Suspense

[The American] was both a psychological and sociological description of an American in Paris coming up against the aristocratic society of France. He sees an aristocratic woman as the convenient ideal wife and then becomes obsessed by her once their marriage is denied. ( )

4.5 stars



James makes great headway from Roderick Hudson, where he really begins to hone his dialogue; here, in The American, one almost feels the influence of Trollope on the first half of the novel—the society scenes, the scenes of being lost in crowds, the dialogue that is suggestive rather than overt—all while making Paris come alive for the reader in such a way that we’re able to see it through Christopher Newman’s eyes as a privileged, hard-working, status-obsessed American who’s earned his millions and is taking the Continental tour. Love and Old World tradition sidetrack him, as do a few well-drawn characters who come and go at literally just the right times: in other hands, these characters would be mere caricatures, but in James’s hands, the balance is struck and the bell tolls, tolls, tolls. 



This novel sees him much more masterful with his dialogue measured equally with the interiority/figural narratives that place us inside (mostly) Newman’s head as he navigates the Old—but new-to-him—World of tradition, religion, society, and a pride he can’t wholly fathom. The scenes in the Louvre are some of the most breathtaking scenes in James’s work thus far—as I begin to re-read his novels in order, as this mad project of mine—and the countryside of France comes alive, too, in a suffocating, claustrophobic manner that suits the plot and the theme of The American to the letter.



And that ending! What perfection, with the mise-en-scène and the dialogic build-up! And there is a kind of behind-the-curtains duel! And nuns! And backstabbing aplenty… but the latter is James for you, almost across the board. James begins his ambiguity here, in part, and his fascination with a particular classical element that figures heavily in much of his novels and short fiction. 


On to The Europeans which I recall feeling was one of his weaker earlier novels (it is, after all, subtitled A Sketch), but perhaps my mind will change after many years away from it, and on the heels of his previous three novels—yes, I count Watch and Ward, though James later disowned it. ( )

Here's what I wrote after reading in 1990: "Another tale of a man pursuing a woman he desires. This man is a rich American; the woman a lovely descendant of a very long line of French nobility. Of course, he cannot have her. He is too "brash" in the French family's eyes and even his wealth cannot compensate for his lack of lineage. Below this surface story line, James is attempting to deal with the fusion of the "old" and "new" worlds; Europe and America. Story is set in the late 1800's." ( )

The American as one of the early novels of Henry James does not have as many readers or enjoy as much popularity as the later novels. Still, by all means, The American is a very good novel, and would serve very well as an introduction to the later, more mature novels.

The American has all the elements of the later novels. The contrast between the lack of sophistication of the American nouveau riche versus the decadence of the old, European aristocracy. Life in the great salons of the European metropolises versus trips to Geneva and other pleasurable holiday destinations. As The American is one of James's early novels to explore this theme it is also explorative of the features of the exchange of cultures, American versus European, while the motives are still somewhat superficial, as opposed to the psychological drama of the later novels. In addition to that, The American has a rich plot, with various, unexpected turns.

I did not like the secundary plot, which in a way explores the same motive from a mirrorred perspective of not so very sophisticated Europeans looking for their luck with Americans, but perhaps it was needed to connect some elements of the story. It gives the novel a slight Dickensian "Tale of Two Cities" character.

Upon completion, I felt I would have hoped to have known of this novel when I started reading Henry James, and not necessarily, as most people, through the shorter fiction. ( )