest novels.

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Brilliantly combining elements of comedy, tragedy, romance and melodrama, this tale of thwarted desire vividly contrasts 19th-century American and European manners.

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First Sentence
On a brilliant day in May, in the year 1868, a gentleman was reclining at his ease on the great circular divan which at that period occupied the centre of the Salon Carre, in the Museum of the Louvre. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

11 Reviews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars wtg henry james!!!, Jun 12 2004

By	LaFfDeFra (paris) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signet Classics American (Paperback)

i recommend to everyone to start with the american if they have an interest in henry james, but haven't yet read anything by him. the american isn't so much of the l'art pour l'art movement as his later works, as he was pretty young when he wrote this. nonetheless, this is still a classic. christopher newman can come off as arrogant but throughout the book one enjoys him more and more. the ending is great, with christopher finally being vindicated. for whatever it's worth, i read james' the princess casamassima after this. it's a good follow-up for one who has just been introduced to h. james, although it isn't so much concerned with the old world vs new world theme as is the american.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Make no mistake..., Feb 6 2004

By	Scott T. (Dearborn, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Signet Classics American (Paperback)

James can be a long read. But keep in mind the time period in which he is writing and you will easily tackle this novel. This book should be on y our "Must Read List". Every American should be reading about Christopher Newman.

Its easily understandable today as it was over 100 years ago. We often forget our place in the world and fail to see ourselves from the point of view of others.

This is the story of an expatriate in a time when America was boldly going forth into a old world, filled with old customs and well worn traditions.

Well worth the read.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Henry James at his BEST!!!, Oct 30 2001

By	Thom Mulkey (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

OK so it takes half the book to get to the story. In typical Henry James fashion you are completely prepared for the action. Unlike Thomas Hardy, whose surroundings tell us of the character of the person it surrounds, James wishes you to know the depth of his characters as seen through the eyes of others. This of course brings on many minor characters that just seem to disappear, but it is a view of a person as if the reader was on the other side of the mirror watching the story unfold. Yes, James is wordy, yes this is not a quick read, but Henry James has a mastery of language and story telling that is rare.
"The American" is a wonderful love story that ends as a real life love story might end. Do not expect roses and happily ever after, it is as much a story of an ancient social system as it is of the life of "our hero." And the thing that seems to get missed is that Henry James actually wrote this as a mystery, not a love story.
This is a novel to contemplate and read between the lines. Good verses Evil, Noveau vs Old Money, Right and Wrong, can literature get any better than that?

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle Satisfying Brilliance
This book is long, but only because that's how James tells the story. It's like a soup that needs to boil all day, so it's kept on low, but when it's done, it's perfect. Read more

Published on Jul 31 2001 by Mercy Bell

5.0 out of 5 stars Still True Because it is Great Literature
Having recently been exposed to European aristocracy, I found reading this book, as an American, irresistible. Read more

Published on Feb 20 2001 by K.E. Culbertson

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous story, French vs. American culture shock
I have this friend who hates Henry James. I can't understand it. The style is dated, in that people dont write that way today, but as you get into the book you begin to enjoy the... Read more

Published on Feb 9 2001 by lisatheratgirl

4.0 out of 5 stars A Romance for the Unromantic
The American by Henry James is a romance for both people who love romances and those who do not. Set in late nineteenth century Paris, it combines a love story with the struggle... Read more

Published on Oct 22 2000 by James Gallen