Washington Square - Book Review

Kliatt, Jan, 2002 by Jacqueline S. Edwards

Henry James. 1881/1999. Read by Lloyd James. 7 CDs. Time not listed. Blackstone Audiobooks. #2809. 0-7861-0561-5. $39.95.Vinyl binder; plot, author notes. SA

Catherine Sloper is a good daughter. An heiress lacking in personal, physical and intellectual charm, she obeys her unsympathetic, tyrannical father when he insists she not marry penniless Morris Townsend, who is as personally and physically attractive as she is not. Is he really just a fortune hunter? A careful listener will be highly entertained to discover the subtle means the trusting, docile and eminently patient Catherine uses to exert her will. Henry James offers a vivid portrait of the fashionable society and New York City neighborhood where he grew up in the middle of the 19th century. Lloyd James gives an excellent reading. His voice is very pleasant and his rendering of the text is subtle and well paced. Jacqueline S. Edwards, Bedford, MA