Daisy Miller

Originally published in "The Cornhill Magazine" in 1878 and in book form in 1879, "Daisy Miller" brought Henry James his... (more)

Originally published in "The Cornhill Magazine" in 1878 and in book form in 1879, "Daisy Miller" brought Henry James his first widespread commercial and critical success. The young Daisy Miller, an American on holiday with her mother on the shores of Switzerland's Lac Leman, is one of James's most vivid and tragic characters. Daisy's friendship with an American gentleman, Mr. Winterbourne, and her subsequent infatuation with a passionate but impoverished Italian bring to life the great Jamesian themes of Americans abroad, innocence versus experience, and the grip of fate. As Elizabeth Hardwick writes in her Introduction, Daisy Miller "lives on, a figure out of literature who has entered history as a name, a vision." (less)

Daisy Miller, a young woman from Schenectady, New York, arrives in Switzerland with her mother and younger brother to vi... (more)

Daisy Miller, a young woman from Schenectady, New York, arrives in Switzerland with her mother and younger brother to visit her aunt. They are on holiday from the United States where her father is a successful businessman, a member of the nouveau riche. Mrs. Miller wants to try her daughter out on the European social regime which includes complex and detailed layers of conduct by which judgement is rendered on the participants. A certain amount of useful knowledge can protect an innocent from her own vulnerability. Unfortunately, Daisy is spirited but without the ability to curb her quick enthusiasm. She doesn't have the social experience to be unconventional. In Switzerland she meets 27-year-old Frederick Winterbourne who is from America but grew up and was educated in Geneva. When he and Daisy meet at the beginning of the story their behavior is spontaneous, and Winterbourne is drawn by her flirtatious ways. (less)

This unique edition reunites two tales which James intended to be complementary --"Daisy Miller" and "An International E... (more)

This unique edition reunites two tales which James intended to be complementary --"Daisy Miller" and "An International Episode." Young Daisy Miller perplexes, amuses, and charms her stiff but susceptible fellow-American, Frederick Winterbourne. Is she innocent or corrupt? Has he lived too long in Europe to judge her properly? Amid the romantic scenery of Lake Geneva and Rome, their lively, precarious relationship develops to a climax in the Coliseum at midnight. The tale gave James his first popular success, yet some compatriots detected treachery in its portrayal of young American womanhood. James responded with "An International Episode," which exposes a couple of English gentlemen to the charm and wit of American sisters in Newport, Rhode Island and then in London. (less)

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Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Daisy Miller, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes... (more)

Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work Daisy Miller, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author. (less)