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Title: Washington Square by Henry James, Kieran McGovern, Jennifer Bassett ISBN: 0-19-423052-X Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: January, 2004 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $5.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.97 (34 reviews)

Rating: 4
Summary: Great introduction to the writing of Henry James
Comment: This relatively short novel is a wonderful way to become acquainted with the writing style of Henry James.Washington Square is much more accessable than some of his other works.
The plot revolves around a young woman who is living in Washington Square with her widowed physician father and his sister. The daughter Catherine is not considered particularly attractive by her father so that when a handsome young man begins to court her the father is imediately suspicious of his motives since Catherine is his only heir.
The tension between the father and his daughter is offset by the bond that the Aunt develops with the young man .

James allows us to perceive the motivations of each of these primary characters and we come to recognise that Catherine is in fact in danger of being deceived. The father who is not a very sympathetic character is insightful enough to do what is necessary in his view to prevent this.

The characters are all well concieved and remain true to type throughout the story.

A bonus is the setting of old New York and the scenes of a growing city are vividly drawn. Imagine a time when moving "uptown" meant moving to what is now the Village.

Overall I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend it

Rating: 5
Summary: A quick and satisfying read
Comment: Washington Square is an amazingly easy read. The overall storyline is simple enough to follow: A young woman with a large fortune, Catherine Sloper, is being pursued by an almost penniless, yet handsome and charming, young man, Morris Townsend. The heroine's father, Dr. Sloper, is against the match, saying he will disinherit Catherine if she decides to marry Morris. So the overrall question is will she choose love or duty? Simple, isn't it? This is what makes this book so wonderful and clever. James uses such a simple storyline to draw out complex and complicated characters that make you question what their real motives are.

James' immediate portrayals of his characters seem almost one-dimensional. Beginning with the book's heroine, Catherine is seen as a plain, dull, and almost stupid girl with an unyielding devotion to her father. Dr. Sloper is an intelligent and prosperous man, who unfortunately cares little for his daughter because she is 'decidedly not clever.' Dr. Sloper's sister, Mrs. Penniman, is shown as a meddlesome aunt. And finally, one can already guess, that Morris Townsend, the penniless young charmer, is none other than a fortune hunter. When once you see him, can you doubt that he is only after Catherine for her money? Yet, throughout the novel, new sides of each character are being shown, creating multi-faceted characters out of the simple and easy to understand characters we first see. Catherine isn't as simple-minded as originally made out to be. Her devotion to her father is understandable because you know that she is a merely being a good and pure and loyal daughter. But we also see that her loyalty and devotion can be given to someone other than her father. We see Catherine does have some backbone because she is so steadfast in her loyalty concerning both her father and Morris. Dr. Sloper's motives are very unclear. He is rough and tough towards his daughter, but he cannot continue being indifferent to her. Is it because he finally has found some feeling for her or because his pride has taken a blow? Aunt Penniman: what is her real motive concerning Catherine and Morris' relationship? And throughout the book, you are never really sure if Morris is just after Catherine's money or if he really does love her in some fashion.

It is a quick and satisfying read, but beware that this is not a romance. There are topics found in the novel that anybody can relate to, be it from sympathizing with Catherine's character, or understanding something of the others. Even though there are many things to think about and question after reading this book, it is definitely worth your while to read this book.

Rating: 4
Summary: Father / daughter relationship...........
Comment: Washington Square is the story of a daughter's relationship with her father, a widowed physician. Dr. Sloper sees his daughter as plain and not very intelligent, and when a young man shows an interest in Dr. Sloper's daughter, Catherine, Dr. Sloper decides that the young man is merely attempting to access Catherine's fortune and he decides to put an end to it. Catherine Sloper never seems to quite make a stand for herself and her future unfolds in ways that none of them foresee.
Henry James tells a blunt straight-forward tale of a family choose to approach any problems or differences with an almost clinical detachment from deep emotion. Henry James is an eloquent author with a minimalist manner of expression.