First published in 1877, The American is one of Henry James’s most engaging novels, offering a sharp and elegant exploration of cultural contrast, innocence, and power.
The novel follows Christopher Newman, a wealthy and self-made American who arrives in Europe seeking refinement, beauty, and love. His courtship of a noblewoman draws him into the rigid hierarchies and unspoken codes of European aristocracy, where openness collides with tradition and sincerity meets calculation. As New ...