The Bostonians (Penguin Classics)

ISBN: 0140437665

Author: James, Henry

Condition: New

There was nothing weak about Miss Olive, she was a fighting woman, and she would fight him to the deathBasil Ransom, an attractive young Mississippi lawyer, is on a visit to his cousin Olive, a wealthy feminist, in Boston when he accompanies her to a meeting on the subject of womens emancipation. One of the speakers is Verena Tarrant, and although he disapproves of all she claims to stand for, Basil is immediately captivated by her and sets about reforming her with his traditional views. But Olive has already made Verena her protégée, and soon a battle is under way for exclusive possession of her heart and mind. The Bostonians is one of Jamess most provocative and astute portrayals of a world caught between old values and the lure of progress.Richard Lansdowns introduction discusses The Bostonians as Jamess most successful political work and his funniest novel. This edition contains extracts from Tocqueville and from Jamess The American Scene, which illuminate the novels social context. There are also notes and a bibliography.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.